ARSENAL warmed up for a crunch clash with Manchester City with a defiant win over their bitter rivals Tottenham.
The Gunners made the trip across North London without star midfielders Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice, the latter of who was suspended for a stupid red card against Brighton.
Arsenal made the trip across North London to take on their bitter rivals Tottenham[/caption]
The game was a tetchy and tense affair in the first half[/caption]
Gabriel Martinelli wasted a golden opportunity to break the deadlock in the first half[/caption]
Gabriel broke the deadlock shortly after the hour mark with a towering header[/caption]
But their absences mattered little as they ran out 1-0 winners at the home of their fierce rivals.
Dejan Kulusevski came close to breaking the deadlock in the fifth minute but saw his close-range effort well saved by David Raya.
Kai Havertz forced a good save from Vicario in the 17th minute with a stooping header.
Gabriel Martinelli spurned a golden opportunity to break the deadlock in the 18th minute, firing a tame effort at Vicario when Bukayo Saka was in acres of space to tap the ball home.
The half-time interval really killed the momentum of the game, with neither side able to get a foothold.
But the Gunners broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute thanks to a powerful header from Gabriel, who buffeted Cristian Romero out of the way to nod home.
Victory over Spurs has moved Arsenal to just two points behind league leaders and defending champions Manchester City, who they face at the Etihad next Sunday.
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