Come on Rich, let’s hear you say it! The ref did well.

Don't understand Conte taking off Son. Sure, the game is as good as gone at 3-1 and playing with ten men, but Son and Kane have turned games around on their own before. Now they're just sitting back and don't even have a counter attacking threat left.

They’ve given up.

Xhaka would have scored from there.

C'mon Arsenal ! Hold on !

In the build up to the game I saw a number of combined NLD 11 from journos, so no bias and so many had Holjberg instead of Partey. I know we’re bias but that is frankly bonkers. I’d have Xhaka ahead of Holjberg as well - easily

Yes! Yes! Yes!

It was my attempt at trying to be balanced. I just think I’ve seen a lot of tackles like that and they don’t always end up in a red and I think there would be plenty of people who think a yellow is enough.
Of course I’ll take it, and yes I think Taylor has had a good game. I said before the game I do rate him along with Michael Oliver as the best two refs in the league by some distance

Brilliant, brilliant win. They looked dangerous on the counter in that first half, but second half they had absolutely nothing even before the red card. 65% possession, 22-7 in shots, 8-3 in shots on goal. We were simply the dominant team over 90 minutes and thoroughly deserved the win.

Whatever happens in all the other games this weekend, we'll finish it top of the league.

Great win!

I was a little worried at halftime with the counter-attacks Spuds were having but we came out second half and dominated again. Obviously, the sending off helped but we were by far the better footballing team.

Everyone was great.

Slightly disappointed we didn't score more.

That’s why you buy in to what Arteta wants to do, he set the bar absurdly high because he’s trying to build a team who can dominate every single game - it’s what virtually every title winning team does. Conte’s 5 man defence with 2 holding mids is going to win games but you can’t keep playing like they do and getting away with it. They have very little creativity, all the metrics on how they play shows they rely so heavily on world class forwards scoring from very few chances and also rely on making zero mistakes at the back. I still maintain it isn’t sustainable.

Compare the two teams on technical ability and it is chalk and cheese.

If you handed out Arsenal’s player of the season so far this season you’d be hard pushed to look past Xhaka. He’s pushed new levels in his game that I’ll be honest I didn’t think he had.

Absolutely love this team right now

Case in point, this was van Dijk v Everton and no red was given.

Pundits and Conte I’m sure will say the red card was the turning point or decided the game but forget that, we’d been utterly dominant and were 2-1 up and looked far more likely to score next. For the 20 minutes after half time but before the red Spurs offered nothing. A farce to claim that it somehow decided the game. It made it easier for us to win for sure but didn’t decide the game.

I haven’t heard anybody say that. Not the pundits on BT Sport, and not Conte.

It was nice for me to watch a game out without counting down the clock. Very relaxed finish.

I am torn. I want to see Man Utd lose but also want City to have their first loss. I'll take a draw I guess.

.....and we still haven’t beaten a team that’s any good!!

As someone who thinks the red card was slightly harsh, I'd find it very difficult to go on TV and complain about such an obvious stamp. I'm sure some of them will try though, as you point out.

Lovely feeling to stick it to Spurs. Really going to be able to enjoy the rest of the weekends football now. Like you Rich, love this team right now.

I’ll slightly change my view on the red. I still think lots will argue it was a yellow but the image shows this wasn’t a genuine attempt at a tackle or anywhere near the ball. It is a deliberate foul that he got horribly wrong as rather than just tripping Martinelli he’s gone high and with studs. No excuse it’s a red

I said here quite recently that Xhaka is arguably our player of the season. I no longer think it’s arguable.

Chelsea and Liverpool both losing already

Winning a big game as the early kick off on a Saturday is just the best.

Sit back and bask in the rest of the weekend and watch the rest try to keep up

Trossard is a tidy player. His contract is up in the summer, he could be a smart signing for someone.

Saliba is our best CB, and so far this season I think he’s also been the best CB in the league

Aubameyang has equalised for Chelsea. Thiago Silva very lucky to still be on the pitch, could've been sent off earlier for a deliberate handball as the last man.

Liverpool have looked really shaky this season. With the way we're playing at the moment, we possibly have our best chance in a long time to get a result against them next week. It would be a huge statement from this team, can't remember the last time we looked close to beating them.

Heard talksport at the end of the game say ‘and there was a player sent off in the NLD and amazingly it wasn’t Xhaka’

It’s a ridiculous lazy position and is one that harms Xhaka on on the pitch.

We can win at Anfield. We do have a team capable of doing so.

Xhaka has improved by leaps and bounds

We've now scored 20 goals in 8 games. Last season we scored our 20th goal in our 16th game.

What an excellent performance.

Brighton equalise against Liverpool. Nice.

City are are the old team that we don't have a realistic chance of finishing ahead of. Still, one never knows. I'll be shouting for United tomorrow.

I can't bring myself to it. Doesn't matter what's best for us, I just want City to absolutely smash them, seen to many people talk about how Ten Hag has turned it around, Man Utd fans calling Martinez the best CB in the league so far this season etc. They need to be brought back down to earth.

Saliba, Jesus (and I'd say Martinelli and White) would also be in the frame, but I would probably agree.

The Partey/Xhaka partnership is ironically arguably our strongest link and at the same time our greatest vulnerability.

I know. Conflicting emotions.

I want United to get something off City because if by some remote chance things go pear-shaped for City, we are in with a shout ... but if United do lose I want it to be by at least 10 goals with 3 players sent off ...and I will enjoy it immensely.

Didn’t realise Liverpool dropped points until I saw your post. Delighted. Just a shame Chelsea won today. See Aubameyang got his first goal for them.

Noticeable that Bissouma came on as a sub for Tottenham today. Is he not even a regular first choice for them in big games?

Bit of a jammy win for Chelsea. As I said earlier, Thiago Silva could've well been sent off at 1-0, he only got booked and minutes later he assisted Aubameyang for the equaliser. Then Conor Gallagher won it with a wondergoal in the 90th minute.