Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou believes his team could have won on Sunday with the chances they created. Spurs have failed to win the North London derby since 2022.
The loss against Arsenal on Sunday now means that Tottenham have won one game this season; 4-0 against a poor Everton side. Ange’s team failed to put away newly promoted Leicester City on the opening weekend, and lost to top six challengers Newcastle just before the international break.
The 1-0 defeat came with some controversy, with some calling for Gabriel’s goal to be disallowed. Others also pointed out that Jurrien Timber should have been sent off. Timber entered a confrontation with Spurs goalkeeper Vicario while on a yellow and was lucky to escape another booking.
Tottenham controlled possession for most of the game but failed to create any meaningful chances. Arsenal shut out Spurs and kept up the pace with leaders Manchester City.
Postecoglou believes his side could have won the game:
“I thought it was a tight game all the way along. we controlled it for the most part and got off to a good start. We didn’t capitalise on the opportunities and we were unable to get on top of them.
“We lost concentration [for the goal]. We’ve got some big guys in there who really attack the ball and we just switched off for a second.
“I think I’ve said my piece. For the most part we controlled the game today, had good territory and possession but we didn’t make the most of it and we got punished.”
Tottenham managed 15 shots but failed to score, with Arsenal keeping their third clean sheet of the season. Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott praised the defensive display:
“This win was down to a team performance, with each Arsenal player taking responsibility of where they needed to be,” Walcott added.
“I felt like Spurs went away from their usual game, which surprised me – the way Ange Postecoglou usually plays football is incredible, but I didn’t really see that from them.
“Maybe he thought he would try something different too, but it did not quite work. They put in a lot of crosses but because this Arsenal team are so well drilled, it just fed into what they are good at.
“It must have felt like they were trying to play their way through a brick wall in the second half because, whatever they tried, Gabriel and William Saliba were ready to clear it away.
“It was like watching Mourinho’s Chelsea side, and I used to hate playing against them.”
Walcott sang the praises of Mike Arteta after the game, comparing him to former Chelsea and Spurs coach José Mourinho.
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