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NLD triumph feels good

Just as it seemed that the winds of change were blowing Tottenham into the powerful position in north London, as the 'Mind the Gap’ jeers were coming from Wembley instead of the Emirates, as the red of North London was fading away into a haunting, empty white, Arsenal produced one of their best performances of the season.

November 20, 2017 15:34
1 min read

Lacazette, Sanchez and Ozil, finally playing together in a big game, demonstrated a link-up that was enough to rival the front three of any top team. Nevermind Barcelona's MSN or Real Madrid's BBC, Arsenal's LSO took the headlines this weekend. And what an apt acronym it is.

Arsenal's London Symphony Orchestra took to the field and played with the eloquence and grace of a Mozart symphony, passing the ball with ease, leaving Spurs gawping. By contrast, Tottenham's attack was stagnant, easily dealt with by the confident Gunners defence.

This victory was not owed to a tactical masterclass from Wenger, or a drastic change in any department. It was down to motivation. Ozil, a player renowned for a lack of effort, was the man of the match, and Sanchez responded to cynics, who believed he had stopped trying before an inevitable transfer, by sealing the victory with a creative finish. The hype of a north London Derby inspired a low-energy Emirates Stadium, creating an atmosphere that has been lacking in recent games, and the players lapped it up.

But is this the turning point? It is easy to become over-confident after the positive adrenaline this derby provided, and I would not be surprised if Arsenal went on and lost to Burnley next week.

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