Analysis: Arsenal prepared flawlessly for Man City by playing against Tottenham like a Premier League-winning team.

Pundits claim that Arsenal's victory over Tottenham in their North London derby was akin to that of a Premier League-winning side, and that it served as ideal preparation for the exciting matchup with Manchester City the following weekend.

At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Arsenal withstood the pressure before winning unexpectedly by a header from Gabriel after the hour.

With star midfielder Declan Rice suspended and captain Martin Odegaard injured going into the match, the Gunners improved their incredible away defensive record in front of a crucial match against the reigning champions, City.

"They didn't have two of their greatest players, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, but they did have a strong back four and a strong defensive unit coming into that match. Neville stated, "Tottenham never broke that."

"That was a knowledgeable team performance. It was rather the contrary—wise rather than foolish or immature. It was the kind of performance that a team with several championships would have—it was mature and experienced. Although Mikel Arteta hasn't yet won a championship with Arsenal, he put on a tremendously strong display.

"Over the past ten to twelve years, we have been extremely critical of Arsenal when they have been careless, innocent, and have given goals away. The reverse is what we're witnessing right now: they're an incredibly talented squad. a group that is easy for everybody to watch and learn a lot from.

"Aside from the counterattacking goal, they had perfect defensive compactness in their 0-0 draw against Man City away from home last year.

"And while some of us weren't critical, we did note that winning a title translates into winning that particular game. They must repeat what they did in this game, which served as a great practice for next Sunday."

"It's a hybrid of Arsenal under Wenger and Graham."

Neville went on to commend Arsenal's defensive system against Spurs, pointing out that it resembled both George Graham's and Arsene Wenger's Gunner squads.

With the victory on Sunday, Arteta became the first manager of Arsenal to triumph in three consecutive league games at Tottenham since Graham; this is an accomplishment that renowned manager Wenger was never able to do.

"They're not like Pep Guardiola's [Man City] side where they always seem to have the ball," he said. "In 4-4-2, they may sit deep. In such unit, the two front players are performing admirably. I adore 4-4-2 defence because that's how we used to play and how Arsenal traditionally would have played defence.

"I mentioned the renowned Arsenal back five, including Steve Bould and Tony Adams. Because they haven't won a league, this Arsenal back five isn't quite at that level yet, but they are beginning to resemble a hybrid of Arsene Wenger's and George Graham's teams. a combination of the two.

"I think this Arsenal team is great; they play well together and have high performance levels. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about them today.

"I'm not going to go in hard on Tottenham because I genuinely think it was hard work for them to break down that Arsenal team today. Even when you get a cross in, you have two giants in William Saliba and Gabriel who are fighting and harassing and tight. There are no free headers in their box.

"It was a really good day: focus, concentration, discipline, everybody doing their jobs."

"Arsenal is a real title contender for Man City."

Neville adds that while Man City's matchup with Arsenal cannot be considered a "title decider" just yet, Guardiola's team does have a real chance of winning the Premier League with Arteta's team.

The Sky Sports analyst likened the circumstances to those of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, who placed second in 2018 and 2019 before emerging victorious in 2020 thanks to a little of "third time lucky."

Neville declared, "I'm excited about the game." It reminds me a little bit of the time Jurgen Klopp spent years pursuing Pep Guardiola before they finally succeeded. It feels like that, with Arsenal on the shoulder of Man City.

That's the evolution of that perspective. I feel like getting to where you want to go sometimes requires a true step-by-step approach, and the same is true with Arsenal. Another indicator of their progress towards winning a Premier League title will be revealed on Sunday of next week.

"Arteta has committed to a new three-year contract with the sole goal of winning the Premier League. Not only do the players, fans, and boardroom not expect such from him, but neither do they.

"Something has to come of this. They must finish this journey with a league medal around their necks, and we will have another opportunity to evaluate Arsenal's current state on Sunday.

"What Guardiola and Man City have achieved over the last few years is incredible, but they know they've got a serious contender."