Tottenham Hotspur claimed the first bragging rights of the new Premier League season against arch-rivals Arsenal with a 1-0 pre-season win in Hong Kong.
Pape Matar Sarr scored the only goal of a cagey affair as Tottenham showed plenty of reasons for optimism under new head coach Thomas Frank.
For Arsenal, however, their old failings in front of goal resurfaced as even the late introduction of new signing Viktor Gyokeres could not save them from a narrow pre-season loss.
The result is a major boost for Spurs as they continue to build for their UEFA Super Cup clash with PSG, as they look to claim more European silverware to add to last year’s Europa League title.
As the dust settles on a tight pre-season clash, here are five things you may have missed.
Pape Matar Sarr lays down a marker for the season with wonder strike
After a difficult 2024/25 Premier League season, Spurs fans are looking for signs of optimism under new manager Thomas Frank, and Pape Matar Sarr impressed in a new role, capping off a good performance with his first-half wonder strike.
After picking Myles Lewis-Skelly’s pocket in midfield, Sarr produced a sumptuous finish to catch David Raya off his line to send the Tottenham fanbase into raptures.
Sarr was a regular under Ange Postecoglou last season, playing 36 times in the Premier League, with three goals and two assists.
If his pre-season form is anything to go by, Sarr will be crucial to Spurs’ hopes of climbing the table under Thomas Frank.
Arsenal draw a blank as Viktor Gyokeres forced to wait
Arsenal’s lack of cutting edge under Mikel Arteta was the Achilles heel in their title chase last season, and the club has moved quickly to address this with the signing of Viktor Gyokeres.
However, the prolific Swede was forced to watch the majority of his first North London Derby from the bench as Arsenal continued to struggle in front of goal.
The Gunners had 16 shots on goal, including 10 from inside the box, which resulted in just one shot on target from Kai Havertz.
Gyokeres eventually took the field in the 77th minute to a hero’s welcome from the Arsenal fans. Although he was unable to find the net in his short cameo, Arteta will be hopeful that he can find the goals they need for a title charge in the new season.
Returning Lucas Bergvall stakes a claim to start at number 10
The identity of Tottenham’s number 10 is one of the burning questions that Frank must resolve ahead of the new season, as he looks to balance his side’s thrilling attack with a defensive steel that was lacking under his predecessor.
Frank deployed the returning Lucas Bergvall at number 10, with new signing Mohammed Kudus on the right and Wilson Odobert on the left of a three behind Richarlison.
According to the stats from Sofascore, Bergvall acquitted himself well, with 34 touches and a pass accuracy of 96% before being substituted after 77 minutes.
However, with James Maddison on the bench and Dejan Kulusevski also able to play through the middle, Bergvall will face a fight to retain his place when the season gets underway.
New signing Cristhian Mosquera goes under the radar on debut
While all of the attention from the Arsenal fans was on Gyokeres’ debut, they got to see another one of their new signings in action in the 1-0 defeat.
Defender Cristhian Mosquera was introduced alongside Gyokeres in the 77th minute, as he replaced Jakub Kiwior in his first appearance for the Gunners.
Although Mosquera did not have long to impress, he made 14 touches in 14 minutes on the pitch and maintained a pass accuracy of 92%. He also won two aerial duels in a solid start.
At 21 years old, Mosquera has plenty of scope to develop under Arteta. However, there was plenty to like about the former Valencia man in his short cameo appearance.
A record crowd watches the North London Derby in Hong Kong
Eyebrows were raised at the prospect of a North London derby being played in Hong Kong as part of pre-season.
However, fans voted with their feet as 49,975 fans turned out to watch Spurs claim the first bragging rights of the new season.
Although Arsenal’s first visit to Hong Kong ended in defeat, the crowd of just under 50,000 was a new record for the Kai Tak Sports Stadium.
Combined with the fact that just shy of 30,000 fans came out to watch Arsenal and Tottenham’s training sessions before the game, it proves the enduring global appeal of one of football’s most famous fixtures.