'Very hard': Kai Havertz says what Tottenham do a lot after beating them in North London derby

09/16/2024 03:15 AM

Kai Havertz delivered something of an understated performance for Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, running himself into the ground.

Havertz didn't necessarily enjoy the usual amount of creativity he's used to around him in the middle of the pitch – he didn't have Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard to combine with.

The German's task was more about holding up the play, winning his duels and pressing Tottenham's back line, which he did to very good effect.

Havertz looked like a leader for Arsenal in N17, a player who now looks more physically imposing by the game.

And whilst Arsenal will reflect on the win as a comfortable one in the end, the game was in the balance for long periods of the derby.

Kai Havertz shares his honest thoughts on Tottenham after 1-0 win

Speaking via Stadium Astro after the game, Havertz admitted that it’s always tough to play against Spurs, even if he does have a strong record against Arsenal's rivals since joining.

The striker was asked how difficult he found it to play against Tottenham's high line throughout, which is something of a rarity in the Premier League these days.

READ MORE: Mikel Arteta left absolutely furious with £6m Arsenal player despite 1-0 win vs Tottenham

Havertz replied: "Very hard. Obviously when you play so many games during the season we all come back from international break and travelling, it's always tough to play.

"To play here is not easy. They have a good side, they rotate a lot and have the ball very often.

"I think we defended very well. Sometimes we sit a bit too deep but I think we did an amazing job and can be very proud."

Of course, Arsenal will ultimately be very happy with their display and win, which was very similar to their dogged showing away to Aston Villa.

Jurrien Timber was Arsenal’s unsung hero from the North London derby

In terms of focusing on Arsenal's backline, Gabriel Magalhaes was obviously the star of the show, given he excelled at both defensively and for his goal.

William Saliba was amazed by Gabriel's performance, his second player of the match award away to Spurs in consecutive seasons.

But aside from Arsenal's centre-back pairing, who are clearly the best in the league, Jurrien Timber also deserves his fair share of the praise.

Arsenal have often been undone at left-back over the past few seasons, Oleksandr Zinchenko is prone to a lapse in concentration.

But Timber was imperious in all areas, he truly announced himself as a winner at Arsenal.