Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Tottenham today puts them six ahead of second-placed Chelsea, seven in front of their main challengers City and 11 clear of reigning champions Liverpool.
VIA EXPRESS:
This time a year ago, Liverpool beat both Manchester City and Real Madrid within days of each other. The win over City put the Reds nine points clear of second-placed Arsenal while reigning champions City were 11 adrift. Those games, followed by a strong November, underlined that Liverpool were the best team in England (and briefly Europe). So it proved as they won the league.
Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Tottenham today puts them six ahead of second-placed Chelsea, seven in front of their main challengers City and 11 clear of reigning champions Liverpool. Like the Reds a year ago, the dominant manner of the Gunners’ derby day victory simply puts in bold font that Arsenal are the best team in this league. They’re one of the very best in Europe too.
Barring an unprecedented spate of injuries or the most extraordinary collective head loss, Arsenal will be named champions in May. Maybe even earlier, actually. Excluding a phenomenal Richarlison goal, which was a freak long-range finish, Arsenal absolutely thrashed Spurs. This was a hammering. Eberechi Eze was incredible.
And yet this was an Arsenal team without talismanic centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes and captain Martin Odegaard. Both would have started if fit. Also on the list of absentees? Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyokeres. Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli were only just back from knocks and started on the bench.
Those absentees mattered not at the Emirates. Yes, Spurs offered extremely little. But Arsenal blew them away and played some magnificent football. They could have scored six.