Tottenham Hotspur have clinched the top spot in the Premier League ahead of the October international break.
The Gunners conceded a late Gabriel Martinelli goal in the eighth round of the 2023/24 Premier League on Monday (Sept. 9) at the Emirates Stadium in London, England, and lost 1-0.
It was the first meeting in the league between the two sides that were in contention for the Premier League title last season, but it was the home side that had the last laugh.
After a tense 0-0 stalemate, Brazilian forward Martinelli gave the Gunners a valuable lead in the 40th minute. First, a long pass from Thomas Partey found Takehiro Tomiyasu, who was rushing into the box, and Tomiyasu headed the ball to Kai Havertz at the near post.
Surrounded by City defenders, Habertz chose to pass to Martinelli just outside the box rather than take a shot himself. Martinelli received the pass and immediately fired a right-footed curling shot that deflected off City defender Nathan Ake and into the back of the net.
City goalkeeper Ederson threw himself in to block Martinelli's shot, but it was impossible to stop it as it deflected and went in an unexpected direction.
Arsenal were able to hold on to their late lead, and Martinelli's goal proved to be the game-winner as the Gunners won 1-0. Arsenal, who had lost 12 straight league games to City prior to the match, snapped a long losing streak and took a point from City for the first time in nearly six years.
With the win, Arsenal moved into second place with 20 points (6 wins, 2 draws). City, on the other hand, remained on 18 points (6W2L) and dropped to third place in the league.
Tottenham fans erupted in jubilation when the match between City and Arsenal ended in an Arsenal victory. In the final game before the October A-match break, rivals Arsenal prevented a City win, leaving Spurs with 20 points (6 wins, 2 draws) at the top of the league.
Spurs and Arsenal have the same number of points (20) and goal difference (+10), but Spurs have moved into first place in goal difference with 18 goals to Arsenal's 16.
Tottenham battled back from a goal down after Yves Bissouma was sent off in first-half stoppage time against Luton Town in the eighth round of the league on July 7, but Dutch center back Micky Van der Vaart scored his Tottenham debut and the game-winning goal seven minutes into the second half to earn a 1-0 victory.
The win over Luton Town not only kept Spurs unbeaten in the league since the start of the season, but also moved them to the top of the table.
It was expected to be a 'one day wonder' as they would have to relinquish the top spot immediately after Man City's win over Arsenal, but the Gunners' upset of City ensured that Spurs will remain at the top for around two weeks.
Tottenham finished eighth in the Premier League last season and failed to qualify for Europe.
In an attempt to turn things around, the club parted ways with Antonio Conte and brought in first team coach Christian Stellini as acting manager, but after failing to meet expectations, the club sacked him and handed the reins to Ryan Mason.
After a disappointing year, Tottenham hired Ange Postecoglou as their new manager ahead of the new season, following his successful stint with Scottish giants Celtic.
However, this was Postecoglou's first time in charge of a big club like Tottenham, and many questioned his leadership skills.
Add to that the departure of world-class striker Harry Kane to German Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich before the start of the season, and the 2023/24 season was expected to be a challenging one.
However, Tottenham defied expectations and challenged for the league title early on. Under Postecoglou, the team has come together as a unit and has yet to taste defeat in the league as they have produced outstanding performances in every game.
Postecoglou's leadership, the contributions of newcomers like James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario, and the leadership of Tottenham's new captain, Son Heung-min, have all been key factors in Spurs' rise. 먹튀검증
Son, who was named Tottenham's new captain ahead of the new season, didn't feel pressured, but rather enjoyed his new role and succeeded in making up for last season's disappointing campaign.
Especially after the departure of Kane, Postecoglou's decision to deploy Son as a number nine helped his resurgence.
Despite his silence against Luton Town, Son's transformation into a frontline striker this season has seen him score six goals in three of his four games in September, earning him a place on the Premier League's September Player of the Month shortlist. No other player on the shortlist has more offensive points in September than Son, making him a strong favorite to win his fourth career Player of the Month award.
With Postecoglou and Son taking the Premier League by storm at the start of the season, it will be interesting to see if Spurs can maintain their momentum through to the end of the season and return to the UEFA Champions League.
Fans reacted to Tottenham's confirmation of first place for two weeks following the Man City defeat by saying, "I hope the season ends like this," "It's really awkward to be first and not second," and "I'm looking forward to the Man City game."