BBC

Arsenal answered questions posed about their nerve under pressure in the most emphatic fashion in the north London derby to suggest this is a Premier League race that will go down to the wire.

The manner in which Mikel Arteta's side collapsed in losing a two-goal lead at doomed Wolverhampton Wanderers saw old uncertainties and past pain resurface as hunters Manchester City scented blood.

It made the meeting with arch-rivals Spurs even more hazardous, especially with the toxic air around this dysfunctional club partly cleared by the sacking of unpopular head coach Thomas Frank and his replacement by Igor Tudor.

Arsenal need not have worried as, even with the imposing figure of the giant Croatian prowling his technical area clad in black, they were the beneficiaries of the latest cure prescribed by "Dr. Tottenham", always on hand to provide help to any opponent in times of strife.

The Spurs stadium announcer attempted to rally the crowd with a growled pre-match message delivered at ear-splitting volume, bellowing: "They are worried. They are nervous as hell. We are calm. We are ready. The fire is ready to be lit."

Sadly for Spurs, the final score on that one was zero out of five.

Arsenal were the furthest thing from "nervous as hell." Spurs were the furthest thing from calm and ready. No fires lit here.

Spurs were almost cruelly outclassed as Arsenal's advantage at the top of the table returned to five points, although Pep Guardiola's City have a game in hand.

To sum up this latest Premier League weekend, Manchester City threw down the gauntlet by closing the gap to two points with a tension-filled win against Newcastle United. Arsenal picked it up with relish in this thumping 4-1 win.

It means that even before the end of February, sights are starting to turn to what might just be a title decider between City and Arsenal at Etihad Stadium on 18 April.

In the interim, Arsenal have home games against Chelsea, Everton and Bournemouth, along with a visit to Brighton. City travel to Leeds United, West Ham and Chelsea, with relegation strugglers Nottingham Forest to come to the Etihad.

And, of course, there might just be a psychological blow to be struck when Arsenal and City meet in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday 22 March.

Arsenal are now 10 games from the glory that has eluded them since Arsene Wenger's "Invincibles" in 2003-04. Destiny is their hands. The twist in the tale is that the same applies to Manchester City.

For all Arsenal might have wished to play down the significance of this single game in the title context, it was a win and performance they needed desperately to calm concerns on and off the pitch.

And this was a consummate display, cool and measured with a ruthless edge, even if it came against this dreadfully poor Spurs side.

Eberechi Eze picked the perfect time to return to his best, playing his part as derby tormentor again with two goals to add to the three he got in the 4-1 win at Emirates Stadium in December.

Since that hat-trick, Eze had featured in all 15 of Arsenal's subsequent league games, but had made only four starts and played just 360 minutes before this derby.

In his last start he was substituted at half-time against Brentford, so credit to Arteta for having the instinct to feel that this was the sort of occasion to suit him, deploying him in the "number 10" role against the club who thought they had signed him until Arsenal stepped in to clinch a £60m deal with Crystal Palace.

And there was more good news with much-criticised striker Viktor Gyokeres also scoring two fine goals on a perfect day for the Gunners and their ecstatic fanbase.

Arsenal were not knocked out of their stride, even after Randal Kolo Muani's bustling equaliser for Spurs two minutes after Eze struck the first blow. This was a confident, reassuring performance.

Arteta told BBC Radio 5 Live: "This was outstanding. I think you have to bring context to the situation and this is the beauty of football.

"You go to Wolves and you drop two points in the last kick of the match. Watching it back, there is no understanding from my perception how the hell that happened.

"It feels like the end of the world, but then you have another opportunity and that is the beauty of it. In a difficult stadium, against our rivals, and seeing how much it means to us in the league and all our supporters."

He added: "This chapter we wanted to write. We have managed it."

BBC Sport pundit Danny Murphy expects the race between the two to go right to the finishing line.

He said: "The title race is still on massively for both. It's in both their hands, that's unusual. Normally it's in one team's hands and you are just waiting for them to slip up.

"I have been very much in the Arsenal camp in terms of my eyes telling me they are the best team. The last couple of results have given Man City that little bit of hope. They have a lot of players in the squad who have been there and done it.

"Speaking from experience, when you have got over the line, the next couple feel easier. Every time Arsenal go on the pitch the pressure is on at the minute. It's great for us and I hope it goes to the wire. I don't see any winning all games from now until the end of the season."

