Ange Postecoglou remains unbeaten in the Premier League
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All square at Arsenal, with one side much happier about it. Everyone else would at least have been greatly entertained by it.
This was yet another north London derby that swung back and forth in such absorbing fashion to add to its archive of classic games but, once it settled into a 2-2 draw, it was Tottenham celebrating more.
They have been given huge encouragement for the future, after displaying adventure and resilience in a match many might not have considered them quite ready for. That is the effect of Ange Postecoglou, which was all the more impressive given how Arsenal had posed the most testing questions for the first half-hour. Mikel Arteta’s side, however, might again be feeling the effects of a title race with Manchester City. They already find themselves four points behind by 24 September, and with the champions to come here in two weeks. That might be without Declan Rice, who went off with a calf injury that proved decisive.
If it is again ludicrous to be talking about this at such an early stage, just as it was with the victory over Manchester United, these are the stakes of the Premier League right now. This is maybe the state of the Arsenal team right now, so promising but still missing a few elements. One is depth, as could be seen with how easy their defence was to get at for both of Son Heung-Min’s goals. Another is real extra-level quality in attack. For all that this draw ultimately came down to Arsenal failing to keep their lead, a large part of that was the encouragement Spurs enjoyed from their attack being able to extend it.
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It already raises the question over whether they will go big in January. They could have had a substantial lead here. That is what will be so frustrating.
Spurs and Postecoglou, however, were rewarded for their bravery. That could well be a theme going forward. It has already been a theme of the season, as Spurs again defied expectations.
They shouldn’t have been ready for this north London derby against a side that finished second last season. They were instead prepared to pounce on any Arsenal slip.
That is what this whole game amounted to. Arsenal could really have killed the game before any semblance of a contest had even developed. It was set up for them. Postecoglou’s approach initially seemed rather naive given how nascent his team is, and it left Destiny Udogie constantly exposed on the left. Saka consistently had 15 metres of space around him and it of course wasn’t long until he made use of that. Having turned Udogie again, Saka saw the space open up and looked to curl the ball into the far corner. Romero intervened and turned it into the near corner.
Saka led Arsenal’s fast start
Arsenal were by that point in complete control and had the chance to take full command. Gabriel Jesus couldn’t seize it, though, blazing one key effort over.
It does perhaps raise one of the final questions in the formation of this Arsenal team. Are they still lacking that finisher? Jesus is a brilliant link forward but he lacks that ruthlessness.
It allowed Spurs back in.
To give Postecoglou his due, though, they also forced their way back in. With the manner that Saka had got at Guglielmo Vicario’s defence in the opening half-hour, the Spurs manager could have been forgiven for altering formation and tightening up. He did the opposite. In a move that feels like it’s going to be symbolic about what is to come under Postecoglou, he doubled down, ensuring his left flank always had at least two in attack rather than defence.
It started to make trouble for Arsenal, and made the difference. In a five-minute flurry, Brennan Johnson forced two big saves from David Raya – one of them a brilliantly instinctive response, that Mikel Arteta will feel vindicated his decision – before Spurs eventually forced their way in.
This was a turnaround in more ways than one. It was suddenly Saka given a tough time as James Maddison so easily got around him to set up Son.
Son fired Tottenham’s first equaliser
It was not the last time that the duo made such a testing occasion look easy.
Before then, though, Arsenal had contrasting developments. Declan Rice went off with a calf injury. Saka scored a penalty from a Romero handball. Both contributed to what next.
With Arsenal seeming like they were still celebrating the goal, and substitute Jorginho so casual on the ball, Maddison just stepped up and took it off. It was reminiscent of the way Germany just cut through Brazil in that 7-1 in how simple it was, which was all the more surprising given Arsenal were apparently in a relatively secure position. They were anything but. Son was put clean through, almost no one around him, to just slide the ball past Raya for his second.
Son and Maddison celebrate finishing a Spurs counter-attack
Spurs didn’t quite settle for that but Arsenal did ensure they couldn’t set foot beyond the halfway much late on. For all the pressure, though, there was no big chance. There was no difference-maker to bring on.
Arteta threw on Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith-Rowe but both felt hopeful shows of faith rather than any display of superiority.
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So it proved.
It was an early-season derby that may say a lot about both for the season – and potentially influence a lot.
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