2 weeks ago
Paul Merson and Michael Dawson endured an excruciating fewer moments of soundlessness connected aerial aft Arsenal's 3-2 triumph complete Tottenham.
They had conscionable watched Arsenal past a second-half comeback from Spurs and were completing their debrief of nan crippled connected Sky Sports erstwhile societal catastrophe struck.
Merson, an Arsenal striker successful days of yore, tried to taunt Dawson, erstwhile of Tottenham - but his tongue-in-cheek jibe was met pinch silence.
'It stands them successful bully stead for adjacent year, doesn't it, that fightback?' Merson said, nodding towards Dawson.
Presenter David Jones and co-pundits Roy Keane and Micah Richards permitted themselves a smirk, but Dawson didn't look to drawback connected - aliases care.
Paul Merson (centre) tried to upwind up Michael Dawson (centre-right) by suggesting that Spurs' play was over
But Dawson didn't respond, leaving Merson confused arsenic an awkward soundlessness descended
Three seconds of soundlessness - which felt much for illustration 3 minutes astatine nan clip - followed arsenic Dawson remained shut up earlier Jones moved speech on.
Merson gestured towards Dawson, confused arsenic to why he hadn't responded.
He had fundamentally been saying that Tottenham's play and their Champions League hopes were over, moreover though they person 2 games successful manus to constrictive a seven-point shortage to fourth-placed Aston Villa.
But nan ray insult seemingly didn't registry pinch Dawson - unless he was folling america all.
Arsenal thought they were breezing to 3 points erstwhile an ain extremity from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, positive strikes from Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, gave them a 3-0 advantage astatine half-time.
It was nan first clip they had been 3-0 up distant astatine their bitter rivals' crushed since 1959.
However, Spurs had a lifeline erstwhile David Raya talented them nan shot and Cristian Romero - who was consistently playing arsenic if he was a striker and not a defender - vanished successful nan 65th minute.
They were riding nan crest of a activity and a precocious punishment from Heung-min Son had everyone connected tenterhooks, but Arsenal clung on.
Arsenal survived a second-half comeback to triumph 3-2 and spell 5 points clear of Man City
Had a punishment been fixed successful nan first half to Dejan Kulusevski aft a situation from Leandro Trossard, which some Dawson and Richards felt was a penalty, nan communicative mightiness person been different.
Arsenal extended their lead nan apical of nan array to 5 points complete Manchester City, who had 2 games successful manus going into Sunday afternoon's travel to Nottingham Forest.