Arsenal's nerve was put the test. They passed - and more tests will come for the Gunners and Manchester City as the Premier League pursuit reaches its climax.

Tudor 'certain' Spurs will stay up despite heavy defeat by Arsenal. Video, 00:01:31Tudor 'certain' Spurs will stay up despite heavy defeat by Arsenal

Up Next. Frank 'convinced' he will still be at Spurs for North London derby. Video, 00:00:45Frank 'convinced' he will still be at Spurs for North London derby

Watch again: Reaction to Frank's sacking by Spurs. Video, 00:37:32Watch again: Reaction to Frank's sacking by Spurs

'The fans have spoken' - Why Frank's future at Spurs looks bleak. Video, 00:01:48'The fans have spoken' - Why Frank's future at Spurs looks bleak

'It's the ultimate role' - Carrick on Man Utd job. Video, 00:03:16'It's the ultimate role' - Carrick on Man Utd job

'Shouldn't be in the game' - Rosenior wants stronger racism penalties. Video, 00:02:12'Shouldn't be in the game' - Rosenior wants stronger racism penalties

Past Kane & chasing Mbappe - why Gordon is lethal in Europe. Video, 00:02:14Past Kane & chasing Mbappe - why Gordon is lethal in Europe

Boxing rivalry is one thing, humanity is another - Fury. Video, 00:00:57Boxing rivalry is one thing, humanity is another - Fury

Playing to be seen - how sport helps India's Siddi community from social isolation Video, 00:03:55Playing to be seen - how sport helps India's Siddi community from social isolation

Fury says latest comeback is 'to make boxing great again' Video, 00:01:27Fury says latest comeback is 'to make boxing great again'

To boo or not to boo? Pundits and fans have their say. Video, 00:02:27To boo or not to boo? Pundits and fans have their say

Eberechi Eze torments Tottenham Hotspur again as Arsenal made a title statement of intent by restoring their lead at the top of the Premier League table to five points with victory in the north London derby.

MATCH REPORT: Premier League - Tottenham 1-4 Arsenal

Tottenham interim manager Igor Tudor, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "Difficult start against a team who is now in this moment.

"A different level of physical state of mind, so congratulations to them. They were much better and they deserve this win. I got the spirit which we wanted to do things, but it was not enough. It is nice to understand where we are in this moment.

"It showed me on Tuesday that we need to work hard and work hard and seriously.

"Now in this moment, the team is full of problems. The only key is to work on the training day by day and be humble. We need to be more aggressive - we need to be more compact. These are the keys.

"You understand the gap with the mental sharpness of one team and other teams. This is a thing we need to change. I saw players available to do this, but we need more time to do this.

"Thinking about relegation doesn't bring you anything to anybody."

Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven, speaking to Sky Sports: "Arsenal were the better team. We were still in the game at 1-1 but after the second half, they scored straight away and then it was really difficult.

"We could do the press a bit better. We pressed high but Arsenal came out of it. It's something we need to work on. They were the better team today.

"It's a risk when you go man for man and if one man is late then you're going to be open but when you win the ball high, there are so many options for us. But on the opposite, when they come out, it's a big risk."

On Igor Tudor: "He is on us all week. Every day we worked on it. It's his first week and he wants to help us in every way. We have all the week to prepare for Fulham.

"We need to win the games. Step by step. We play Fulham now."

Igor Tudor names Randal Kolo Muani as his striker in his first Spurs team with Palhinha in midfield. Richarlison and Dominic Solanke are on the bench.

Tottenham starting XI: Vicario, Gray, Dragusin, Van de Den, Spence, Bissouma, Palhinha, Sarr, Gallagher, Simons, Muani

Subs: Austin, Richarlison, Tel, Solanke, Souza, Oluesi, Williams-Barnett, Rowswell, Wilson

Mikel Arteta has made just two changes to the side that drew 2-2 with Wolves in midweek. Leandro Trossard comes in with Eberechi Eze starting as Arsenal's number 10.

Eze scored a hat-trick when these two played earlier in the season and the Gunners will be hoping that Eze can repeat that performance today.

Arsenal starting XI: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres

There are four games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

Kick-off times 14:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction from the 14:00 games here

And go here for Tottenham v Arsenal

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Sunderland v Fulham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Spurs v Arsenal", for instance.

From what I've read about new Tottenham manager Igor Tudor, he is a guy who goes in at clubs and, in the short term, gets a turn out of his team.

