THE North London derby descended into CHAOS in the first half after a face-off between Jurrien Timber and Guglielmo Vicario sparked fury.
Players from both teams rushed into a melee by the goal line after Timber had put in a reckless challenge and been confronted by the Spurs keeper.
It wouldn’t be the North London derby without some boiling tempers and on-pitch drama – and Timber ensured that this clash was no different.
The Dutchman went into a 50/50 challenge with Pedro Porro and saw his foot slide on top of the ball, giving Jarred Gillett no choice but to reach for a yellow card.
However, Timber had other ideas, continuing with the ball at his feet until he reached the byline next to Vicario’s goal.
The Spurs keeper was less than impressed with what he had seen from Timber and confronted his Arsenal counterpart.
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The versatile Gunners full-back didn’t take kindly to being questioned and immediately grabbed Vicario’s shirt round the collar with both hands.
The fracas sparked a reaction from both teams with players from both sides rushing to their team-mates’ aid.
Thankfully things didn’t get much further than some heated exchanges before referee Gillett was able to calm things down.
Ultimately the Aussie official dished out a yellow card for Timber’s tackle and another one to Vicario for his aggressive confrontation of the Dutchman.
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Spurs fans watching on began chanting for Timber to be dismissed, but a lengthy VAR check ruled that the tackle was “reckless” rather than “dangerous” – meaning a yellow card was the appropriate punishment.
However, the Dutchman could easily have received an immediate second booking for his confrontation with Vicario.
Gillett wasn’t scared to dip in his pocket throughout the first half, giving out SEVEN yellow cards in the first 45 minutes.
That tied the all-time Premier League record.
As for the football, it was a relatively even first half – perhaps a surprise given Arsenal’s depleted options in the middle of the park.
Neither side were able to break the deadlock before the break, setting up a huge second half for the bragging rights of North London.
And it was Arsenal who took advantage, despite fielding an injury-depleted side.
Towering centre-half Gabriel rose head and shoulders above everyone else to nod home a second half header – the only goal of the game.
The Gunners worked hard for their 1-0 victory, especially given the absences of Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
