Arteta Reacts to Arsenal’s Derby Demolition as Title Race Momentum Returns

Arsenal respond to Wolves slip with ruthless 4–1 north London derby win as Gyökeres and Eze fire statement victory.

ArsenalTalks Match Report | February 22, 2026

Arsenal produced a commanding second-half display to demolish Tottenham Hotspur 4–1 in the North London derby, bouncing back from a frustrating 2–2 draw at Wolves and Manchester City’s recent victory over Newcastle. The win restored their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League (with a game in hand) and extended their unbeaten run in derbies against Spurs.

Braces from summer signings Viktor Gyökeres and Eberechi Eze sealed Arsenal’s biggest away win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since 1978, sending the travelling Gunners faithful into ecstasy and signalling their title intentions.

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Arteta praises players’ mentality

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Mikel Arteta highlighted the squad’s mental strength and predicted the response immediately after the Wolves draw.

“That’s football. I mean, when you watch the game back against Wolves, how the hell do you drop two points there? Nobody can explain it, but this is the beauty of it. And then it looks like it’s the end of the world. And you look at your players and the way they react and how much you want it. I feel very, very privileged to work with them every single day. I knew we were going to react.”

“In football you can win, draw, or lose. But the attitude that we showed today, the desire, the dominance, it was really impressive. So I’m really happy.”

Arteta added that the reaction was visible straight after the Wolves game:

“Immediately after [Wolves], because I saw their reaction and what it means. And when it’s a job, you don’t react like this. When it’s your passion and you love the game so much, that’s something else. It hurts you in a different way. And I know what it means to them and how much they want it. And we’re certainly going to try all our very best.”

Match Report: Dominance with a ruthless edge

Arsenal started the brighter side, creating early chances through Gyökeres. A five-minute delay for officials’ communication issues briefly disrupted rhythm, but the Gunners broke the deadlock on 31 minutes.

Bukayo Saka powered down the right and delivered a dangerous cut-back. Eberechi Eze volleyed home neatly in a crowded box to make it 0–1.

Spurs responded almost instantly. Just 24 seconds after the restart, Declan Rice lost possession inside his own half, allowing Randal Kolo Muani to surge forward and slot home to level the scores at 1–1. Despite the equaliser, Arsenal dominated possession and created multiple chances before the break.

Arteta’s half-time instruction was simple: maintain the same approach.

“I don’t know how many touches we had in the opponent’s box and chances and situations, but we said at halftime, we carry on playing.”

The second half belonged entirely to the Gunners. Gyökeres restored the lead early with a thunderous curled strike from the edge of the box. Later, Eze pounced on a loose ball after Saka was denied to make it 1–3 with a composed finish.

A late David Raya save denied Richarlison, and Gyökeres capped a man-of-the-match performance, holding off Archie Gray before smashing home the fourth in stoppage time — completing a dominant 4–1 victory.

Arsenal’s backline — Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, and Hincapié — kept Spurs largely at bay after the equaliser, controlling the defensive transitions with authority.

Title race context

With ten Premier League games remaining, Arsenal sit five points clear of Manchester City but face a challenging run of league and cup fixtures. Arteta stressed focus on the next task: Chelsea at the Emirates.

“One at a time. It’s going to be a long, long one because on top of that, we have all the cup games and Champions League. So, it’s going to be a long marathon for all of us. But let’s enjoy it.”

The performance was the statement win Arsenal needed after recent wobbles. Control, clinical finishing, and mental resilience reinforced their status as the team to beat in the 2025/26 Premier League title race.

North London is firmly red once again.

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