The Gunners likely would have been toasting a derby-day victory this evening, if not for a poor mistake from their substitute midfielder
Arsenal fans experienced a technicolour dreamcoat of emotions during their 2-2 draw with hated rivals Tottenham on Sunday. But, when the full-time whistle sounded, only one feeling lingered – frustration.
When Bukayo Saka stroked home from the penalty spot in the 54th minute to make it 2-1, it felt like the momentum generated would carry the Gunners to victory. They had edged things in the first half after all, with Cristian Romero's own goal being cancelled out by a rare Spurs moment of magic involving James Maddison and Son Heung-min.
However, North London derby games so rarely follow the conventional script and a matter of seconds after Saka's spot-kick, Son and Maddison were performing a highly-choreographed celebration to toast their second equaliser of the game.
Jorginho was the villain of the piece, dawdling on the ball in midfield and allowing Maddison to nick it away before setting the South Korean free. Arsenal did have chances to rectify the error, with the impressive Saka forcing a good save out of Guglielmo Vicario in second-half stoppage time, but it wasn't to be and the spoils were shared.
GOAL rates Mikel Arteta's players from the Emirates Stadium…
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David Raya (7/10):
Produced a truly miraculous save to deny Johnson just before the break. Made an odd decision to slap the ball back into play just before Spurs' opener. Distribution was good, barring one or two mishaps.
Ben White (6/10):
Should have got out to Maddison a little quicker for Spurs' first. Other than that, he was typically assured.
Gabriel (6/10):
May have conceded twice, but it's hard to point the finger at him for either goal. Continues to prove his manager wrong for dropping him earlier this season.
William Saliba (6/10):
Largely dominant and did not allow Spurs too much joy in behind.
Oleksandr Zinchenko (6/10):
Probed the opposition with some excellent passes from midfield. Defensively, he might have got tighter to Porro and Kulusevski on a couple of occasions.
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Martin Odegaard (6/10):
Led the Arsenal press effectively. Not as influential on the ball as we know he can be.
Declan Rice (5/10):
Missed an interception in the lead up to Son's goal. Probably his least impressive display in a red shirt so far, though that has likely due to a niggle. Taken off at half-time and reappeared on the bench with a bandaged calf.
Fabio Vieira (5/10):
Struggled to get into the game and was replaced by Havertz at the break
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Bukayo Saka (7/10):
Had the beating of Udogie all afternoon and it was little surprise when he created enough space to open the scoring via a deflection. Beaten a little too easily in the build up to Spurs' first-half equaliser, but made up for that with a cool penalty.
Eddie Nketiah (5/10):
Worked exceptionally hard and ignited the crowd with a pair of slide tackles early on. Was presented with a few half-chances which he didn't convert. A few reckless moments as he fed off the electric atmosphere.
Gabriel Jesus (6/10):
Had a few bright moments and his substitution was greeted with some frustration around the Emirates. Could be fielded as a left winger again if Martinelli and Trossard remain sidelined.
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Kai Havertz (5/10):
Another pretty anonymous display. Needs to start producing the goods and justifying his hefty transfer fee.
Jorginho (4/10):
Made a heinous error which allowed Spurs to make it 2-2. Recovered well in fairness, making a key block to deny Richarlison at the death, but his mistake will sting for some time.
Reiss Nelson (6/10):
Not massively involved in the closing stages.
Emile Smith Rowe (N/A):
Only brought on as a very late sub.
Mikel Arteta (6/10):
His side started really well, causing Spurs serious issues with their high press. Did not get much wrong tactically, but he missed the guile of Trossard and the pace of Martinelli in the final third.