It all started quite similarly to the 5-2 game of last season, before a moment of madness from Arsenal's enemy No.1 Emmanuel Adebayor opened the door for the Gunners to fire past Tottenham and post a much-needed victory in an another fiery and exciting North London Derby of the English Premier League.
The final score was exactly the same as last season's 5-2, with Adebayor opening the scoring for Spurs, before deservedly getting sent off for a reckless challenge. Arsenal took advantage as Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podoslki, Olivier Giroud, Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott all got in the scoresheet to send the Arsenal fans into Derby heaven. Gareth Bale got Spurs' consolation second.
It began splendidly for Tottenham, taking control of the game, keeping possession quite well and not really allowing the Arsenal midfielders to dictate the pace of the game.
Sandro and Tom Huddlestone were hard on the challenges - the former perhaps lucky not to get a booking right at the beginning - with Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale looking to be a nuisance down the wings as Adebayor looked to control things just behind the Arsenal defense.
Former Arsenal player William Gallas first put the ball into the back of the net, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside.
The opening goal of the game came soon after and to the last person that the Arsenal fans wanted it to go to. Jan Vertonghen played a nice ball over the top to Jermain Defoe, who was allowed to run behind by Per Mertesacker. Defoe then took a shot across Wojciech Szczesny, starting after returning from injury, with the goalkeeper's save falling right at the oncoming Adebayor to tap in with ten minutes gone.
However, the former Arsenal striker's joy was shortlived as he lunged with his foot high at Santi Cazorla, catching the Spaniard and leaving referee Howard Webb no option but to show a straight red card in the 18th minute - that dismissal came moments after Arsenal were slowly finding their feet, and after going one man down, there was ever going to be only one team in the game.
The old Arsenal bossing of possession came into full view, as the home team got back into the game from the unlikeliest of sources and off a finish any striker would have been proud of.
Walcott, who was running riot down the right, making life for Kyle Naughton really difficult, played in a good cross for Mertesacker, who had stayed up front after a corner a couple of minutes before, to thump in the header from 12 yards out.
Giroud then forced a wonderful save from Loris, before Cazorla fired just high. The French striker probably should have scored soon after, but his header from six yards out went straight at his compatriot Lloris, preferred to Brad Friedel.
The go-ahead goal for Arsenal came through Podolski, whose strike from inside the box took a wicked deflection off Gallas and trickled past Lloris and in.
Arsenal then took complete control, through the genius of Cazorla, who along with Jack Wilshere had a brilliant game. The Spanish playmaker was initially fouled in the play as he tried to waltz his way into the Spurs box, but instead of staying down, Cazorla went on before playing in a low cross for Giroud to sweep in.
The second half saw Andre Villas-Boas make a couple of changes, bringing on Michael Dawson and Clint Dempsey for the two fullbacks Kyle Walker and Naughton, with Spurs going to three central defenders and Bale and Lennon as wingbacks.
That change in formation seemed to work for the first ten minutes or so, but one quick Arsenal attack bulged the scoreline in the blink of an eye. Szczesny played a goalkick towards Giroud, who headed it down to Walcott, who controlled it brilliantly before playing through Podolski, with the German then crossing perfectly for Cazorla at the far post to smash it in on the hour.
Bale, who worked tirelessly for the entire 90 minutes scored Spurs' second off a brilliant solo effort, cutting onto his right foot before smashing into the bottom corner past Szczesny in the 71st minute.
Spurs were giving it a right go, and to their credit did not give up right until the end, even if Arsenal slowed the game down, happy to see out the rest of the remaining minutes.
The amazing game in the corresponding fixture last February finished 5-2, and inevitably, Arsenal scored the fifth in the final moments -- Walcott slotting it past Lloris, after some good work from substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, as the Gunners stormed to another memorable victory against their biggest rivals.
Man of the match: Santi Cazorla
