‘You wouldn’t see that in an under 12s game’: Paul Merson SLAMS Tottenham’s defending for Arsenal’s opening goal as his former side triumphed 3-2 in the North London derby

Paul Merson gave a scathing assessment of Tottenham’s defense after Ange Postecoglou’s side were beaten 3-2 in the north London derby.

Arsenal took the lead after fifteen minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg fired the ball into his own goal from Bukayo Saka’s corner.

The goal marked the thirteenth goal Spurs have conceded from set pieces this season, putting them among the bottom four clubs in the league as one of the teams with the worst record.

Taking an early lead, Mikel Arteta’s side quickly secured the initiative in Sunday’s match, with goals from Saka and Kai Havertz ensuring the visitors took a 3-0 lead into the break.

As the match reached the hour mark, Arsenal looked set to secure three points with minimal disruption.

The former Arsenal star insisted such poor positioning from a set-piece would not even be seen in a youth match

Arsenal’s opener was the thirteenth set-piece goal Spurs have conceded this season

That is until an errant pass from David Raya allowed Cristian Romero to score, before Son Heung-Min piled on the pressure by adding a second for the hosts from the penalty spot.

In the end, Arsenal held on for the three points, but Merson emphasized to Sky Sports that it could have been a different story if Tottenham’s defense had not been so poor to begin with.

‘If you look closely, every Arsenal player is behind. The Tottenham players are all watching, it’s the worst thing you can ever do as a defender.’ The pundit said of the set piece that led to the opener.

‘I wasn’t a defender, but I know the game. You can’t let those players get the goal side of you, and they pretty much all end up on the other side of the player.

“At the end of the day, they’re behind them. It’s unbelievable. You don’t see this happening in an under-12s football match. Look how they’re all behind them, now they’re all on the side of the goal. It’s unbelievable.’

Merson also managed to revel in his former team’s success against their bitter rivals after the full-time whistle.

Together with ex-Spurs defender Michael Dawson on the panel, Merson could not help but make a joke at the expense of his fellow pundit.

“It’ll stand them in good stead for next year, won’t it, that battle?” He said, nodding to Dawson.

The victory in north London marked Arteta’s 100th as Premier League manager, making him one of the fastest to achieve the accolade alongside some of the greats in the competition’s history.

Although they retained their place at the top of the table with three points, Manchester City remain hot on their heels in second place, trailing by just one point with a game in hand.

After City’s 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest, Merson added that the champions’ continued dominance makes it harder to put Arteta’s successes into perspective.

“I mean, that’s incredible to be, only seven behind Sir Alex Ferguson,” he continued. ‘You know, Jurgen Klopp, a legend. I mean, phenomenal. Absolute. Fair play to him.

‘I know people say, ‘Yes, but he didn’t win the competition.’ It’s about timing.’

The derby win meant Arteta reached the milestone of 100 wins as a Premier League manager

But Merson insisted Arteta’s achievements as Gunners boss will undoubtedly be overshadowed by Man City’s dominance

“If you’re a heavyweight challenger, and Mike Tyson is around, you’re not going to win the world title, and that’s kind of the case.

‘You’re just unlucky. You have to accept that you were second best at the time, and if it wasn’t for them, they would have won and that’s how it works. It’s just timings. They’re out of luck.’