'You wouldn't see that in an under 12s game': Paul Merson SLAMS Tottenham's defending for Arsenal's opening goal as his former side triumphed 3-2 in the North London derby

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Paul Merson offered a scathing assessment of Tottenham's defending after Ange Postecoglou's side were defeated 3-2 in the North London derby.

Arsenal took the lead just 15 minutes into the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg put the ball into his own net from a Bukayo Saka corner.

The goal marked the 13th Spurs have conceded from set-pieces this season, ranking them among the league's bottom four clubs as one of the teams with the worst record.

With an early lead secured Mikel Arteta's side were quick to seize the initiative in Sunday's clash, with goals from Saka and Kai Havertz seeing the visitors take a 3-0 lead going into the interval.

As the game passed the hour mark Arsenal appeared set to secure three points with minimal disruption.

Paul Merson slammed Tottenham's defending as they conceded early in the North London derby

The former Arsenal star insisted such poor positioning from a set piece wouldn't even be seen in a youth game

Arsenal's opener marked the 13th goal from a set-piece Spurs have conceded this season

That is until an errant pass from David Raya allowed Cristian Romero to score, before Son Heung-Min ramped up the pressure by adding a second for the hosts from the penalty spot.

Ultimately Arsenal hung on to secure three points, but speaking on Sky Sports Merson insisted it could have been a different story if Tottenham's defending hadn't been so poor in the early going.

'If you look every Arsenal player is behind. The Tottenham players are all watching, it's the worst thing you could ever do as a defender.' The pundit said of the set piece that led to the opener.

'I wasn't a defender, but I know the game. You can't let those players get goal side of you, and every one of them virtually ends up on the other side of the player. 

'They end up being in behind them. It's, unbelievable. You wouldn't see this happen in an under-12 football match. Look at every one of them's behind them now they're all goal side. It's unbelievable.'

Merson also managed to enjoy his former team's success against their bitter rivals following the full-time whistle.

Joined by ex-Spurs defender Michael Dawson on the panel, Merson couldn't help but make a joke at his co-pundit's expense.

'It stands them in good stead for next year, doesn't it, that fightback?' he said, nodding towards Dawson.

Victory in North London marked Arteta's 100th as a Premier League manager, seeing him rank alongside some of the greats in the competitions history as one of the fastest to reach the accolade.

However, while three points meant they retained their place at the top of the table, Manchester City remain hot on their heels in second, trailing by just one point behind while having a game in hand.

Speaking following City's 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest, Merson added the sustained dominance of the champions makes it harder to put Arteta's successes into perspective.

'I mean, that is an unbelievable to be, only seven behind Sir Alex Ferguson,' he continued. 'You know, Jurgen Klopp who's a legend. I mean, phenomenal. Absolutely. Fair play to him. 

'I know people go, "Yeah, but he hasn't won the league." It's about timings.'

Victory in the derby saw Arteta reach the landmark of 100 wins as a Premier League manager

But Merson insisted Arteta's achievements as Gunners boss are bound to be overshadowed by Man City's dominance

'If you're a heavyweight challenger, and Mike Tyson's about, you're not winning the world title, and it's a bit like that. 

'You're just bang unlucky. You got to accept that you were the second best at the time, and if, if they weren't about, they would have won and that's how it works. It's just timings. They're bang unlucky.'