Two men who tried to rob a couple of Arsenal footballers came to Borehamwood moments after their brazen attack.
Jordan Northover, 26, and Ashley Smith, 30, have both pleaded guilty to trying to rob Sead Kolasinac and Mesut Ozil of their £200,000 watches in a moped ambush.
The Premier League footballers were targeted in Platts Lane, Hampstead, on July 25, Harrow Crown Court heard.
CCTV released by the Met Police shows Kolasinac standing beside his close friend Ozil's gold-trimmed black Mercedes G class 4x4 before the two attackers pull up.
Sead Kolasinac stands next to Mesut Ozil in Platts Lane, Hampstead. Credit: Met Police
Despite being threatened with what appears to be a knife, the Bosnian defender, 26, remains unfazed.
The full-back, nicknamed The Tank, then chases off the pair, who were disguised by helmets and dark clothing.
Platts Lane, Hampstead. Credit: SWNS
Ozil, 31, remains in his vehicle with his wife Amine before speeding off and taking refuge in a Turkish restaurant in Golders Green Road after being pursued by the raiders.
Footage of the incident went viral on social media and despite police launching an investigation, the would-be robbers were on the run.
But police said a key breakthrough came when a moped without number plates was spotted by a concerned member of the public in a cul-de-sac in Borehamwood.
The report was passed to the Met, who visited the area and discovered that the moped was the same one used in the robbery.
CCTV from a nearby pub in Borehamwood was reviewed, and it showed Northover and Smith visiting the pub a short time after the incident in Hampstead, and Northover changing clothes.
The clothes worn by the suspects in the robbery, including a motorcycle helmet, were discovered on grassland at the rear of the pub, after police carried out a search warrant.
Ashley Smith, left, and Jordan Northover, tried to rob two Arsenal footballers. Credit: Met Police
Chief Inspector Jim Corbett, of Scotland Yard's Operation Venice, said: "Northover and Smith attempted this brazen robbery after travelling around streets nearby, looking for people to rob.
"Northover didn't hesitate to draw a weapon when making demands, but he didn't bargain on being challenged and the pair went away empty-handed.
"This case demonstrates how important community information can be."
At a previous hearing at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court, the value of one of the watches was given as £200,000.
Sead Kolasinac, left, and Mesut Ozil were approached in Hampstead. Credit: PA
Following the ordeal, World Cup winner Ozil told the Athletic sports site that he was scared for his wife as the attackers pursued his car.
He said: "They told him directly 'Give us your watch!'.
"Sead's reaction was really, really brave because he attacked one of the attackers.
"We were newly wed and I was scared about my wife. I was scared about Sead.
"I saw one chance to drive. If they got to my wife, something terrible might have happened to her.
"I started driving but they followed. I was driving very fast but they kept coming close on the moped.
"I tried to move the car, block them, escape, but each time they would be there.
"My wife was extremely scared."
Ashley Smith of Archway, north London, will be sentenced at Harrow Crown Court on Friday.
Jordan Northover, of no fixed address, will be sentenced at a later date.
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