Arsenal ease pressure with dominant North London derby win

Arsenal silenced the doubters with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Tottenham in the North London derby, extending their lead over Manchester City back to five points. Meanwhile, Liverpool escaped with a controversial 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest thanks to a late Mac Allister goal that survived a VAR review.

Tottenham 1-4 Arsenal: Eze and Gyökeres destroy Spurs

Arsenal responded to the pressure of Manchester City closing the gap with a clinical demolition of Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

After back-to-back draws against Brentford and Wolves had seen their lead shrink from nine points to just two, the Gunners desperately needed a response. They delivered in emphatic fashion against their bitter rivals, who are now staring at a genuine relegation battle.

Eberechi Eze was once again the star of the show in the North London derby. The midfielder, who scored a hat-trick in the reverse fixture earlier this season, opened the scoring after 32 minutes. Bukayo Saka showed tremendous persistence on the right flank before finding Eze, who finished expertly. The goal was extra painful for Spurs – Eze nearly joined Tottenham last summer before choosing Arsenal instead.

The home side responded immediately. Just two minutes later, Randal Kolo Muani pounced on a Declan Rice error, raced into the box and slotted past David Raya to make it 1-1. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium erupted.

But Arsenal's quality told in the second half. Viktor Gyökeres restored the visitors' lead moments after the restart, collecting a pass from Jurriën Timber and firing a venomous strike past Guglielmo Vicario. Kolo Muani thought he had equalised again, but his goal was ruled out for a push on a defender.

Eze made it 3-1 after 60 minutes, scoring his sixth Premier League goal of the season – five of which have come against Spurs. Micky van de Ven did well to stop Saka initially, but the ball fell kindly for Eze who made no mistake.

Gyökeres completed the rout in stoppage time with his second of the match, capping a dominant display that will restore confidence at the Emirates.

Timber started at the back for Arsenal before being replaced by Cristhian Mosquera. For Tottenham, Van de Ven and Xavi Simons both started in what was Igor Tudor's first match in charge following his appointment as the new manager.

Title race implications

The victory extends Arsenal's lead back to five points, though City still have a game in hand. The Gunners have answered their critics after a difficult few weeks.

Pos	Team	P	Pts	Gap
1	Arsenal	28	61	—
2	Manchester City	27	56	-5 (game in hand)

Tottenham's relegation fears grow

For Tottenham, the crisis deepens. New manager Tudor endured a nightmare debut as Spurs remain winless in 2026. Their last Premier League victory came on December 28, and they now sit just four points above the relegation zone.

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpool: Mac Allister strikes late

Liverpool needed a controversial late goal to claim all three points at Nottingham Forest.

Arne Slot's side were far from their best at the City Ground, suffering an early blow when Florian Wirtz was forced to withdraw during the warm-up with an injury. Curtis Jones replaced him but Liverpool struggled throughout.

The Reds managed just two half-hearted efforts in the entire first half, with Forest goalkeeper Stefan Ortega a virtual spectator. Instead, it was the home side who created the better chances, with Alisson denying Calum Hudson-Odoi early on.

Liverpool improved slightly after the break, with Jones forcing a good save from Ortega. But as the match wore on, Forest grew in confidence and pushed for what would have been a crucial goal in their fight against relegation.

The drama came in the final minutes. First, Hugo Ekitiké thought he had scored when he headed a Rio Ngumoha cross goalward. Ortega saved, but the rebound struck what appeared to be the back of Alexis Mac Allister and went in. However, VAR ruled it out after discovering the ball had hit Mac Allister's elbow.

Liverpool were not to be denied, though. Mac Allister did find the net legitimately moments later to snatch all three points. VAR checked whether Virgil van Dijk was offside in the build-up, but the goal stood.

Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah were both substituted, replaced by Federico Chiesa and youngster Rio Ngumoha.

The win moves Liverpool level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United, though they remain sixth. Forest, meanwhile, stay just two points above the relegation zone occupied by West Ham.

Sunday's Results

• Tottenham Hotspur 1-4 Arsenal (Kolo Muani 34' – Eze 32', 60', Gyökeres 47', 90+2')
• Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpool (Mac Allister 89')

Dutch players in action

• Jurriën Timber (Arsenal) – Started, assisted Gyökeres, replaced by Mosquera
• Micky van de Ven (Tottenham) – Started, played 90 minutes
• Xavi Simons (Tottenham) – Started
• Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) – Played 90 minutes
• Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) – Substituted

What's next?

• Feb 28: Arsenal vs Chelsea – London derby
• Mar 22: EFL Cup Final – Arsenal vs Manchester City (Wembley)
• Apr 18: Manchester City vs Arsenal – potential title decider

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