Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has praised the showing of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez during Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby. The Gunners dominated the proceedings from the off, and their urgency in the forward department caught Spurs off guard as they conceded two first-half goals.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side tried to make their comeback during the second period of the game, but they could not make the most of their possession owing to some poor finishing at the end. Following the game, Wenger heaped praise on both Ozil and Sanchez, who alongside Alexandre Lacazette stood out in the Gunners attack.

He said: “I know them well and I know when these guys go on the pitch they want to win the game and they have shown that commitment again today. I never questioned their commitment. They can have bad games but the problem is when the player goes to the end of his contract, everyone says: ‘Of course.’ Their interest is to play anyway.”

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger admitted that several clubs are keeping a close watch on the star pairing with their contracts due to expire at the end of the current campaign, he added: “The quality of the contract has to be good enough for them as well. I am convinced they love the club, they love the team.”

Sanchez came very close to joining Manchester City in the summer, and it is suggested that Pep Guardiola could make a fresh approach for his services during the winter transfer window. Germany international Ozil is also the subject of interest from arch-rivals Manchester United, although they are said to prefer a Bosman move at the end of the season.

As a result of the derby win, Arsenal have closed the gap on fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur to just one point. They face a tricky game at Burnley next weekend with Sean Dyche’s side currently equal on points after 12 games played.