Arsenal Legend Reveals The One Quality Which Pleased Him Most In Our Derby Win

Alan Smith enjoyed the fight the players showed, even if it resulted in an FA charge…

Arsenal legend Alan Smith was delighted by the quality we showed to come back and take Spurs by storm on Sunday, but he admitted that the fight we showed in unison pleased him more, Hayters TV reports.

There were many flashpoints throughout the game and our players stood tall on each occasion, especially when Eric Dier thought it was clever to celebrate in front of our fans.

Stephan Lichsteiner, Matteo Guendouzi and Aaron Ramsey took exception to that and chaos ensued, which has since resulted in an FA charge.

Engaging in a physical battle and standing up to the test has been something we’ve been lacking in recent years, we saw the antithesis of our perception on Sunday.

Not only did our players stand up and be counted, but we upped the intensity of the clash and Spurs wilted – a team many have associated with being tough under Mauricio Pochettino.

And, for Smith, it’s the ‘ugly’ side of our game which pleased him most.

“What pleased me the most was how the players were backing each other up,” the former Gunners striker said.

“When it came to a little skirmish, a little fracas, they were all there backing up a mate and that hasn’t always happened in recent years.

“It was what we had under George Graham, that togetherness and fighting spirit. You need that.”

Purist may deem Smith’s narrative as archaic and irrelevant to modern football, but competing in every duel certainly had an impact on the final score.

Also, the boldness in which teams attempt to press us may come from a long-developed theory that we have a soft underbelly and wilt at the first opportunity.

Unai Emery made it clear that his goal was to make us more competitive all over the pitch, and we’re starting to see the fruits of that philosophy filter through.