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A superb Pape Sarr goal from near the halfway line ensured Tottenham Hotspur beat Arsenal in the first-ever overseas north London derby.
The Spurs midfielder scored the game’s only goal in the 45th minute, spotting David Raya off his line and lobbing him from a long, long way out. There was a decent tempo to the game in the first half but both sides lost their rhythm a little in the second.
The other big talking point from the game was Viktor Gyokeres making his Arsenal debut, but he had just two touches having replaced Kai Havertz in the 77th minute.
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Viktor Gyokeres, as told by his team-mates and coaches
And what about Tottenham? Well, they have three more pre-season matches to come as they continue to build under Thomas Frank. Here is how their remaining games shape up, including a big one in the UEFA Super Cup before they return to Premier League action:
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There is not long until Mikel Arteta’s side will be back in action as their pre-season tour continues. Here are their remaining matches:
They were outnumbered by the red shirts of Arsenal in the stadium but the Spurs fans left the happier of the two today.
A good display of game management from Tottenham who, after scoring on the stroke of half-time, did a very good job of closing out the victory without giving away any clear-cut chances.
Arsenal had more shots and more of the ball, but rarely looked threatening in the final third.
It was a disappointing result for Arsenal, who could not make their pressure pay. Declan Rice had his say on that performance in his on-field interview:
💬 “It’s been really special coming to Hong Kong, going to Singapore. Thank you for your support, we rarely get to come to places like this so thank you for your support. Even though we lost, we love you guys.
“It’s been an incredible trip. We lost tonight but we have another game on Wednesday, it’s still pre-season so we are still getting fitness in and we're going to push for big things this season.”
I'm surprised it took Arteta 76 minutes to bring Gyokeres into the game given Havertz's lack of influence. Although it does make sense considering the Swede has only been part of the squad for a few days.
Ultimately, the game state really affected how much Gyokeres could influence the game. With Tottenham sitting deep and protecting their lead, there wasn't much space for him to operate in and the supply into him was largely non-existent.
In his 20 minutes on the pitch (including stoppage time), he had just two touches and completed passes with both of them.
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There was a surprisingly sharp tempo to the first half of that game, but it soon resumed to what we have come to expect from pre-season friendlies in the second half.
Maybe it was the raft of changes that disrupted the flow, or maybe it was the two managers urging caution among their players who were playing with a real intensity before half-time.
A good win for Spurs whose record hasn't been great against Arsenal in the last couple of years, but I can't imagine Mikel Arteta is too worried about what he saw.
Some very friendly scenes between the two sets of players at full time, given the rivalry between the clubs.
Spurs have headed over to their end of supporters, who are happily waving white flags with the club’s crest on it.
Both teams have held up a banner thanking the fans for their support.
Ange Postecoglou never beat Arsenal when he was at Spurs.
Thomas Frank has done it at the first attempt.
A 1-0 victory in Hong Kong thanks to Pape Sarr’s lob from the halfway line.
And there goes the whistle!
A win for Tottenham under Thomas Frank against their rivals thanks to a stunning strike from Pape Matar Sarr in the first half.
There is a pretty marked difference in playing style between Havertz and Gyokeres. While the German was happy to drop in and link the play, Gyokeres is always playing on the shoulder, looking to make runs into the penalty area.
The upshot of that is that, with Spurs defending relatively deep, he's barely had a touch in his 20 minutes on the field. He'll probably score now…
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90’ Arsenal 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
We are into the 90th minute as Ben White drags a shot well high and wide of the players waiting in the area.
It has been a frustrating game for Arsenal, who have looked better but off the pace in this second half. Spurs have been more effective and more structured at the back than when these two teams last met.
89’ Arsenal 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
That pass into Zubimendi was Gyokeres' first as an Arsenal player, but Spurs have done well to limit the supply into the Swede as that is his only touch since coming on more than 10 minutes ago.
86’ Arsenal 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
That is a decent effort from Zubimendi, who drags a shot just wide at his second attempt. Gyokeres was involved in that move with some nice footwork under pressure to set Zubimendi, who had one shot blocked before getting the rebound away cleanly but off target.
84’ Arsenal 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
James Maddison and Archie Gray are coming on for Spurs in place of Sarr and Bentancur.
Meanwhile, Reiss Nelson is on for Trossard. He looked to be struggling with a knock.
78’ Arsenal 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Well, things are about to look very different for both sides with a swathe of changes.
On for Arsenal are Viktor Gyokeres, Cristhian Mosquera, Mikel Merino, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Max Dowman. The men being replaced are Norgaard, Martinelli, Saka, Kiwior and Lewis-Skelly.
On for Spurs are Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma and Ben Davies for Odobert, Bergvall and Van de Ven
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74’ Arsenal 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Saka is down receiving some treatment and so the referee takes advantage of the break in play to have a cooling break.
Gyokeres has been called across to join the team huddle before we resume play…
Viktor Gyokeres is now warming up…
68’ Arsenal 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Arsenal are building some momentum here as Havertz turns inside and out to find an opening for a shot.
That lacks enough power or placement, though, and it is an easy take for Vicario.
