Man Utd legend Gary Neville blames Udogie, one other Tottenham player for Arsenal's first goal

Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes Destiny Udogie and Brennan Johnson were at fault for the first goal conceded by Tottenham Hotspur during their 2-2 draw with Arsenal in a the north London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon. 

Although Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou was delighted with the way the game went for the Italy U21 international of Nigerian descent, in truth, the left-back was at sixes and sevens in the first half. 

Udogie drew a yellow card in the 15th minute when he flew in late on arguably the best winger in the Premier League, Bukayo Saka, and less than a minute later the defender's wayward back pass almost caused a goal. 

The Hale End Academy graduate had a hand in the opening goal in the 26th minute when his curling shot was diverted into the net by Tottenham centre-back Cristian Romero.

In the build-up to Arsenal's opener, Gary Neville pointed out that Saka took advantage of the miscommunication between Udogie and Brennan Johnson who started a game together for the first time in the Premier League.

Johnson did well to run back and then hesitated, allowing the Arsenal number 7 to cut inside and get his shot away. 

"Arsenal were getting a big problem down this side where we were with Saka against Udogie and Udogie in that period in the game he was really on the ropes," Neville said on the Gary Neville podcast live from the Emirates Stadium after the game.

"I've been there were you think you're not going to come out the other side of it and you wonder how you get to ninety minutes when someone's dominated you in the first 25 minutes of the game.

"And that goal eventually came and in the end it was awarded to Romero where Brennan Johnson and Udogie just couldn't sort it out. 

"There's a really simple thing to do there where you've got a well-functioning sort of pair working on the side who have been together such a long time, and they hadn't been together a long time Udogie and Brennan Johnson.

"It's easier for the fullback to go with the actual runner on the outside because they can read it coming, and then you just ask the winger to go and take the ball because it's nearest to him.

"That's how I would always have managed it but they didn't transition, they both went with the runner, with Ben White, and then obviously he had that space to come inside and from that moment really you're thinking this is Arsenal's game."

Udogie committed a game-high four fouls in the north London derby, but was left on the pitch for the entire duration of the game despite walking a disciplinary tightrope. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

Photo Credit: arsenal.com

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