Arsenal's hopes of finishing in the top four were dashed on Thursday evening after Mikel Arteta's side lost a 3-0 North London Derby defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after a sloppy performance.The Gunners knew a win would ensure a much-desired return to Champions League play for the first time since 2017, but a frenzied opening half saw Harry Kane score twice – including one from the penalty spot – before partner-in-crime Heung-min Son netted. Just after the break, Son added a third to add salt to the wounds and put the hosts back in contention for fourth place.The away side's poor performance was aided by a headline-grabbing performance – for all the wrong reasons – from centre-back Rob Holding, who was sent off after two rash and needless bookable offences inside 33 minutes, while fellow defender Cedric Soares was also to blame for his clumsy foul that led to the home side's early penalty kick.
Up-form striker Eddie Nketiah, on the other hand, was far from his best on the night, unable to build on his previous brace against Leeds United after putting in a rather inconspicuous performance in attack.Despite being hampered by his teammate's early dismissal, which largely left the youngster chasing shadows in the forward line, the £9m-rated man did little to impress, notably producing an almost laughable dive in the opening exchanges in an attempt to win a penalty, and failing to track the run of compatriot Kane at the back post as Antonio Conte's men grabbed a second.
The statistics for the out-of-contract player are particularly dismal: he had just 19 touches in his 73-minute outing, fewer than his own goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale (42) — and he made just eight passes, losing control seven times.
He's also only won two of his nine overall duels and hasn't completed any of them.As previously stated, despite Spurs having a man advantage, the former England U21 international continued to try to throw himself about, despite the fact that there was a significant difference in quality between the rival centre-forwards with that man. Kane was razor-sharp for the Lilywhites, as usual, while the younger guy floundered.
In reality, despite his recent great form, Nketiah has only made six Premier League starts this season, and he has yet to demonstrate that he is a player who can be relied on on a regular basis.
In general, Arteta's team has given their opponents hope, since their lead has been down to just a point with two games remaining.
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