Spurs really need that to happen now, because they desperately need a win or two to get out of reach of relegation.

So, this game is big for them for that reason, and also because they can put another dent in Arsenal's title hopes too.

Spurs and their fans have not had a lot to shout about this season, but if they can get something here then this could be a defining moment in their campaign, and affect Arsenal as well. They would love that.

It was an incredible wobble by Mikel Arteta's team against Wolves, drawing 2-2 after being 2-0 up, and I certainly didn't see it coming.

Maybe it is getting to be 'squeaky bum time' for them, but it didn't affect them when they went away to Leeds a couple of weeks ago and won convincingly.

You can imagine how Spurs will be champing at the bit, and I am expecting them to make a fast start and have a real go at them - but Arsenal have to deal with that, and find a way of bouncing back.

I think the Gunners can do that, and their quality will make the difference in the end. I worry about Spurs in forward areas and it will be interesting to see how Tudor lines them up in defence too.

Ultimately, if Arsenal turn up and play how we know they can, then they will win - and I am expecting them to make a real statement.

Sutton's prediction: 0-3

London City Lionesses vs Tottenham Hotspur: Women's FA Cup stats & head-to-head  BBC

New Tottenham Hotspur head coach Igor Tudor will be thrust straight into the firing line when he takes charge of his first game on Sunday (16:30 GMT), with bitter rivals and Premier League leaders Arsenal the visitors.

Spurs decided to part ways with Thomas Frank after a loss to Newcastle United at home left the team in relegation trouble. They go into this weekend five points clear of the drop and without a win in their last eight Premier League games.

As for Arsenal, they started the weekend just five points clear at the top after a surprise draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday. They have played a game more than their nearest rivals Manchester City too.

Tudor looks to avoid the trapdoor

Depending on your frame of mind, a home fixture against Arsenal could be the best or worst possible start for Tudor.

On the one hand, the match represents something of a free hit given the respective position of the two teams and a positive result could spark something in what has been a dejected fanbase. But a bad defeat and a jubilant away end would be far from ideal.

Spurs' recent record in this fixture does not make for great reading. They have lost their last four against Arsenal and their last three games on home soil against their rivals; that's as many as they suffered in the previous 23 north London derbies they hosted.

Tudor has tended to get off to a good start when he's in a new role. He has won his first match in charge as a manager with his last five clubs, although he surely won't have had a tougher opening assignment than this in his coaching career.

His biggest challenge at Tottenham will undoubtedly be bringing some creativity to an injury-ravaged squad. Spurs have actually outperformed their xG by more than any team in the top flight this season, with only Burnley, Sunderland and Wolves unable to better their xG for the season of 27.40.

It means, in theory at least, that if it wasn't for some clinical finishing that things could potentially look even worse for Spurs.

Arsenal's north London derby trip to Tottenham Hotspur will be played out against a backdrop of searching questions about their nerve - "bottle", as it is often called - character and even public mockery from their rivals.

The most basic question is this. Are Mikel Arteta's side choking amid Arsenal's greatest opportunity to win the Premier League for the first time since Arsene Wenger's "Invincibles" of 2003-04?

The landscape around this trip to hostile territory has shifted so dramatically in the last fortnight that it has moved from what resembled a walk in the park to a test of every quality required to win the title.

Arsenal will go to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - where Spurs have won only two of 13 league games this term - with the toxicity caused by former head coach Thomas Frank's presence potentially removed by his sacking and replacement by Igor Tudor.

Tudor's appointment is essentially designed to avoid relegation.

His chequered managerial career has taken in Hajduk Split, Galatasaray, Udinese, Marseille, Lazio and Juventus.

For all that, Tudor has specialised in fast starts in charge of clubs, a powerful personality whose arrival delivers an extra ingredient to what was already going to be a super-charged atmosphere.

It all adds up to a severe examination of Arsenal just as they look to be creaking under the pressure of chasing that elusive Premier League crown.

First, there must be context.

Arsenal remain top of the table. They finished top of the Champions League standings with eight wins from eight games. They face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and have an eminently winnable FA Cup fifth round tie at League One side Mansfield Town.

So what is eating Arsenal?

Arsenal's catastrophic concession of a 2-0 lead at relegation certainties Wolves, as well as the way in which that advantage was lost, was an example of tension that has gripped the Gunners on and off the pitch in a run of only two wins from seven Premier League games.

