3 reasons why Arsenal drew 2-2 with Tottenham | Premier League 2019/20
Arsenal recovered from two goals down to earn a hard-fought point against Tottenham during a frenetic north London derby. Goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang salvaged an important point for Unai Emery's men ahead of the international break, after Christian Eriksen and a Harry Kane penalty gifted Spurs a 2-0 cushion.
The Gunners thought they had completed the ultimate comeback, though centre-back Sokratis saw his close-range finish correctly ruled out for offside as Sead Kolasinac strayed beyond the last defender before fizzing a cross across goal, while Kane had a penalty appeal waved away late on with tempers flaring in an unpredictable second-half.
Goalkeepers Bernd Leno and Hugo Lloris were kept busy as both sides pushed hard in their attempts to snatch a late winner, though the points were ultimately shared and bragging rights even for now.
The result means Arsenal miss the opportunity to go third before the two-week break, while Tottenham record their second draw of the campaign after four games - they are level on points with Manchester United, Sheffield United and Chelsea in ninth place. With all of that in mind, here's a look at three reasons why the Gunners drew on this occasion:
#3 Their second-half persistence paid off
Arsenal have an age-old tendency to be reactive, rather than proactive, when it comes to big games. They find themselves in difficult situations and are forced to respond, having conceded or finding themselves under the kosh at moments through some self-inflicted issue that should have been prevented.
With that being said, they also can flatter on the eye without having goals to show for their dominance. They were almost victims of that same fate on this occasion, even with an inspired Hugo Lloris eager to keep them at bay - despite some hairy moments from the World Cup winner himself. However, their persistence proved pivotal to rescue a point during a match they should have earned all three in, with the match stats speaking for themselves.
The first-half was fairly even, but the second was dominated by the hosts. Spurs fashioned the bulk of their opportunities from counters, where Arsenal players were wearily getting back and caught out by pace and incisive passes. However, they registered 17 shots, far more dangerous attacking moments and Tottenham were overwhelmed by the waves of pressure in their half. Action zones showed for the match was largely played in Spurs' own half (60%), while constant pressing and increased pass combinations between Arsenal players meant they had to work harder to win back possession.
Lacazette, Matteo Guendouzi, Nicolas Pepe, substitute Dani Ceballos and Kolasinac all had great chances to score. That is ignoring Sokratis' goal, ruled out by VAR and Aubameyang's equaliser with 20 minutes still to play. Opportunities were regularly created but they failed to take them against a grateful Tottenham side in survival mode for sustained periods.