Arsenal 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis

The game between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur finished all square
The game between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur finished all square

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur engaged themselves in an absorbing encounter in the 185th installment of the North London Derby. The game ended 2-2 and looked a fair reflection of everything that transpired at the Emirates.

The hosts got off the blocks quickly and controlled the ball early. However, they were caught by the proverbial sucker punch when Christian Eriksen made the most of some slack defending by the Gunners.

In the 40th minute, Granit Xhaka gifted the visitors a penalty with a dire tackle. Harry Kane made no mistake from twelve yards and doubled Spurs’ advantage.

However, the hosts got a goal back on the stroke of half-time when Alexandre Lacazette danced past a couple of challenges before beating Hugo Lloris with a rasping shot.

The Gunners continued in the ascendancy in the second half and were rewarded for their endeavours in the 71st minute when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang popped up with his third goal of the season.

Though both sides had opportunities to carve out a winner, neither team was able to do so and the match ended deadlocked at 2-2.

Here is a look at the talking points from the game:


#5 The Gunners produce the archetypal ‘Arsenal’ performance in the first half

Arsenal dug their own grave in the first half
Arsenal dug their own grave in the first half

At kick-off, Arsenal and Unai Emery signalled their intentions to start on the front foot. The hosts’ most potent weapons, Nicolas Pepe, Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang started in tandem for the first time and that hinted at an offensive approach.

The Gunners started on that note too as they bossed proceedings for the first ten minutes, constantly putting Tottenham under the cosh. However, akin to several times before, they contrived to let their advantage slip courtesy a couple of questionable defensive decisions.

Firstly, David Luiz found himself caught in no man’s land near the half-way line after Granit Xhaka and Sokratis lost an aerial battle with Kane.

The Brazilian then stood like a mannequin as Son Heung-min dribbled past him comfortably. The Korean slid in a through ball for Erik Lamela, who fired a right-footed shot at goal.

The strike, despite lacking power, wasn’t collected cleanly by Bernd Leno, who tamely palmed it into the path of Eriksen. The midfielder gleefully accepted the invitation and slotted the ball home.

Half an hour later, Xhaka dreadfully lunged in on Son in the penalty area. To put things into further perspective, that particular tackle was arguably much dafter than the one Luiz committed a week ago. Inevitably, the referee pointed towards the spot.

Kane stepped up and smashed the penalty to Leno’s right to compound the hosts’ misery.

Yet, the Gunners had the last say in the half when Lacazette tip-toed his way past a couple of defenders before blasting the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

Thus, through the course of the first half, Arsenal had showcased the characteristics that have become synonymous with them over the past few seasons: threatening with the ball but equally dire without it.

And, rather painfully for the Emirates faithful, that narrative has been scripted far too often for their liking.

#4 Tottenham’s offensive movements cause problems

Eriksen was brilliant in the first half
Eriksen was brilliant in the first half

Tottenham lined up in a 4-2-3-1 system on paper but as the game progressed, it became increasingly clear that they were predominantly using a 4-4-2 formation. Kane and Son played upfront whereas Eriksen and Lamela were tasked with manning the flanks.

In the first half, the aforementioned players caused Arsenal a variety of problems with their movement. For a major chunk of the half, the hosts dominated possession. At those junctures, Kane and Son regularly dropped into the channels on either flank to exploit the space vacated by the Gunners’ full-backs.

The above meant that Luiz and Sokratis had to shunt wide in order to counter the threat of the Englishman and the Korean. In turn, that created space for Eriksen and Lamela to drift in-field with the pair combining for the first goal.

In addition to the opening net-bulger, the tactic also created numerous instances where Spurs found themselves in promising attacking positions.

Though they couldn’t continue in the same vein, the perfect execution of their plans in the first half meant that they salvaged a point, despite being distinctly second best after the restart.

Through his stint as Spurs manager, Mauricio Pochettino has distinguished himself courtesy his ability to shuffle between strategies and systems, thereby adopting an approach best suited to counter the opposition. On Sunday too, he identified the chinks existing in the Arsenal armour and capitalised on them effectively.

And while Tottenham didn’t quite get the result their first-half performance warranted, they would certainly be happy to come away with a point, especially at a venue where they haven’t tasted victory since 2010.

#3 Matteo Guendouzi has a storming game

Guendouzi was superb in midfield
Guendouzi was superb in midfield

Against Spurs, Arsenal favoured a 4-3-3 shape and that wasn’t much of a surprise after their dubious experiment with the 4-4-2 at Anfield. Consequently, Lucas Torreira was brought into the fold alongside Matteo Guendouzi and Xhaka to add steel to the midfield.

However, despite the presence of the Swiss and the Uruguayan, it was the young Frenchman who shone on the day.

