AFCON 2025
Tottenham Hotspur are the champions of the Hong Kong Football Festival Cup after sealing a 1-0 win over rivals Arsenal.
The derby took place at the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong as both sides renewed their rivalry outside of the United Kingdom.
Tottenham came into the tie on the back of a goalless draw against Luton, while Arsenal secured a 3-2 win over Newcastle four days ago.
The first half was quite cagey as both sides struggled to create clear-cut chances in the opening half hour of the tie.
Tottenham, under new manager Thomas Frank, showed grit and resilience as they kept Arsenal’s attackers at bay for most of the first half.
With a few minutes left before the break, Senegalese midfielder Pape Matar Sarr caught Daniel Raya off his goalline as he powered a long-range effort over him after Myles Lewis-Skelly was dispossessed of the ball in midfield.
With the introduction of the new signing, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Arteta’s men gained more control of the midfield as Tottenham sat back to protect their lead.
Despite having possession for most of the second half, the Gunners failed to break down Spurs, registering one effort at goal from Kai Havertz’s weak strike outside the box.
New signing Viktor Gyökeres made his Arsenal debut as he came on for Havertz with less than fifteen minutes to the end of the match but couldn’t rescue Arsenal from the loss.
Thomas Frank’s men put up a commendable defensive display as they secured a 1-0 win over their bitter rivals.
Arsenal will take on Villarreal on August 6th, before welcoming Athletic Bilbao in the Emirates Cup, before the start of the season, while Tottenham will take on Newcastle and Bayern Munich in preparation for the UEFA Super Cup against PSG on August 13th.
