Another managerial era looms for Tottenham but the same old Arsenal stand in their way.
Spurs made the short trip to the Emirates Stadium for the pick of the FA Cup third-round ties but the distance between the old rivals, which seemed to have narrowed in recent years, looks considerable once again.
Santi Cazorla’s thumping first-half drive paved the way for Arsenal’s victory and Tomas Rosicky punished a Danny Rose error to clinch bragging rights for the red half of north London.
One up: Arsenal's Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla celebrates after opening the scoring against Tottenham
Tim Sherwood may well have a bright managerial future and he certainly approaches his Tottenham job in a positive manner. But you’re unlikely to get the better of a club that have given one of the finest managers in the game free rein for 18 years if you switch direction as frequently as Spurs do under chairman Daniel Levy.
Tottenham showed enough honest endeavour and a commitment to attack. And they stuck to their task.
What they lacked was guile, skill and experience — and Arsenal had that aplenty.
Sherwood is the 11th Tottenham manager to take on Wenger. Some have got close, but none has bettered him.
And with Wenger, 64, on the bench at one end of the age spectrum, and 18-year-old Serge Gnabry on the pitch representing the coming generation, this Arsenal side were just too good for their rivals.
On another day, Tottenham will get closer to their opponents. But not by giving a raw 19-year-old in Nabil Bentaleb his first start against one of the more formidable teams of the moment; not by going 4-4-2 against one of the best midfields in Europe.
Unstoppable: Cazorla watches the ball fly past Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris into the net for the opening oal
On target: Tomas Rosicky puts the ball past Lloris as Arsenal go 2-0 up on Spurs in the FA Cup third round
On his knees: Rosicky celebrates as Arsenal seal their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup
Tottenham started brightly and Christian Eriksen broke through to shoot into the side-netting. But as Arsenal found their passing range, the Spurs midfield were simply bypassed, reduced to the role of scurrying about chasing lost causes. Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado looked like lost souls, cut off from fellow troops.
Soon Arsenal were in command and Theo Walcott was proving his worth as a centre forward. On 12 minutes his shot from 30 yards was tipped wide by Hugo Lloris and shortly after another strike was deflected wide by Vlad Chiriches.
But it was German Gnabry who seemed intent on making the biggest impression. On 15 minutes he cut inside to unleash a strike that just cleared Lloris’s crossbar. Nine minutes later Gnabry was involved in a delightful interchange with Santi Cazorla that bewitched Tottenham and allowed the Spaniard to play Walcott in on goal, but with just Lloris to beat, the striker shot against the goalkeeper’s legs.
No matter. On 31 minutes they rectified the matter with Gnabry again at the heart of things. Receiving the ball with his back to goal, he made a smart turn and sprinted into space across the face of the Tottenham goal.
Given time and space, he played the perfect ball into the path of Cazorla, who hit an exquisite strike into the far corner of the net to induce an almighty roar from an unusually lively Emirates Stadium.
Here's the build-up to Santi Cazorla's opener at The Emirates - now check out the rest of the stats in our brilliant match zone
Reminder: Injured Theo Walcott taunts Tottenham fans with a 2-0 gesture as he is stretchered off
Tumble: Tottenham's Danny Rose (centre) is brought down by Arsenal's Serge Gnabry
Strike: Arsenal's Theo Walcott takes a shot on goal but is unsuccessful during the FA Cup clash
Close contact: Arsenal midfielder Serge Gnabry (left) under pressure from Mousa Dembele
Tottenham attempted to rally — Soldado shot wide as half-time approached — but they could not get enough sustained possession to impose themselves.
Arsenal’s fluidity continued after the break, Rosicky enjoying the space he was afforded. But in the early periods of the second half they could not create as many clear-cut opportunities.
Defender Laurent Koscielny had a strike that flew over on 53 minutes as the ball bounced to him from a goalmouth scramble. Though Arsenal maintained control of the game, their dominance was less apparent.
Indeed, on 56 minutes it seemed Tottenham might have a chance to draw level, the ball falling for Adebayor about eight yards out. Sadly for Spurs, the former Arsenal striker spun and mis-kicked his strike awfully, inviting derision from all around at his old home ground.
Gnabry then sprung into life again on 61 minutes, spinning away from Rose and playing in a superb ball for Walcott, who rounded Lloris but found the angle too tight and ended up shooting into the side-netting.
In charge: Referee Mark Clattenburg was the man in the middle for the match at the Emirates Stadium
Jubilation: Arsenal fans celebrate as they watch their side stroll to victory over their North London rivals
Team orders: Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood shouts instructions at his players
Poor Rose. His evening was about to get considerably worse.
As Tottenham worked the ball comfortably across midfield on 62 minutes, it came back to Rose on halfway, with sufficient time and space to move it along. But he dithered and Rosicky pounced, inducing panic.
To Rose’s horror, Rosicky nudged the ball away and had 50 yards of daylight between himself and Lloris.
He scampered away eagerly and despite Kyle Walker’s best efforts to catch him, the Czech was still in control of the situation when, 15 yards out, he simply dinked a chip over the advancing Lloris.
Spinning away in delight, Rosicky celebrated as Rose hung his head, looking understandably distraught.