Guendouzi was a bundle of energy throughout the game and kept harrying and hassling the Tottenham midfielders whenever they had the ball. Additionally, he portrayed an excellent passing range and pinged passes all across the pitch.

The youngster was also quite instrumental defensively as he nullified Eriksen’s threat in the second half via a string of crucial interceptions and tackles.

However, the Frenchman’s most decisive moment arrived in the 71st minute. After picking up the ball in midfield, Guendouzi assessed his options, carried the ball a touch and then clipped a delightful through-ball for Aubameyang. The Gabonese pounced on the chance and drew parity.

As soon as the equaliser went in, the midfielder looked a man possessed. He got to every loose ball quicker and also won possession high up the pitch several times.

Last summer, the signing of Guendouzi was looked upon as one of tomorrow, especially considering he had previously been plying his trade in the second tier of French football. A bit of weight was lent to that sentiment when the midfielder made a few poor decisions last term.

Yet, so far this season, he has rarely been accused of making silly errors and that has catapulted him as a vital cog in the Arsenal wheel.

And in light of the storming game he conjured today, maybe the Frenchman has come off age.

#2 Arsenal’s strikers save the day, again

Lacazette inspired Arsenal's comeback
Lacazette inspired Arsenal's comeback

Back in the summer of 2017, Arsenal splashed the cash to bring Alexandre Lacazette on board. The Frenchman was signed with an intention to spearhead the Gunners’ charge, considering Olivier Giroud’s tendency to blow too hot or too cold.

However, the former Lyon striker, despite a goal in his opening game, struggled to discover the form that made him a household name in France.

Subsequently, in order to add to their offensive firepower, Arsenal broke the bank in January 2018 to acquire Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. And, since arriving on English shores, he has been magnificent. More importantly, though, his presence has helped Lacazette scale a peak many had deemed insurmountable.

On countless occasions in the 2018-19 season, the partnership of the Frenchman and the Gabonese rescued Arsenal from precarious positions. And on Sunday, after the home side had dug an almighty hole for themselves, the pair was at it again.

The Gunners were staring down the barrel at 2-0 in the 40th minute. However, Lacazette inspired a comeback courtesy a brilliant individual goal. After collecting the ball on the edge of the box, he took a couple of deft touches to waltz past Tottenham’s defenders. The striker then blazed the ball past Hugo Lloris at the near post to halve the deficit on the stroke of half time.

After the break, Aubameyang got himself on the score-sheet after a smart finish off a Matteo Guendouzi through ball.

Apart from the goals, the strikers displayed immense determination to track back and also pressed relentlessly. This allowed Arsenal to get a foothold in the game and completely overpower the visitors in the second half.

Throughout the Premier League era, the top flight has seen numerous striking partnerships wreak havoc. And, one would be naïve to not mention the Arsenal duo in the same bracket.

Though the frequency of the Gunners landing themselves in trouble might cause more than a furrowed brow or two, they can consider themselves fortunate to have two bankable strikers, who deliver more often than not.

#1 Sunday’s manic draw shows Arsenal and Spurs are still some way off from challenging for the title

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur seem far off the levels of City and Liverpool
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur seem far off the levels of City and Liverpool

The 2018-19 season produced one of the most compelling Premier League title races ever. Liverpool and Manchester City matched each other stride for stride with the latter edging the former by just a solitary point.

Though Spurs were perceived to be a part of the title picture, they never really generated the head of steam to ruffle Liverpool and City’s feathers.

Thus, as the new season dawned, many were intrigued to find out whether the Premier League would again be a two-horse battle or if those below had indeed strengthened to mount a sustained assault. And on Sunday’s evidence, one just feels that Arsenal and Spurs still have a long way to go.

The North London rivals churned out a pulsating encounter at the Emirates and the clash was sprinkled equally with calm and frenetic moments. However, both sides showcased a plethora of deficiencies, a sight neither set of fans would’ve particularly enjoyed.

The Gunners produced two moments of madness in the first half to fall a couple of goals behind whereas Spurs were careless in the second half.

The visitors failed to recycle the ball after the break and that enabled the home side to turn the screw. Pochettino’s men were also guilty of ball-watching as Aubameyang ghosted past Danny Rose and Jan Vertonghen to poke in the equaliser.

Last season, City and Liverpool were quite spotless as they went toe to toe for England’s biggest prize. And unfortunately for the rest of the league, they’ve started in similar fashion this term.

Thus, one reckons that if any other team is to realistically challenge the 2018-19 top two, they’ll have to raise their game exponentially.

Yet, after today, it seems that Arsenal and Tottenham have plenty of miles to traverse, before they can harbour hopes of challenging for the title.

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Edited by Zaid Khan