As if that collapse at Molineux, concluded amid angry scenes involving players from both sides, was not enough, Wolves' social media accounts rubbed salt in Arsenal's wounds by poking fun in a TikTok post captioned "Game Management".

In a post watched by more than two million, it was aimed at Arsenal's perceived time-wasting at corners and what was clearly regarded as an over-reaction to injuries.

There was also an image of Gabriel Martinelli taunting Wolves' fans with a "2-1" gesture, only to look daft when Arsenal conceded that late leveller.

Wolves' time-wasting jibe was followed by an Opta statistic that Arsenal have taken a league-high total of 117 minutes to restart games from corners this season. They also have the longest average delay of restart from corners at 44 seconds.

Low blows from Wolves, but blows that may have landed on already frayed nerves.

The chaotic manner of Wolves' 94th-minute equaliser from Tom Edozie - eventually going in off Riccardo Calafiori - summed up Arsenal's panic-stricken finale as goalkeeper David Raya collided haplessly with defender Gabriel to cause confusion.

What was an opportunity to apply psychological pressure by extending their lead to seven points was squandered, leaving Arsenal only five clear of Manchester City having played one game more.

It was Arsenal's recent problems in microcosm.

Raya and the Gunners' defence have slipped from the high standards that gave them a nine-point advantage over City and Aston Villa on 7 February, albeit that Pep Guardiola's side had a game in hand.

Arsenal's fate still remains in their own hands. The problem is that the same applies to City, with the sides scheduled to meet at Etihad Stadium on 18 April.

And this is where the nerves and the past play into the current narrative that Arsenal are wobbling, having finished second in the last three campaigns, twice to City and last season to Liverpool.

In this chase, Manchester City have form for successfully hunting down league leaders.

Arsenal's form at this stage of the season is unflattering when compared to City's. In each of the last four campaigns, City have amassed more points than Arsenal in the final 12 games.

The biggest differential was 12 points in 2021-22, the narrowest one point in 2023-24, when a 2-0 loss at home to Aston Villa on 14 April effectively cost Arsenal the title.

And several factors are now coming into play as Arsenal need to prove they can cope with the pressure of ending that barren title run, with City breathing down their necks.

Since their 4-1 win against Aston Villa on 30 December, the ring of steel Arsenal assembled in defence has lost its strength. They have subsequently conceded one league goal per game as opposed to 0.61 before.

Arsenal have also appeared to drop into a more risk-averse, negative approach when in front and looking to have games under control.

Leads have been lost against Manchester United, Brentford and - most damagingly - Wolves in recent weeks.

Is the fear of losing, or drawing, turning up the pressure valve on players who will know this season represents their best chance of winning the title to such an extent they are now struggling to close out victories?

It is a highly pressurised environment. This season there are no excuses. It may just be now or never.

Arteta invariably cuts an agitated figure on the sidelines. He recently urged Arsenal's fans to "jump on the fun boat", but does not look as if he is having fun at the moment, even though he is leading a team top of the table and insists "the present is beautiful".

He says he will be "keeping calm, keeping my eyes open, my ears open, and understanding what the players need to give their best".

Arteta added: "We have to live the present. What we did in the past is great, but we have to live the present, and the present is beautiful.

"We are exactly where we want to be in every competition. We need to earn it, like we've done in the last seven or eight months."

Getting to this position, and it is a healthy one, is another factor in the equation. Are the physical demands starting to take their toll on players?

Martin Zubimendi, outstanding since his summer move from Real Sociedad, is one such example.

He has seen more Premier League action than any other Arsenal outfield player, figuring in all 27 games with 26 starts, playing 2,270 minutes in his first season in the English top flight.

Eberechi Eze has almost been a bystander in comparison, despite the fanfare that greeted his £60m arrival from Crystal Palace in August, stolen away from Spurs at the 11th hour.

Since scoring a hat-trick in the 4-1 win against Spurs in November, Eze has featured in all 15 of Arsenal's league games but has made only four starts and played 360 minutes.

The wider questions, however, surround Arsenal's temperament to withstand the pressure that is suddenly closing in on them, an ominous reminder of previous failings.

Arsenal are still in a superb position in every competition – positions they would have instantly signed up for in August. And their cause could be helped the return of key duo Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz.

If the Gunners win at Spurs, doubts will be eased, but one thing is beyond question.

This north London derby is now a completely different proposition from a fortnight ago.