Arsenal slammed for playing like a 'promoted team' against Tottenham with 'strange' tactic

Arsenal have been accused of setting up like a newly-promoted team at Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby by former Premier League striker Dean Ashton.

The Gunners and Spurs faced off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday for the first time this season. Both sides had opportunities to open the scoring in the first half with Gabriel Martinelli and Dominic Solanke coming close.

Spurs were the ones who enjoyed more of the possession in the opening 45 minutes, with Arsenal spending most of their time defending and containing their fierce rivals.

Speaking at half-time, ex-West Ham United striker Ashton slammed Arteta's tactics. “Let’s get it right, if I’d have come here and not known, this Arsenal side looks like a promoted team who has come here and said ‘we’ve got to sit deep in a 4-4-2 shape, quick wingers who have got to come back and defend, and if we can break then we will do it’," he said on talkSPORT.

“They’ve not tried hard to properly play through the press and expose those gaps out wide. It has been a really strange performance and set up from Mikel Arteta.”

Arsenal's midfield duo Jorginho and Thomas Partey both struggled to get on the ball and progress Arsenal up the pitch against Spurs with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski pinning them back.

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The Gunners weren't helped by Ben White and Kai Havertz having a rare quiet game. White struggled on the right against Son Heung-min while Havertz's role in replacing the injured Martin Odegaard saw him struggle to make an impact.

Arsenal did get on the scoresheet in the end, though, through Gabriel Magalhaes when the Brazilian centre-back met Bukayo Saka's corner to power a header home.