Finally, Liverpool slipped. The Reds are currently in a fantastic form as their last (and only) defeat came in September 2024 against Nottingham Forest, so when we say that they ‘slipped‘, it actually means they had two draws in a row. First against Manchester United, and this week against Forest, when they managed only 1-1 against the thrid-placed Premier League team. Arsenal made a good use of those two draws and with a hard win over Tottenham, the Gunners are now just four points behind the league leader. Off course, Liverpool still has a game in hand, but nevertheless, even coach Mikel Arteta was in buoyant mood after a great victory against a hated rival.Arsenal’s set-pieces axeman Gabriel tears mercurial Spurs into piecesThe Gunners came from behind and won the game 2-1 and the Spanish tactician declared that his team is still in the mix for the title.“We are still in the title race, there’s so much to play for but we can see how difficult it is for every team to win. When you have opportunities to close the gap you have to take them. This is a result to enjoy a moment and now we prepare for the next game. I’m very proud of the team, I thought we were sensational. It was a big test and we were not being rewarded in last two games in two different competitions. This was a test of our attitude and our courage. From the first minute we were really at it, really intense. We played with a real purpose to hurt them. We created an unbelievable atmosphere. We know how important the game is. It’s a gift we can make the supporters very happy. The attitude we played with, not feeling sorry for ourselves, was phenomenal. We played 120 minutes three days ago but its how you respond to that situation. We had some big chances and big situations. At the end we had to suffer more than we wanted“ said Arteta after the game.Myles Lewis-Skelly speaking with @IanWright0 ❤️🎥 @OptusSport pic.twitter.com/zOk3Zh4lHc— Gunners (@Gunnersc0m) January 16, 2025 Apart from the great win, the fans were delighted to see another academy prospect blossoming in front of their eyes. Myles Lewis-Skelly had another great day, and what‘s even better, he did it as a left-back, although he is a midfielder. The 18-year old kid is so good, that he left both Calafiori and Zinchenko, natural left-footed players on the bench.“He was phenomenal again. He is a real personality and has a real attitude about him, you need it to play vs Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson. The way he handled the situation and occasion was top“ said Arteta.5 – Arsenal have done the Premier League double over Tottenham for a fifth time (twice under Arteta and three times under Wenger), which is four more times than Spurs have done so against the Gunners in the competition (once in 1992-93). Bragging. pic.twitter.com/FKK0qIPBb0— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 15, 2025 Declan Rice was equally impressed with the kid and compared him to ex Tottenham and Fulham midfielder Moussa Dembele.“It is scary. I said the 18-year-olds now have no fear whatsoever. There were four or five times where he has that Moussa Dembele trait. He uses his body to get away from stuff. To show that at 18 years old is unbelievable. He is a midfielder by trade, he can play 6 and 8. To know these roles at 18 is unbelievable. Who knows what England holds for him” said Rice.ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 21Tuesday Brentford – Man.City 2-2 (0-0)/Wissa 82, Norgaard 90+2 – Foden 66, 78/Chelsea – Bournemouth (1-0)/Palmer 13, James 90+5 – Kluivert 50 (p), Semenyo 68/West Ham – Fulham 3-2 (2-0)/Soler 31, Soucek 33, Paqueta 67 – Iwobi 51, 78/Nott.Forest – Liverpool 1-1 (1-0)/Wood 8 – Jota 66/Wednesday Everton – Aston Villa 0-1 (0-0)/Watkins 51/Leicester – Crystal Palace 0-2 (0-0)/Mateta 52, Guehi 78/Newcastle – Wolverhampton 3-0 (1-0)/Isak 34, 57, Gordon 74/Arsenal – Tottenham 2-1 (2-1)/Gabriel 40, Trossard 44 – Son 25/Thursday 22.30: (4.00) Ipswich (3.60) Brighton (2.00)23.00: (1.30) Man.Utd. (5.50) Southampton (10.0)***odds are subject to change***
