Tottenham Hotspur won the first-ever overseas North London Derby after Pape Sarr’s long-range screamer saw Thomas Frank topple Arsenal 1-0 in Hong Kong.
This was only Thomas Frank’s fourth game as Spurs boss, and already he’s got a North London Derby win under his belt. It’s been three long years since Tottenham last beat their fiercest rivals, and even though this was a pre-season friendly, the bragging rights feel just as sweet for the Spurs’ supporters.
Frank named arguably his strongest available XI for this clash. The only notable absentee was Dominic Solanke, with the manager revealing pre-match that the striker wasn’t quite ready. On the plus side, James Maddison made his long-awaited return after nearly three months out.
First half: Arsenal 0-1 Tottenham
There was nothing “friendly” about this. From the very first whistle, both sides looked determined to win and preserve the intensity of this historic rivalry.
It was all Arsenal for the first few minutes, though. Martin Odegaard had a deflected shot inside 40 seconds, and moments later, William Saliba headed just wide after the Norwegian’s scuffed volley dropped kindly to him.
It didn’t take long for Tottenham to get comfortable and grow into the game, however. The first real chance came when Pedro Porro nearly scored straight from a corner – his delivery hitting the woodwork after Micky van de Ven was too strong for David Raya at the far post. Richarlison reacted quickest to the loose ball, only for Saliba to block his header on the line.
Arsenal’s press was aggressive, and while Spurs coped well for the most part, there was one scare when Declan Rice pounced on a loose header from Cristian Romero. Fortunately, Porro got back on time to deflect the effort for a corner.
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Then came Tottenham’s double woodwork moment. Wilson Odobert’s slightly deflected shot hit the right-hand post after Mohamed Kudus’ blocked effort led to the opening. The resulting corner somehow hit the left-hand post, bounced off Richarlison, and went over the bar. It might’ve gone in had the Brazilian got the faintest of touches, but it wasn’t to be.
With hardly a minute for the half-time whistle, Tottenham managed to take the lead.
Pape Matar Sarr picked up the ball just beyond the halfway mark, spotted Raya off his line, and launched a stunning effort that chipped over the Arsenal keeper and into the net. 1-0 to Spurs.
Arsenal responded with a pair of quick corners, but Spurs went into half-time with a deserved lead.
Second half: Arsenal 0-1 Tottenham
There were no changes at the break as Spurs kept their compact 4-4-2 off the ball. As expected, Arsenal dominated possession, but Frank’s side were structured well.
Arsenal pressed hard for an equaliser. A slick combination between Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Martinelli ended with the latter blazing over the bar.
Arsenal looked a lot more physical after the break, probably because Arteta had a word with them at half-time after their poor set-piece defending. It was much more intense than what you would usually expect from a friendly, and Spurs had started to match that physicality as well.
Spurs’ best second-half chance fell to Micky van de Ven after Mathys Tel skipped past his marker down the left and lobbed the ball across the box. The Dutchman couldn’t convert from close range, heading wide when it looked easier to score.
Then came a scare as Martin Zubimendi, fresh off the bench, attempted a volley that took a slight deflection and looped just over the crossbar. Havertz followed it up with a tame left-footed effort straight into Guglielmo Vicario’s gloves.
The only real action in the final 15 minutes was the introductions of Son and then Maddison, along with a few classic NLD tussles. There were scrappy fouls, time-wasting complaints from Arteta (ironically), and a few unnecessary yellow cards to end the game with.
Spurs Web Man of the Match: Pedro Porro
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This was a tactically sharp performance from Thomas Frank’s men. After years of being second best in this fixture, Spurs fans will just be glad to finally see their team come out on top.
Special mentions go to Pedro Porro and Djed Spence, both of whom were outstanding at full-back, solid in their duels, quick in recovery, and effective going forward. Wilson Odobert was a constant trouble on the left wing, full of tricky movement and dribbling that caused all sorts of problems for Arsenal’s defence.
And then there’s Pape Matar Sarr. The Senegalese midfielder has been one of the most-used players under Frank this pre-season, and it’s easy to see why. He’s a workhorse and you’ll never see him tired or not wanting to run whilst on the pitch. Sarr looks destined for a breakout campaign under the new boss.
Tottenham now travel to South Korea for pre-season matches against Newcastle and Bayern Munich.