Arsenal's Derby Success: We Shut 'em Up (for Now)!

Another weekend and another derby, only this time it was THE derby. What a difference a week makes, and, after coming out feeling blue from letting victory slip away against West Ham last Sunday, there was an air of inevitability that we would not let it happen this time.

Not after claims and counter-claims, and, frankly, too much gob from all sorts of Spurs-related personnel.

With someone of good ole Harry Redknapp's experience and know-how, you would've thought he'd put up a more professional media display ahead of his side's biggest test of the season, having failed to produce against Manchester United and Chelsea already this term. But no!

Instead, we had a rampaging Redknapp, clearly irked by something regarding Arsène Wenger and Arsenal apart from the usual local bragging stakes that led to his one-week onslaught ripping into us, without a moment's thought that defeat is a real possibility. A possibility that may well come back to haunt him!

And it did!

For by the time the Cockney wheeler 'n' dealer composed himself and absorbed the shock of van Persie's quick nip into the six-yard box to make it 1-0, he had to helplessly sit through and watch Fabregas burgle the ball off Wilson Palacios, straight from their kickoff, before the Club captain dribbled past a weary-legged Tottenham defence and finished brilliantly to Heurelho Gomes' right to end the game as a contest, and with it, end Spurs' unjustified cockiness for another few months!

It was music to every Gooner's ears as the shell-shocked Spurs boss had to face the cameras not long after seeing his and his players' baseless chat sided away by a strong home display in all departments. Of course, Redknapp was quick to dumb down Arsenal's dominance and craftiness in creating the three goals, and, although right in berating his own team's defensive display, to claim that Tottenham merely gifted Arsenal the victory was crazy to say the very least!

Speaking of the Captain, what a game the diminutive Spanish maestro has had once again. Man of the Match in my eyes and many others, Fabregas continues to show just how passionate he is for the Club. Through his actions on the pitch, as well as the countless times he has brushed aside ridiculously unsettling speculation, he led by example and contributed massively to the inspired win. I've noticed how easy it is to criticise his leadership credentials every time results don't quite go our way; but Fabregas is a different type of leader. Intuitive runs, incisive passing, and instinctive finishing summed him up in those ninety minutes, and countless times already this season, making him an early contender for Footballer of the Year.

But it was not just about Fabregas. Or van Persie's fantastic finishing for that matter, a man having the form of his life, justifying the manager and the thousands of fans' faith in him becoming one of the world's best strikers once fully fit.

Saturday's win was a complete team performance, something that had been lacking in the matches against West Ham and AZ Alkmaar. From the goalkeeper (who by the way should be Almunia for the time-being) straight through to van Persie as the main target man, the team seemed a tough, gelled unit; fluid when it can be, and, most importantly, solid and compact when they needed to be.

Which begs the question of where was that spirit at Upton Park last weekend? Without dwelling on what now seems a distant past, what with two impressive victories in the space of three days, not forgetting the 2-1 Carling Cup over Liverpool, we exorcised the ghost of the West Ham comeback in the north London derby, the best of times to do so!

As the second half kicked off and with the score at 2-0, we couldn't afford to relax, with every right to be apprehensive having had a similar poser in our last league outing. However, it looked as if the players learned as much as they had suffered, and despite Tottenham coming out with their tails up determined to get back into the match, they didn't get a look-in. And, with the perfect combo of defensive solidity and the ability to kill off the opposition, the game truly was over with van Persie's second on the hour mark, allowing us to breathe easily for the rest of the afternoon.

And for us to remain in the mix, this will have to be a trademark of our play, wary of the fact that no Premier League match is over without putting the opposition to the sword, and that concentration for 96 minutes is of paramount importance, a supposed difference between Chelsea and ourselves. Listening to BBC 5 Live following our win, I was suitably vexed when a reporter smugly suggested that a Chelsea match at 2-0 for the Blues was a game as good as over, whereas you were never really sure with Arsenal leading. Annoying and typically pro-Chelsea as it might have been, these were semi-valid points, and today was a definite step on the right path.

A near-perfect victory that has reaffirmed our title intentions has also shown our neighbours from across the Seven Sisters Road the way in terms of how to be an established top-four team through what happens on the pitch and not just with the pre-match hullabaloo.

Just a final point before turning our attention to the home clash with AZ Alkmaar, where it was interesting to read Wenger's pre-derby article, praising Tottenham's progress under Redknapp and backing him as the man to lead Spurs to further successes.

Contrast that to what Redknapp said before and after the match and you see exactly what I mean to the tee... a true difference in class, both on and off the pitch!