Mathieu Flamini was the unlikely Arsenal hero on Wednesday night as the Frenchman struck twice to see off Tottenham in their Capital One Cup third round clash.
Flamini’s second goal of the night was undoubtedly the pick of the three goals in the game as the midfielder struck home a beautiful volley to restore the lead for the Gunners.
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It appeared as though the visitors were risking the possibility of spurning their early advantage when Calum Chambers turned Nacer Chadli’s cross into his own net 11 minutes after the break, but Arsenal won it against the run of play thanks to Flamini’s superb first-time volley from 20 yards out.
Flamini hadn’t been expected to start at White Hart Lane, but an injury suffered by Francis Coquelin opened the door for the 31-year-old to be restored to the line-up.
His response will come as a significant boost for Arsene Wenger, who will now face a selection headache with regards to whether or not he should keep the former AC Milan star in the side.
Meanwhile, Wenger will now await the draw to see who their opponents in the fourth round will be, but the Frenchman will undoubtedly be hoping for a deep cup run in order to help his side build momentum in what is an important season for the club given their pursuit of silverware.
Nevertheless, a win against their north London rivals will come as a welcome boost in itself, and they will hope to build on the result when they face Leicester City on Saturday afternoon.
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