Spurs made the short trip to the Emirates Stadium for the pick of the FA Cup third-round ties but the distance between the old rivals, which seemed to have narrowed in recent years, looks considerable once again.
Santi Cazorla’s thumping first-half drive paved the way for Arsenal’s victory and Tomas Rosicky punished a Danny Rose error to clinch bragging rights for the red half of north London.
One up: Arsenal's Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla celebrates after opening the scoring against Tottenham
Tim Sherwood may well have a bright managerial future and he certainly approaches his Tottenham job in a positive manner. But you’re unlikely to get the better of a club that have given one of the finest managers in the game free rein for 18 years if you switch direction as frequently as Spurs do under chairman Daniel Levy.
Tottenham showed enough honest endeavour and a commitment to attack. And they stuck to their task.
What they lacked was guile, skill and experience — and Arsenal had that aplenty.
Sherwood is the 11th Tottenham manager to take on Wenger. Some have got close, but none has bettered him.
And with Wenger, 64, on the bench at one end of the age spectrum, and 18-year-old Serge Gnabry on the pitch representing the coming generation, this Arsenal side were just too good for their rivals.
On another day, Tottenham will get closer to their opponents. But not by giving a raw 19-year-old in Nabil Bentaleb his first start against one of the more formidable teams of the moment; not by going 4-4-2 against one of the best midfields in Europe.
Unstoppable: Cazorla watches the ball fly past Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris into the net for the opening oal
On target: Tomas Rosicky puts the ball past Lloris as Arsenal go 2-0 up on Spurs in the FA Cup third round
On his knees: Rosicky celebrates as Arsenal seal their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup
Tottenham started brightly and Christian Eriksen broke through to shoot into the side-netting. But as Arsenal found their passing range, the Spurs midfield were simply bypassed, reduced to the role of scurrying about chasing lost causes. Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado looked like lost souls, cut off from fellow troops.
Soon Arsenal were in command and Theo Walcott was proving his worth as a centre forward. On 12 minutes his shot from 30 yards was tipped wide by Hugo Lloris and shortly after another strike was deflected wide by Vlad Chiriches.
But it was German Gnabry who seemed intent on making the biggest impression. On 15 minutes he cut inside to unleash a strike that just cleared Lloris’s crossbar. Nine minutes later Gnabry was involved in a delightful interchange with Santi Cazorla that bewitched Tottenham and allowed the Spaniard to play Walcott in on goal, but with just Lloris to beat, the striker shot against the goalkeeper’s legs.
No matter. On 31 minutes they rectified the matter with Gnabry again at the heart of things. Receiving the ball with his back to goal, he made a smart turn and sprinted into space across the face of the Tottenham goal.
Given time and space, he played the perfect ball into the path of Cazorla, who hit an exquisite strike into the far corner of the net to induce an almighty roar from an unusually lively Emirates Stadium.
Here's the build-up to Santi Cazorla's opener at The Emirates - now check out the rest of the stats in our brilliant match zone
Reminder: Injured Theo Walcott taunts Tottenham fans with a 2-0 gesture as he is stretchered off
Tumble: Tottenham's Danny Rose (centre) is brought down by Arsenal's Serge Gnabry
Strike: Arsenal's Theo Walcott takes a shot on goal but is unsuccessful during the FA Cup clash
Close contact: Arsenal midfielder Serge Gnabry (left) under pressure from Mousa Dembele
Tottenham attempted to rally — Soldado shot wide as half-time approached — but they could not get enough sustained possession to impose themselves.
Arsenal’s fluidity continued after the break, Rosicky enjoying the space he was afforded. But in the early periods of the second half they could not create as many clear-cut opportunities.
Defender Laurent Koscielny had a strike that flew over on 53 minutes as the ball bounced to him from a goalmouth scramble. Though Arsenal maintained control of the game, their dominance was less apparent.
Indeed, on 56 minutes it seemed Tottenham might have a chance to draw level, the ball falling for Adebayor about eight yards out. Sadly for Spurs, the former Arsenal striker spun and mis-kicked his strike awfully, inviting derision from all around at his old home ground.
Gnabry then sprung into life again on 61 minutes, spinning away from Rose and playing in a superb ball for Walcott, who rounded Lloris but found the angle too tight and ended up shooting into the side-netting.
In charge: Referee Mark Clattenburg was the man in the middle for the match at the Emirates Stadium
Jubilation: Arsenal fans celebrate as they watch their side stroll to victory over their North London rivals
Team orders: Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood shouts instructions at his players
Poor Rose. His evening was about to get considerably worse.
As Tottenham worked the ball comfortably across midfield on 62 minutes, it came back to Rose on halfway, with sufficient time and space to move it along. But he dithered and Rosicky pounced, inducing panic.
To Rose’s horror, Rosicky nudged the ball away and had 50 yards of daylight between himself and Lloris.
He scampered away eagerly and despite Kyle Walker’s best efforts to catch him, the Czech was still in control of the situation when, 15 yards out, he simply dinked a chip over the advancing Lloris.
Spinning away in delight, Rosicky celebrated as Rose hung his head, looking understandably distraught.
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