inspired his side to a crucial 2-1 win over Arsenal that piled on the
misery for their north London rivals on Sunday. Bale has been in
sublime form of late and the Wales winger produced a typically
clinical finish to break the deadlock in the first half at White Hart
Lane before Aaron Lennon doubled Tottenham's lead just moments later.
Per Mertesacker's goal early in the second half set the stage for a
tense finish, but Andre Villas-Boas's team, now unbeaten in their last
12 league games, held on to move above Chelsea into third place in the
Premier League and within two points of second-placed Manchester City.
Spurs have had eight managers since they last finished above Arsenal
in 1995, but Villas-Boas could be the one to end that barren stretch
as his side sit seven points clear of fifth placed Arsenal, who face a
major struggle just to qualify for the Champions League.
Arsenal's first defeat in six league games left them five points
behind Chelsea in the race for a top-four finish and added to the
sense of a club in crisis.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had awoken to reports that Arsenal could be
the subject of a takeover bid from a Middle East consortium which
would place his future under scrutiny after eight years without a
trophy and this was another dispiriting afternoon for the Frenchman.
Arsenal, prompted by Jack Wilshere's intelligent passing, had been
first to settle after a frantic opening and Olivier Giroud's header
brought Hugo Lloris into action.
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