Gary Lineker admitted that Arsenal’s young players are “outstanding” after the Young Guns switched on the style to help secure a 3-1 victory over Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday.
Arsenal headed into the game looking to make it three wins in a row in the Premier League after their victories over Norwich and Burnley, while Spurs were aiming to make amends for their back-to-back 3-0 defeats by Crystal Palace and Chelsea FC.
The home side started brightly at The Emirates and took the lead in the 12th minute when Emile Smith Rowe turned home Buyako Saka’s low cross.
The second goal came from fast-paced counter-attack, with Smith Rowe turning provider for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who duly slotted the Englishman’s low pass into the bottom corner.
Arsenal then found themselves 3-0 up in the 34th minute when Saka fired home from close range in the box.
Former Spurs star Lineker was clearly disappointed by his old team’s display, as he posted on his personal Twitter account during the first half, writing: “Good heavens, @SpursOfficial are a shambles.”
And moments later, the former England striker used another tweet to praise the performance of Arsenal’s youngsters. He wrote: “Have to say, though, that
@Arsenal’s youngsters are outstanding.”
Son Heung-Min pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 79th minute when he fired home from inside the box. However, Spurs couldn’t conjure another goal as Arsenal claimed the three points.
The win – Arsenal’s third in a row in the Premier League – lifted the Gunners up into 10th place in the table and left them four points adrift of the top four.