Arsenal Fc Tottenham Hotspur Fc Premier League North London Derby Mikel Arteta Martin Odegaard London Derbies

Arsenal beat Tottenham to keep top-four hopes alive

Gunners win first league game of 2023 after Odegaard wonderstrike

Mikel Arteta heaps praise on young Norwegian amid top-four race

Arsenal kept their top-four hopes alive with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Tottenham in the North London derby on Sunday. Martin Ødegaard's stunning first-half strike and a late effort from Bukayo Saka secured the win for the Gunners, who had lost their previous two Premier League games. The result leaves Arsenal fifth in the table, one point behind fourth-placed Tottenham, with a game in hand. It was also a welcome boost for manager Mikel Arteta, who has come under pressure in recent weeks. "It was a big win for us," Arteta said. "We needed to bounce back from our last two results and we did it in style. "Martin's goal was incredible. He's a special player and he's showing it week in, week out. "Bukayo's goal was also very important. He's a young player but he's showing great maturity and leadership. "Overall, I'm very pleased with the performance of the team. We showed great character and resilience, and we deserved to win." Ødegaard's goal was a thing of beauty. The Norwegian received the ball on the left-hand side of the Tottenham area and curled a sublime effort into the far corner of the net. Saka's goal was equally impressive. The England international collected a pass from Ødegaard on the right-hand side of the area and fired a low drive into the bottom corner. The win will give Arsenal a huge boost in their bid to finish in the top four. The Gunners have a tough run-in, but they will be confident of securing a Champions League place if they can maintain their current form. Tottenham, meanwhile, will be disappointed to have lost the derby. Antonio Conte's side have now lost three of their last four league games and their top-four hopes are fading. The defeat will also increase the pressure on Conte, who has been under fire in recent weeks. The Italian has been linked with a move away from Tottenham, but he has insisted that he is committed to the club.