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Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Arsenal

By Phil McNultyChief football writer at White Hart Lane
Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey
Arsenal had 10 men from the 54th minute but Sanchez struck to earn a point

Alexis Sanchez's equaliser earned 10-man Arsenal an important point as Spurs missed the opportunity to go top of the Premier League in the north London derby at White Hart Lane.

Aaron Ramsey's instinctive flick gave Arsenal the lead just before the interval - but the game looked to have turned in the space of seven minutes before the hour.

Arsenal's Francis Coquelin was sent off on 55 minutes after being shown a second yellow card for a foul on Harry Kane, leaving the door open for Spurs to respond with two quick goals.

Toby Alderweireld scored at the far post before Kane curled in a magnificent angled right-foot finish after 62 minutes to put Spurs in command.

But Arsenal refused to back down and equalised 14 minutes from time when Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris let Sanchez's shot squirm through his grasp.

In contrast Arsenal's David Ospina, in for the injured Petr Cech, was heroic with outstanding saves from Erik Lamela, Kane and Christian Eriksen.

Read: Power cut frustrates fans

Look back on a thrilling north London derby

Relief for Wenger

Alderweireld scores
Alderweireld levelled within five minutes of Coquelin being sent off

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's plight could be measured in the amount of cameras that greeted him as he arrived in the technical area before kick-off - the natural indicator of either a new manager or a man under pressure.

Wenger fell into the latter category after damaging league defeats by Manchester United and Swansea City, but he will have left White Hart Lane a satisfied man.

Defeat would have turned up the pressure another notch, pushing that first title since 2003-04's 'Invincibles' season even further out of reach.

Instead, he will have been happier than his Spurs counterpart Mauricio Pochettino and will feel Arsenal have restored some equilibrium to a season that felt on the brink of implosion.

The Gunners are still in a reasonable position to challenge for the title - and Wenger would have taken that before kick-off.

Arsenal's show of character

Tottenham v Arsenal
Arsenal rode their luck. Tottenham had 26 shots in all with seven off target (red) and eight blocked (yellow).

Arsenal faced the usual questions - fully justified it should be said - about their stomach for a fight after succumbing to a youthful and injury-hit Manchester United and Swansea City in the past six days.

If there was ever a place to at least answer some of the questions it was on hostile territory at White Hart Lane. And they emerged with credit.

Pochettino 'disappointed' after Gunners draw

The tide was flowing fast against them after Coquelin drew a stupid yellow card. It would have been easy to feel it was not their day but the Gunners hung in and their persistence was rewarded.

Wenger may feel his side might have gone on to win had they not been left with a numerical disadvantage - and they had a genuine grievance when referee Michael Oliver inexplicably failed to give Spurs' Eric Dier a second yellow card for a crude shirt-pull on Olivier Giroud.

In many respects, this game was about avoiding defeat for Arsenal and they dug deep to stop the rot.

Spurs miss a big chance

Harry Kane
Harry Kane scored a superb goal for his 20th of the season

Spurs could have no complaints when they lost at West Ham United on Wednesday. They were beaten by the better side, something that will happen in the fierce competition of the Premier League.

It was a case of not too much harm done with Arsenal and Manchester City also losing - but here they missed a real opportunity.

Spurs had that precious lead with Arsenal on the back foot and reduced to 10 men. All the momentum was with them as White Hart Lane sensed their old rivals were there for the taking.

Instead, with Lloris the culprit and Gunners understudy Ospina superb, they let Arsenal back in.

The chance to go top of the table, even for a few hours, was gone and while they remain three points ahead of their rivals in second place, Spurs will feel they should have extended the advantage.

