Paul Merson critical of Arsenal for the nature of their display against Tottenham
Even though Arsenal secured a 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, they did not have it any easy. Despite their booming start to the game, Arsenal had to fight for the win. Spurs returned in the second half with a lot of vigour and scored two goals to open the game up. However, it was too late for Spurs to come back into it. Was not meant to be, perhaps.
Arsenal legend Paul Merson has slammed his former club for nearly throwing away a 3-0 lead against Tottenham and insisted you would not see Manchester City do similar. Here is what he told Football London:
“Even though you’re 3-0 up, it doesn’t mean you can start taking liberties with the other team. Football changes that quickly – that’s what you’ve got to learn.”
“They were absolutely cruising and they’re hanging on for dear life at the end – I mean hanging on. That’s inexperience.”
“They might have [drawn that match last season]. I think if Tottenham got up ahead of steam they might not have had another chance to score after 3-2, but they were so, so comfortable.”
“You wouldn’t see Man City doing that. Brilliant, fair play to them, you’ve got to win games and they’ve come here and won. The main thing is for the fans – this is a huge game for Arsenal fans and they won the game.”
While Merson may be right and all, he failed to bring focus to the actual issue that saw Arsenal lose momentum in their match-up against the Lilywhites.
Tottenham made it difficult for Arsenal to find their feet in the game in the second half and that’s a fact.
While the ultimate victory eluded them, there’s a lot Tottenham can draw inspiration from their performance. The fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude displayed by the players demonstrated their character and commitment to the cause.
Tottenham can take pride in their ability to unsettle a top side like Arsenal and make them sweat for the win. Despite trailing by three goals, Spurs refused to throw in the towel and mounted a spirited comeback that had Arsenal scrambling to hold onto their lead.
The determination shown by the players bodes well for the future. With Ange Postecoglou at the helm, Tottenham are building towards a bright future, and performances like these against top opposition are steps in the right direction.
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The resilience and fighting spirit shown against the Gunners surely demonstrate the character of the team and offer a glimpse of what they are capable of achieving under Postecoglou’s guidance. With lessons learned from this match, Tottenham can certainly look ahead with optimism and continue to strive for success on the pitch.
