Arsenal received 'like a Mourinho crew' - Walcott on the north London derby

It was not fairly, however Arsenal obtained the job completed towards Tottenham to make sure they didn’t lose any extra early floor within the Premier League title race.

Gabriel scored their winner, from yet one more set-piece, however it was the Gunners’ defensive dedication and organisation that basically impressed their former ahead Theo Walcott, who was watching the sport for Match of the Day 2.

Arsenal had a mean of solely 36.3% of possession over the 90 minutes, however that fell from 38.1% earlier than they scored within the sixty fourth minute, to solely 32.2% after they went 1-0 up.

“It actually would not matter how they obtained it – it was nice end result for Arsenal,” Walcott stated.

“They confirmed once more that they’ll combine it up, as a result of they performed nearly like a Jose Mourinho facet to see the sport out.”

‘Defending right down to element in coaching’

Arsenal’s victory was much more spectacular contemplating they had been with out key midfelders Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice, who had been absent via harm and suspension.

Jorginho, making his first look of the season, changed Rice and partnered Thomas Partey on the base of their midfield.

Leandro Trossard, beginning as an alternative of Odegaard, operated additional ahead but additionally had loads of defensive obligations in a formation that began as a 4-3-3 however was extra usually a 4-4-2 when Spurs had been on the ball.

Whereas Mikel Arteta’s facet weren’t at their finest as an attacking drive, they had been in a position to shut out Spurs within the second half – notably after Gabriel had headed residence Bukayo Saka’s nook.

“As a crew efficiency, most likely one of the best comparability I can consider can be when Arsenal drew 0-0 at Manchester City final season,” Walcott stated.

“Individuals needed Arsenal to be extra adventurous then, however they performed with a system to get that end result.

“It was precisely the identical right here, although they’d some necessary personnel out, they’re so properly drilled and structured that they confirmed it would not actually matter who performs, as a result of they’re all drilled the identical method defensively.

“That comes right down to the work they do on the coaching floor. I used to be fortunate sufficient to observe them in pre-season and the quantity of teaching workers who’re concerned in every session is unimaginable.

“It makes the gamers’ lives a lot simpler when there’s that stage of element, with coaches which might be actually there for every particular person participant.

“As a squad, they’re getting the identical message drilled into them every day, so I’m not stunned anymore once they can grind out a end result like this one.”

‘Like making an attempt to play via a brick wall’

Tottenham fired a stream of balls into the Arsenal field within the closing levels, however notably didn’t create a clear-cut likelihood.

By the tip it felt like they’d run out of concepts, if not steam, as they tried and failed to search out any gaps within the Gunners’ back-line.

“This win was right down to a crew efficiency, with every Arsenal participant taking accountability of the place they wanted to be,” Walcott added.

“I felt like Spurs went away from their normal sport, which stunned me – the way in which Ange Postecoglou often performs soccer is unimaginable, however I didn’t actually see that from them.

“Perhaps he thought he would strive one thing completely different too, however it didn’t fairly work. They put in a variety of crosses however as a result of this Arsenal crew are so properly drilled, it simply fed into what they’re good at.

“It will need to have felt like they had been making an attempt to play their method via a brick wall within the second half as a result of, no matter they tried, Gabriel and William Saliba had been able to clear it away.

“It was like watching Mourinho’s Chelsea facet, and I used to hate enjoying towards them.

“They had been so properly structured, with the likes of John Terry, Alex or Branislav Ivanovic, who had been all unimaginable models in that back-line, and would organise all the pieces.

“It will not look fairly, however they might simply get outcomes and would then find yourself successful the league.

“As a ahead enjoying towards them, it felt like there was solely a lot you would do. I might do my job by placing the ball into house however when all the pieces you strive has been denied, denied and denied once more then, as a crew, you begin pondering ‘we’re by no means going to attain at the moment’.”

‘Repetition the important thing for set-piece success’

Whereas Arsenal had been nonetheless strong with out Rice on the coronary heart of their midfield, they did miss Odegaard’s artistic nous and tranquility on the ball.

“It is laborious to check him and Trossard, as a result of they’re very completely different gamers,” Walcott defined.

“Trossard, for me, might be one of the best finisher on the membership – however Odegaard is the conductor, the one who will get all the pieces working and will get everybody within the crew working at their finest stage. He even begins the defensive press.

“Ethan Nwaneri, who got here on late within the second half, has some similarities as a participant however at 17 he’s nonetheless very younger and nonetheless growing and studying.

“In time he might be the one who takes Odegaard’s function when he’s not out there however, whoever is available in, it’s going to be laborious to switch him.

“For the time being I really feel like they need to play otherwise when he’s not within the crew, however we noticed on Sunday that it could actually work.”

It actually helps that Arsenal at all times pose such a menace from set-pieces, which have introduced them extra objectives (23) than another Premier League crew because the begin of final season.

“Once more, that is why these coaches have been introduced into these golf equipment,” Walcott stated. “However the secret is the time they spend on these conditions, each single day.

“Once I was enjoying it was simply the day earlier than the sport if you would work on set-pieces, however Arsenal do all of it week. Once I watched them in pre-season, they had been even doing it then. They’re so necessary, they began this course of in the summertime, slightly than simply getting the gamers match.

“Their pondering is that that is the place the distinction shall be in sure video games and when you may have gamers of the stature of Gabriel and Saliba, then in fact you need to use them. It was the identical with Mourinho’s groups too – Terry would at all times pose an enormous menace.

“You hear strikers like Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney speak concerning the time they spent specializing in their ending day by day after coaching, so it turned like second nature to them. That sort repetition works with practising set-pieces too, and that is Arsenal’s reward.”