Gabriel was the hero for Arsenal as they secured bragging rights over Tottenham in the north London derby.

The Brazil international nodded a powerful header past Guglielmo Vicario in the 64th minute after he had managed to easily break free from Cristian Romero.

In the absence of several key players, namely Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, the Gunners were forced to show their defensive resilience throughout the match in a performance full of heart and courage, which certainly will please Mikel Arteta.

Express Sport looks at five key talking points from a fierce encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium…

Arteta sent Spurs warning ahead of corner goal

Arsenal’s set-pieces have been vital in their progress over the past few seasons, and Arteta warned Tottenham ahead of kick-off that his side would continue to focus on exploiting their height in those areas – even without usual taker Rice. The Spaniard was proven right too, with Gabriel’s header evidencing his claims.

Speaking earlier this week, he said: “It's a very specific phase of play but if we were only dependent on one player, then we would have a problem. We haven't built our methodology or our way of attacking or defending any phase of play in that way. So we are going to adapt to whatever players that we have and we will still be very efficient."

Three stars struggle for Arteta

Arteta will be very pleased with how his side performed on the whole against Spurs, though three players did struggle throughout the clash. Gabriel Martinelli continues to appear drained of confidence and wasted several key opportunities to create openings on the counter-attack with sloppy passes, and his tame shot from close range in the first-half highlighted his general lack of belief.

Leandro Trossard and Jorginho were tasked with replacing Odegaard and Rice in the derby but both struggled to make their mark, with the latter slowing down the match at key times and losing possession inside his own half on several occasions. With Odegaard expected to be sidelined for a matter of weeks, Trossard will need to improve if he is to retain his spot in the Gunners’ starting 11.

Saka injury fears raised

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka limped off of the pitch late on in his side’s victory in a worrying sight for Arteta. The England international dropped to the ground in pain as the clock ticked past the 85th minute mark and ultimately vowed that he could not continue, with youngster Ethan Nwaneri, 17, coming on in his place. With injuries already stacking up, the Gunners will be hoping that their star winger will be fit to face Manchester City next weekend.