Man of the match - David Ospina

David Ospina
David Ospina made more saves in a Premier League match than any Arsenal goalkeeper since 2009

The stats you need to know

  • Tottenham have lost just one of their past eight Premier League games against the Gunners at White Hart Lane (W4 D3 L1)
  • There have been 137 goals scored in this fixture in the Premier League; more than any other fixture in the competition
  • Harry Kane has now scored 14 goals in 18 Premier League London derbies
  • David Ospina made nine saves in this match for Arsenal, the most by a Gunners' goalkeeper in a Premier League game since Lukasz Fabianski (also 9) v Liverpool in April 2009

Up next?

Arsenal face an FA Cup replay at Hull on Tuesday before hosting West Brom next weekend, while Tottenham have a Europa League trip to Borussia Dortmund on Thursday before Sunday's game at Aston Villa.

Line-ups

Tottenham

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Lloris
  • 2Walker
  • 4Alderweireld
  • 27Wimmer
  • 3RoseSubstituted forDaviesat 78'minutes
  • 19DembéléSubstituted forSon Heung-minat 82'minutes
  • 15DierBooked at 73mins
  • 23Eriksen
  • 20Alli
  • 11LamelaBooked at 28minsSubstituted forMasonat 67'minutes
  • 10Kane

Substitutes

  • 7Son Heung-min
  • 8Mason
  • 13Vorm
  • 16Trippier
  • 22Chadli
  • 28Carroll
  • 33Davies

Arsenal

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 13Ospina
  • 24BellerínBooked at 26mins
  • 4Mertesacker
  • 5Gabriel
  • 3Gibbs
  • 34CoquelinBooked at 55mins
  • 35ElnenySubstituted forGiroudat 75'minutes
  • 16Ramsey
  • 11ÖzilSubstituted forCampbellat 90'minutes
  • 17SánchezBooked at 66mins
  • 23WelbeckSubstituted forFlaminiat 85'minutes

Substitutes

  • 12Giroud
  • 14Walcott
  • 18Monreal
  • 20Flamini
  • 21Chambers
  • 28Campbell
  • 49Macey
Referee:
Michael Oliver
Attendance:
35,762

Match Stats

Home TeamTottenhamAway TeamArsenal
Possession
Home52%
Away48%
Shots
Home26
Away10
Shots on Target
Home11
Away4
Corners
Home9
Away2
Fouls
Home10
Away10

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Tottenham Hotspur 2, Arsenal 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Tottenham Hotspur 2, Arsenal 2.

  3. Post update

    Attempt missed. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the left.

  4. Post update

    Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Kevin Wimmer.

  5. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Alexis Sánchez.

  6. Substitution

    Substitution, Arsenal. Joel Campbell replaces Mesut Özil.

  7. Post update

    Attempt missed. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from the left side of the box is too high following a corner.

  8. Post update

    Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Gabriel Paulista.

  9. Post update

    Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  10. Post update

    Foul by Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal).

  11. Post update

    Attempt saved. Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.

  12. Post update

    Hand ball by Kevin Wimmer (Tottenham Hotspur).

  13. Post update

    Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by David Ospina.

  14. Post update

    Attempt saved. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Harry Kane.

  15. Substitution

    Substitution, Arsenal. Mathieu Flamini replaces Danny Welbeck.

  16. Post update

    Hand ball by Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal).

  17. Post update

    Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Kieran Gibbs.

  18. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Ryan Mason (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Christian Eriksen.

  19. Substitution

    Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Son Heung-Min replaces Mousa Dembélé.

  20. Post update

    Attempt saved. Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ben Davies.

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Leicester29179352312160
2Tottenham291510451242755
3Arsenal29157746301652
4Man City28155852312150
5West Ham291310645331249
6Man Utd28138737261147
7Stoke29127103134-343
8Southampton29118103629741
9Liverpool2711884136541
10Chelsea29101094339440
11Everton28911851391238
12Watford29107122930-137
13West Brom2899102936-736
14Bournemouth2998123545-1035
15Crystal Palace2896133137-633
16Swansea2989122837-933
17Sunderland2967163554-1925
18Norwich2966173154-2324
19Newcastle2866162853-2524
20Aston Villa2937192255-3316
View full Premier League table

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