(BBC) Tottenham won a pulsating north London derby yesterday to go third in the league and seven points ahead of Arsenal.
Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon slotted in two carbon copy goals in three first-half minutes after defence-splitting passes to put Spurs in control.
It was Bale’s ninth goal in seven games.
Entertainment and goals are almost guaranteed between these two sides and there was no shortage of either in an enthralling contest at White Hart Lane.
Tottenham’s failure to take a number of glorious chances to wrap up the game as Arsenal desperately chased an equaliser only added to the drama.
But the home side held on after enduring six minutes of added time to go 12 games unbeaten and, in the process, leapfrog Chelsea as well as move two points behind second-placed Manchester City.
The wizardry of Spurs winger Bale has swept all before him this year and he was again on the scoresheet for his side as the Spurs standard bearer took his tally to 20 goals for the season.
Gylfi Sigurdsson and Scott Parker each played incisive passes from the left through the heart of Arsenal’s defence for Bale and Lennon to score.
Bale sent a 38th-minute left-foot shot into the bottom corner before Lennon rounded Wojciech Szczesny and slotted in his fourth goal of the campaign.
Arsenal’s next game will see them try to overturn a 3-1 first leg deficit in a last-16 Champions League tie at Bayern Munich and, if they do go out, the loss at Spurs leaves them struggling to qualify for Europe’s top competition.
Spurs had led 1-0 and 2-0 against their rivals in their past two meetings but ended up losing both 5-2 and Arsenal threatened another comeback when Mertesacker’s glanced header from Theo Walcott’s free-kick skimmed in off Bale’s head.
