Huge home win over Gunners boosts top four hopes - report and reaction

The race for Champions League football next season is very much alive and kicking after we eased to a commanding 3-0 victory in the north London derby at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday evening.

The win moves us to within one point of Arsenal in fourth place, with two games each to play and we’ll go above them this weekend if we beat Burnley at home, ahead of their trip to Newcastle on Monday night.

With the stadium rocking to the sound of 62,027 supporters – a record attendance for one of our games at our new home – we went ahead through a Harry Kane penalty on 22 minutes after Cedric Soares had bundled into Heung-Min Son as he jumped for a cross.

Arsenal were then reduced to 10 men on 33 minutes after Rob Holding was shown a second yellow card, both fouls having been committed against Son, and we took full advantage, Kane stooping to head home at the back post four minutes later.

Son then scored his 21st Premier League goal of the season two minutes into the second half to take any remaining jeopardy out of the game and it meant we could all sit back and enjoy the rest of the contest in relative comfort!

Rocking in N17

It was a truly special atmosphere as the game approached kick-off with the South Stand tifo claiming ‘Dare, Dream, Do’ and the noise quite unbelievable as the game got underway. It was a slightly nervy opening though, Arsenal enjoying a spell of possession and having the first effort at goal, Martin Odegaard firing straight at Hugo Lloris on four minutes. But we grew into the game, started to take control and that led to the first goal on 22 minutes, Kane beating Ramsdale from the penalty spot after that Cedric foul on Son.

That settled us down and we almost doubled our lead shortly after but Takehiro Tomiyasu did superbly well to block Kane’s effort from 15 yards, with Emerson Royal firing the rebound just over. And the goal advantage also became a man advantage on 33 minutes when Holding received his marching orders for his second yellow card. Both were for fouls on Son, committed within just seven minutes of each other. What we then needed was a swift second goal to really stamp home our authority and it duly arrived on 37 minutes when Son’s corner was flicked on to the back post by Rodrigo Bentancur and Kane stooped to head home for 2-0.

Royal almost added a third but couldn’t keep his shot down after surging in at the back post to meet Ryan Sessegnon’s cross, while the half ended with a rare sight at goal for the Gunners but Lloris tipped Eddie Nketiah’s right-foot curler over the bar.

We didn’t need to wait long after the interval for number three though, just two minutes gone when Davinson Sanchez played a pass in to Kane in the box, he tangled with Gabriel trying to work some space for a shot and the ball popped out to Son who fired home from 12 yards out. Ramsdale pulled off a wonderful save in the 59th minute, diving to his left to keep out Royal’s downward header from Kane’s cross and three minutes later, after a long passing move which had the fans shouting the ‘Oles’, Kane tested Ramsdale with a 30-yard drive which he pushed over the bar.

There was a lull in the game as we enjoyed lots of possession without adding to our opportunities while, at the other end, Lloris had to get down smartly to thwart Odegaard’s effort from Nuno Tavares’ cut-back with 10 minutes remaining. That was pretty much it as the closing stages were played out with very little goalmouth action at either end of the pitch, but that was fine by us with the three-goal advantage under our belts.

Kane the king of the derby

Even before this game, Kane was the top scorer in north London derby history in all competitions and he extended that with his brace. It means he’s now scored 13 goals in 17 games for us against Arsenal and this double was his eighth and ninth in eight home games against the Gunners.

We are now unbeaten in our last eight home league games against Arsenal (W6 D2), our longest such run against our north London rivals since a run of nine between 1960 and 1968. This is also the first time since August, 1961, that we’ve won three consecutive home league games against Arsenal.

In team news, there was one change from the draw at Liverpool at the weekend as Davinson Sanchez came in for Cristian Romero, who missed out with a hip injury. It was Sanchez’s first start since 13 February at home to Wolves.

Reaction on Spurs TV

'The atmosphere was amazing'

In the wake of his first north London derby, Head Coach Antonio Conte said: "You know very well in this type of game, a must-win game, it’s never easy. There is a lot of pressure on your shoulders. Tonight, only one result was good for us, to win and get three points in a difficult game, a north London derby, and to win 3-0 was good for us, good for our fans. For sure, I have to say thanks from me and from my players to our fans, because the atmosphere they created tonight was amazing. I ask them also on Sunday... we need this atmosphere, because with this atmosphere, my players are ready to give not only 120 per cent, but 200 per cent."

Highlights on Spurs TV

Match data

Spurs (3-4-3): Lloris (c), Sanchez, Dier, Davies (Rodon 82), Royal, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Sessegnon, Kulusevski (Lucas 72) Son (Bergwijn 72), Kane. Substitutes (not used): Gollini, Craig, White, Winks, Devine, Scarlett.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale, Cedric, Holding, Gabriel (Tavares 76), Tomiyasu, Xhaka, Elneny, Saka, Odegaard (c), Martinelli (Smith Rowe 63), Nketiah (Lacazette 73). Substitutes (not used): Leno, Swanson, White, Lokonga, Patino, Pepe.

Goals: Spurs – Kane 22 (pen), 37, Son 47.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Davies; Arsenal – Holding, Smith Rowe, Odegaard, Xhaka.

Red card: Arsenal - Holding.

Referee: Paul Tierney.

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Weather: Partly cloudy, moderate breeze, 15 degrees.

Attendance: 62,027.