Ian Wright Points Finger at Raya, Rice for Spurs Comeback in NLD

Arsenal Secure Tense Win Despite Second-Half Lapses

Arsenal emerged victorious from the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur, but their 3-2 win was far from comfortable which has left Ian Wright disappointed.

Strong Start for the Gunners

The Gunners stormed out of the gates, capitalizing on a disastrous own goal by Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to take an early lead. Bukayo Saka doubled the advantage shortly after, marking his 15th Premier League goal of the season.

Arsenal continued their dominance with a headed goal from Kai Havertz just before halftime, putting them firmly in control and leaving Tottenham with a significant deficit to overcome.

Spurs Fight Back But Fall Short

The second half saw a shift in momentum. A wayward kick from Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya allowed Cristian Romero to pull one back for Tottenham in the 64th minute. Shortly after, a rash challenge from Declan Rice conceded a penalty, which Son Heung-min converted to make it 3-2.

This set up a tense finish, but Arsenal held on to secure all three points and maintain pressure on league leaders Manchester City.

Ian Wright Critical of Individual Errors

Arsenal legend Ian Wright praised the team’s overall performance but highlighted some crucial mistakes that could have cost them the game.

“They’ve done so well to get to this point,” Wright said. “You can’t do rash things, which is what we saw the goalkeeper do, unfortunately.”

Ian Wright also criticized Declan Rice’s decision that led to the penalty. “Even the penalty that we had given away was quite a rash decision to make,” he remarked.

Despite the late scare, Wright acknowledged the importance of the win. “The main thing was getting the three points,” he concluded.