3 things Mikel Arteta got right as Arsenal beat Spurs 2-0 and extend Prem lead

Mikel Arteta got the better of Antonio Conte as Arsenal beat Tottenham Hotspur to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table.

A stunning strike from Martin Odegaard and a Hugo Lloris own goal saw the Gunners complete a league double over their rivals with a 2-0 victory on Sunday afternoon. Arsenal now sit eight points clear of Manchester City at the league's summit as they go on search of a first title since 2004.

Their dominant display was aided by the tactics of Arteta, who set his side up perfectly to take advantage of a sluggish Spurs peformance.

READ MORE: Hugo Lloris makes huge clanger to gift Arsenal lead as Spurs fans beg for him to retire

With that in mind, here are three things the Arsenal boss got right as his side won the north London derby.

Dealing with the press

Arsenal seamlessly moved the ball from defence to attack during the match as they nullified Spurs’ press from the off.

Arteta’s players were undeterred by the high press deployed by Conte’s men, passing the ball around their opponents, rather than rushing clearances or panicking when closed down.

In contrast, the Spurs defence looked nervous whenever Arsenal pressed the ball in the final third, with Eddie Nketiah having an early chance as a direct result of the Gunners’ press.

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Targeting Spurs’ left-hand side

Arteta’s decision to target Ryan Sessegnon proved fruitful, with both Arsenal’s goals coming through attacks down the Spurs left.

Bukayo Saka had his opposite number beaten for pace every time he was played in behind, with Sessegnon receiving little help from the rest of the backline.

Arsenal were not limited to just forcing the ball to the byline before cutting it back, as Saka showed by moving the ball inside to set up Odegaard for their second goal.

Starting Zinchenko

Oleksandr Zinchenko returned to the starting line-up after being rested for the FA Cup victory over Oxford United.

The Ukrainian has battled with Kieran Tierney for the left-back slot this season, with the decision to start Zinchenko for a third consecutive league match paying off for Arteta.

His ability to slot into the midfield when Arsenal had the ball created an overload in the centre of the pitch and created an additional threat every time the Gunners went forward.

With Ben White at right-back, the Arsenal defence was able to comfortably transition behind holding midfielders Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey whenever Zinchenko moved into midfield.

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