Tottenham stave off Arsenal foray to come away with 2-2 draw
By Gary Pearson
Tottenham, even after spurning a two-goal lead, will consider themselves lucky to come away with a point in a wild north London Derby at the Emirates.
The 2-2 scoreline flattered Spurs in the end after a miserable second half. Hugo Lloris made multiple brilliant saves to secure the point. Danny Rose and Davinson Sanchez looked out of sorts, and Spurs found it nearly impossible to hold on to possession.
A tale of two halves saw Spurs go out to a deserved 2-0 lead. They played with poise and calmness in the first 45. The wheels certainly fell off in the second half, though, with Arsenal controlling tempo and possession.
First half
Christian Eriksen opened Spurs’ account in the north London Derby with a tap in from an Erik Lamela’s rebound. With the simplest of finishes, Eriksen did a lot to ease lingering tensions with supporters. A goal against Arsenal has an amazing ability to cultivate reconciliation.
The goal came against the run of play, with Harry Kane’s flick-on header in midfield taking two Arsenal defenders, Sokratis and Granit Xhaka, out of the play. David Luiz once again over committed on Son Heung-Min, who found Erik Lamela with a lovely deft pass.
The Argentinian again justified his selection with a right-footed effort on goal that caught Bernd Leno by surprise. The diving, outstretched German was only able to parry for an onrushing Eriksen, whose eyes lit up with delight.
Arsenal had the run of the home green in the opening half, but Tottenham enjoyed the better chances. In the 18th minute Son darted in from the left and fired a seeing-eye shot that Leno saved expertly. Arsenal’s press created havoc for Tottenham’s rearguard in the first half. The away side committed many fouls in dangerous positions, with Lamela and Rose picking up yellow cards.
Later in the half Xhaka, who has a knack for a blunder, slid in late and inexplicably on Son for a stonewall penalty. Kane deposited it into the bottom corner with assurance, poise and aplomb, giving his side a two-goal lead.
On the stroke of halftime, Arsenal found a lifeline through Alexandre Lacazette, who touched beyond Jan Vertonghen and lashed his finish past Hugo Lloris. Rose should have knocked the ball into another stratosphere but recklessly tried to carry it out. He turned over possession, a mistake that eventually led to the Arsenal opener.
Second half
The second half had a little bit of everything, from a Kane post to multiple brilliant Lloris saves. Arsenal pushed the tempo, forcing Spurs into a defensive shell. The Gunners always look vulnerable on the counter, but the away side was unable to punish Unai Emery’s men. Instead it was as expected, with Spurs battening down the hatches, playing a deep line and committing many fouls in midfield.
Panic and fatigue set in after Arsenal’s equalizer. Time seemingly stopped for large portions of the second half, with numerous unopposed shots flying in, or at, Lloris. If you didn’t have a nervous habit prior to this match, you certainly will after watching this display.
All things considered, it was another good away point for Spurs, although supporters will feel it could have been a lot more.