By Michael John Oliver
Welcome in to 3News.co.nz’s video live update of tonight’s EPL clash between Arsenal and Tottenham from the Emirates.
We’ll keep you up to speed with the latest action from the match, including rolling video highlights as the match progresses.
Keep an eye out for the VIDEO UP tag, that’ll let you know that we’ve updated the updated the video with the latest highlights.
Kick off – 2:30am NZT
Arsenal captain Robin van Persie will not discuss a new contract until the end of the English Premier League season, when the north London club will know whether it has qualified for the Champions League.
The 28-year-old Van Persie has just one year left on his contract but says he wants to concentrate on salvaging Arsenal's season rather than negotiations with the club.
In his column in Arsenal's match-day program, Van Persie says he needs "all my focus to be on football: on captaining this team, improving every day, doing extra work on the training pitch and preparing for the very busy schedule of fixtures we have."
On the verge of Champions League elimination, Arsenal has only Premier League fixtures to worry about.
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FULL TIME: Arsenal 5, Tottenham 2
And that's a wrap from here at the 3News.co.nz sports desk. ALL VIDEO UP. A great day in Arsenal folklore; a day Spurs fans will be desperate to forget.
FULL TIME - It's Arsenal's day in every way - deserved 5-2 winners at home. Spurs hopes of winning the Premier League are over. Arsenal move into fourth.
90 mins - Three minutes of stoppage time to play.
89 mins - Gervinho comes on for Benayoun, who has played superbly this afternoon for Arsenal.
87 mins - Scott Parker gets his second yellow card for a sliding tackle on Vermaelen, and that's his match over. Sums up Tottenham's day perfectly.
85 mins - Tottenham are desperate for their nightmare to be over. Arsenal playing like they want six.
83 mins - Some superb ball skills from Van Persie, dancing around three Spurs defenders, keeping the ball with him the whole time. Gets one of the biggest cheers of the afternoon.
80 mins - Van der Vaart plays Parker in, but he's out-muscled by Jenkinson, and he wins the ball. Arsenal won't be denied today. Walcott is substituted for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, so no hat trick for him today.
77 mins - Parker takes a desperate 30m shot at goal. They're throwing everything at the wall and hoping it sticks. Meanwhile, a yellow card for Robin Van Persie.
73 mins - VIDEO UP - Walcott's second is ready and waiting to be looked at. Meanwhile, Van Persie runs straight at the Spurs defence once more, and they back off, as they've wont to do in this game. But the Dutchman tries to get fancy and loses the ball.
70 mins - VIDEO UP - Walcott's first goal is ready to be viewed, his second is on its way. Reckon Harry's having a good time right now?
67 mins - GOAL ARSENAL! You've. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me! Tottenham have stopped defending, and Theo Walcott finishes a superb goal. Holy smokes, holy smokes. Song finds Walcott with a lovely lofted ball, and the winger makes no mistake about that. VIDEO COMING...
64 mins - GOAL ARSENAL! The Van Persie-Walcott double act tear Tottenham's defence to ribbons. Van Persie holds off two defenders and feeds it to Walcott, who slices it into goal on the angle. Outstanding from the Dutchman. Unbelievable stuff here.
61 mins - Sandro picks himself a yellow card for a mistimed tackle on Robin Van Persie.
59 mins - Arsenal continue to boss the mid-field, despite Spurs' changes. Huge gaps in both team's defences though, it must be said.
57 mins - Oooh, very close! Theo Walcott almost makes it 4-2! His shot slices across the face of the goal.
55 mins - VIDEO UP - Rosicky puts Arsenal 3-2 ahead. Arsenal's counter attacking game has picked up big time, with Benayoun running down the right channel. Assou-Ekotto puts the ball out for a free kick.
50 - GOAL ARSENAL! Tomas Rosicky scores his first goal of the season! Sagna with an overlap sends the ball low, and Rosicky gets to the near post and puts it in. VIDEO COMING...
47 mins - Oooh, almost for Arsenal! Arteta finds Benayoun free in the area, but Friedel stretches wide and saves the shot. Great work from the 40-year-old keeper. VIDEO COMING...
46 mins - Back under way at the Emirates. Sandro and Van der Vaart are on for Saha and Krancjar for Tottenham.
Arsenal receive a tremendous ovation from their home faithful as they return to the field. Spurs are taking their sweet time.
Half time - What a half of football! Tottenham couldn't have been happier with their start, going 2-0 ahead. But two quick goals have put Arsenal back on level pegging. We're in for one hell of a second half.
45+1 mins - VIDEO UP - Arsenal strike back with two gorgeous goals.
45 mins - We've got three minutes of added time. Arsenal's fans are joyous; Tottenham's fans have no idea what's happened. Adebayor tries to milk a free kick, but the ref isn't buying it.
42 mins -GOAL ARSENAL! Arsenal's hero does it again, Robin Van Persie has put the Gunners equal! What a strike!
40 mins - GOAL ARSENAL! Walcott feeds Van Persie, whose strike goes wide. It comes out, and Sagna's head is waiting there. Arsenal are back in it. VIDEO COMING...
37 mins - Walcott has time and space to move, but chooses to pass it to Van Persie, who has three guys on him. Unwise. VIDEO UP of Adebayor's penalty.
33 mins - GOAL TOTTENHAM! Adebayor, very cool, very calm, slots it to the left of Szczesny. And the former Arsenal man gets one back on his old club. VIDEO COMING...
31 mins - PENALTY TOTTENHAM! Bale taken down in goal by Arsenal keeper Szczensy.
30 mins - VIDEO UP of Szczensy's shot.
29 mins - Modric gets a yellow card for getting in the way of Van Persie. Parker, too, receives a yellow for a feisty challenge.
26 mins - VIDEO UP of Arsenal's two chances. VIDEO COMING of Szczensy's shot.
23 mins - Arsenal really unlucky not to be level - two great chances. Spurs looking loose in defence. But the Arsenal back is just as shaky, as Adebayor waltzes through and sends it to Szczesny, whose shot is wide.
19 mins - Another sharp shot on goal from Robin Van Persie - it just caresses the right of the goal netting. Gareth Bale falls off the ensuing corner, and Brad Friedel makes a leaping save. Poor stuff from Spurs. VIDEO COMING...
18 mins - VIDEO UP of Van Persie's shot that just went wide.
17 mins - Walcott looks to have found space out on the right, but he slips and sends the ball right to a waiting Assou-Ekotto.
13 mins - Poor defending from Spurs there, allowing Bacary Sagna to run right past Modric and feed the ball to Van Persie. He takes a shot, and it's just wide. VIDEO COMING
12 mins - Gareth Bale goes down in a heap, protesting a dangerous tackle. He gets back up lickety split. Arsenal have been on the front foot in the past couple of minutes, with Spurs looking to counter from a defensive position.
10 mins - Arsenal appealing for a hand ball off Scott Parker. It looks marginal on the replay.
7 mins - Some poor passing at the back from Arsenal, Tottenham reading them like a book.
5 mins - Great start for Tottenham. Adebayor broke and fed the ball nicely to Saha, and shoots it with his left. It deflects off Szcensny and into the net. VIDEO UP.
3 mins - GOAL TOTTENHAM! Possibly the most ridiculous goal Tottenham will score all year. Louis Saha with the easiest of scores. VIDEO COMING...
2 mins - Spurs testing Arsenal's backs in the air, a couple of balls heading into the box so far.
1 min - Tottenham get us under way, playing from right to left in the first half.
2 mins to kick off - Good morning, welcome in to this morning's live video commentary. The two teams are moments from getting the game underway.
3 News / AP
source: newshub archive
