Tottenham Come From Behind Twice To Earn Draw At Arsenal In Thrilling North London Derby

Tottenham came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw at Arsenal in Sunday’s thrilling North London Derby. A Cristian Romero own goal gave Arsenal a deserved lead before Son Heung-min stunned the Emirates with an equaliser just before half-time. The Gunners fired back after the break, with Bukayo Saka scoring from the spot after a controversial handball was awarded against Romero, but yet again Son silenced the home crowd by levelling the game again just seconds after the penalty kick.

Both Teams In Fantastic Form

Both sides came into the match in fantastic form, having won four and drawn one of their opening five Premier League fixtures, though Mikel Arteta found himself without both key forwards Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.

Arsenal Make Better Start

Nevertheless, it was the home side that made the better start, with Guglielmo Vicario producing a fine save to deny Gabriel Jesus at the far past after he was set up by Saka’s delicious cross. Saka was a threat all game long with Destiny Udogie struggling to contain him, and things nearly went from bad to worse for the young left-back getting booked for a rash foul and then just a minute later his wayward pass gifted Eddie Nketiah a golden opportunity to take the lead, but Vicario saved again.

Saka Breaks Deadlock

Eventually, the deadlock was broken, and Saka was inevitably the architect, left with time and space on the edge of the box, the England star fired a hopeful shot at goal which kindly deflected off Romero and past a helpless Vicario. The Gunners ought to have doubled their lead soon after, with Gabriel Jesus spurning two great changes – the second, blazing over after disposing James Maddison in the box after the midfielder was caught napping.

Son Levels Before Half-Time

But Spurs, relishing playing under Ange Postecoglou, were always threatening to score, with summer signing Brennan Johnson, in his first start for the club, denied in spectacular fashion by David Raya. Raya was called into action again by the Welsh international just minutes before the break, but just moments later he could do little to stop Son from finishing from close range.

War Of Attrition After The Break

It soon started to become a war of attrition, with Fabio Vieira and Declan Rice surprisingly subbed off at half-time, with it later revealed that the latter had picked up a calf injury. It mattered not at first, with VAR awarding Arsenal a penalty after Romero handballed Ben White’s shot near the goal line, though it was considered harsh by some given the close proximity of White to his opposite number. Saka fired home the spot-kick straight down the middle but their lead was restored for less than a minute.

Son Levels Again

Straight from the restart, Maddison was able to dispossess Rice’s replacement Jorginho and once again tee up Son who calmly slotted the ball past Raya. Chances were few after that, with Son, Saka and Richarlison coming close but in the end the points were shared in what was a highly entertaining game for the neutral.

Conclusion

In what was an entertaining game of football, Tottenham came from behind twice to earn a hard-fought draw against Arsenal in Sunday’s North London Derby. Both sides had chances to win it but in the end had to settle for a point each. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.