Alexis Sánchez caps win over Tottenham as Arsenal dominate derby

The noisy neighbours have been silenced for now. By the time Harry Kane and Dele Alli trudged off the pitch in the dying stages, with the triumphant taunts from the home fans ringing in their ears, Tottenham Hotspur had long let go of the notion of coming to the home of their fiercest rivals to offer swaggering proof of where the balance of power in north London lies these days. Instead it was an afternoon of pure release for Arsène Wenger, who took great joy from a first derby win over Mauricio Pochettino and a performance that reminded Arsenal of better times.

There could be no dispute about Arsenal’s ownership of the local bragging rights, earned thanks to goals from Shkodran Mustafi and Alexis Sánchez in the first half, not to mention a blend of defensive and midfield resilience not always associated with this team in recent seasons, and the only frustration for Wenger in the end was that his players do not operate at this level more consistently.

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