Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Arsenal: 5 Talking Points

An under-pressure Arsenal side went down to 10 men and came from behind to get a crucial 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. The game saw four goals shared between the two sides as Aaron Ramsey gave the Gunners a 1-0 lead at halftime.But Francis Coquelin was sent off for a second yellow card which led to the hosts getting ahead through goals from Toby Alderweireld and Harry Kane. Arsene Wenger made positive substitutions, bringing on Giroud and Campbell, which saw Alexis Sanchez equalise for the visitors.Here are the major talking points from the North London derby:

#1 Leicester City profit from the result

The draw meant that both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal missed the opportunity to close the gap on league leaders Leicester City. After securing a 1-0 win over Watford later in the evening, Claudio Ranier’s side comfortably sit at the top of the English Premier League table with 60 points.

The missed opportunity leaves Tottenham five points adrift of the leaders at 55 points. Whereas, the Gunners are left to rue missed chances and a dip in form as they have accrued 52 points, eight behind the leaders, and only 5 ahead of both the Manchester clubs. In the title run-in, both the London clubs face Manchester City, but Tottenham also play United and Chelsea. Therefore, it is still difficult to predict who has a better chance, and when can it be said that a team is out of the title race.

Both sides went into the game expecting to get a win and bridge the gap at the top, but at the end of the hard-fought game, it was Leicester City who profitted. Following their win over Watford, the Foxes are in the driving seat to lift the Premier League title.

#2 Arsenal never learn from past mistakes

This is an Arsenal side, which has been described by Arsene Wenger to have the right mixture of youth and experience. But when it comes to the big games, or when it matters the most, these players do not understand the situation and get sent off for silly tackles and challenges.

The same happened with Francis Coquelin’s sending off. At first, the Frenchman was shown a first yellow near the half hour mark for blatantly handling the ball. When you get booked for an offence, it is always in the back of a player’s mind that you can not make a grounded tackle. But Coquelin did not realise the need of the situation and continued to make tackles. Harry Kane was smart enough to get him to foul him later in the game, which resulted in the sending off.

The lesson Arsenal players do not take from such occasions is that they don’t need to invite more pressure on themselves through silly mistakes. It had happened in Olivier Giroud’s case earlier in the season against Dinamo Zagreb, and with Gabriel at Chelsea. But it is fine seeing the younger players make such mistakes, however, Mathieu Flamini’s giving away of the penalty against Barcelona was no example for a youngster such as Coquelin to follow. Wenger needs to fix these problems or the crunch games will not be won.

#3 Spurs have a habit of getting back into the game

Tottenham Hotspur’s rise to the top of the table has not been a sudden or a surprise one. Since 2010, the other North London side has always been in the running for the top 4 spots. But this season, it has been different with head coach Mauricio Pochettino getting them to produce consistent results even against big teams.

In the recent seasons, Spurs have failed to get many points off of their top-4 or title rivals. But this season, that has changed. What has also changed has been the way they have responded to tough situations. They have an impressive habit of getting back into the game if they go behind to a goal. Tottenham have now won most points from a losing position with 18 points this season.

One of the reasons, has also been their tight defence this season. The Lilywhites have just conceded 22 goals this season, out of which 3 have been against Arsenal. Whereas, they have scored 49 goals in the Premier League this season. The good thing for Tottenham is that they come back into the game when they are one-goal down and do not let it slip any further. However, they did let the Gunners come back into the match today.

Their habit of striking back and retaliating when they are trailing is something Pochettino has instilled in his players. He has created a team who is always looking for opportunities to score. Even when they went behind to Aaron Ramsey’s exquisite finish, it took only a few minutes for Tottenham to get back to square one after Arsenal were depleted to 10 men. Titles are won and lost with goals, and Tottenham are scoring them when needed.

#4 Musician Wenger played the right notes

Arsene Wenger was leading Arsenal to White Hart Lane for arguably the most important North London derby for both sides, and especially for him and his players after a disappointing run of form. The Gunners managed to get a draw after 3 consecutive losses in all competitions, starting from 2-0 defeat to Barcelona at home, then losing 3-2 to Manchester United away, and suffering a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat at home against Swansea City.

It had been widely spoken that this game might even decide Wenger’s future at the club and what the board might consider if the Professor did not get the result needed. However, it only meant that Wenger’s time at the club would be up come the end of the season, if he had lost, which would have possibly also ended any title dreams. But he did not lose.

Even when his countryman made a silly challenge and got sent off, Wenger saw his side trailing at 2-1 and brought on Olivier Giroud, who made an instant impact on the game, helping his side score that crucial equaliser. After that point, it looked as if Arsenal might even pull it off, and win at the Lane.

In the dying stages of the game, Wenger understood the importance of the holding midfielder and brought on Flamini. Joel Campbell was also brought on to maybe get a winner but time was almost up. Alexis Sanchez scoring his first goal in 11 games is also a good sign for the Arsenal boss as the goals had dried up.

Another positive was the form of returning David Ospina, who perfectly filled the boots of the injured Petr Cech. The draw should bring back some confidence in the Arsenal side who should really pull up their socks and perform if they are to challenge for the title.

#5 Kane, Alli important to Spurs\' title chances

Dele Alli, Harry Kane — Harry Kane and Dele Alli are central to Spurs’ title hopes this season

Harry Kane scored a stunner to give his side the lead in the derby. But his most important contribution could be the sending off of Francis Coquelin. The England striker was responsible for getting Coquelin to make the tackle on him in the 55th minute. Kane drove down the left flank with pace and vigour, leaving the Frenchman to chase him, in order to stop the potential counter-attack.

The striker slowed down a bit and let Coquelin make the tackle. If the tackle was not enough to get Coquelin the red, Kane made sure he performed a theatrical fall and stayed on the ground until the referee was sure it was a foul. Coquelin was sent off for his second bookable offence and Tottenham enjoyed possession thereafter, getting the lead eventually.

Likewise, another important cog in Tottenham’s team is Dele Alli. The 19-year-old Englishman has been the brightest player for Spurs this season. He has transformed into a crucial player for his side at this tender age. But what was very visible from last week’s defeat at West Ham and the draw against Arsenal was that Alli is the player who makes Spurs kick.

He came on late at Upton Park and made a difference in the rhythm and style of play. In the same way, when Alli improved in the second half, Spurs looked better and threatening unlike in the first half.

Kane has scored 17 goals in the league now, with one assist also to his name. Whereas, Alli has 7 goals and 6 assists. Hence, if Tottenham are to win the league, Harry Kane and Dele Alli have to continue to dominate oppositions and perform in crunch situations.