Arsenal 1
Oxlade-Chamberlain 74’
Tottenham Hotspur 1
Chadli 56’
LONDON // Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrated his equaliser raucously and there was a general sense of relief around the Emirates after Arsenal got away with a draw but, for all the short-term glee at having denied their closest rivals a derby victory, there must also be a lingering sense of disappointment.
Arsenal are fourth and still unbeaten, but they have drawn four of six games this season and are already six points behind the leaders Chelsea.
There was something all too typical about Arsenal, general domination with little end product and a pervading sense that they might give something away at the back at any moment.
It seems a strange thing to say after a game in which Arsenal were so clearly the dominant side but, with a little more quality in the final third, especially given how often they won possession high up the pitch, Tottenham could have had the game won long before Oxlade-Chamberlain’s equaliser.
To cap it all, there were further injuries.
Already down to just five fit frontline defenders, the midfield has started to crumble as well. Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey both limped off before half-time with a calf and hamstring strain respectively, while Jack Wilshere was clearly in discomfort after taking a whack on one of his delicate ankles.
With Mathieu Flamini out of form the numbers are dwindling and there is a sense that this may be self-fulfilling: the fewer midfielders Arsenal have, the fewer hasslers and tacklers, the more players who are not cut out for the grunt work have to take the strain until they too succumb.
Flamini was a revelation at the start of last season, but he has begun this season playing as though he is far older than his 30 years. It was he who was caught in possession to gift Tottenham the opener, Christian Eriksen winning the ball and Erik Lamela laying in Nacer Chadli to score his fourth goal in five games this season.
Arsenal could have equalised immediately, but Hugo Lloris made a superb low stop to keep out Per Mertesacker’s header, his second excellent save of the afternoon.
Eventually, the equaliser did come, Oxlade-Chamberlain thumping the ball in at the back post after Danny Welbeck’s wild swing at Flamini’s mis-hit cross had fooled everyone, but it was a messy goal after an unsatisfying display.
“I thought we did well to come back, but once we made it 1-1 I really thought we could push on and get the winner,” said Oxlade-Chamberlain, while Wenger accused Spurs of time wasting.
While he may have had a point, the far bigger issue was his own team’s weaknesses at both ends of the pitch.
Tottenham could at least console themselves that, in their pressing and the way they unsettled Arsenal high up the pitch, Mauricio Pochettino’s methods are beginning to take root, but both sides really are fortunate that the other contenders for third and fourth – Liverpool, Manchester United and Everton – have also had stuttering starts.
The lack of quality, though, must be a concern: derbies are rarely pretty affairs, but this was about as unsatisfying as these games get, tetchy, scratchy and with a result that is of only moderate use to either side.
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