The match itself was a tight, well-played 1-1 tie between the two rivals, as Arsenal missed a golden opportunity to gain the top spot in the Premier League standings. I must give credit to my players for their refusal to lose the game because they played against a good Tottenham side, but we still managed to get a point.
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“Overall I am disappointed that we haven’t won the game, but if you look at the recent period as a block it can happen that in six games you can drop points”, Wenger said.
Harry Kane had opened the scoring for Spurs in the first half with a finish beyond Petr Cech, in a game Mauricio Pochettino’s men largely dominated at the Emirates Stadium. “Arsenal kept coming and they got their goal in the end”.
This result came on the back of a 5-1 Champions League thrashing against Bayern Munich and, with seven injured players on the sidelines, Mertesacker believes those who are in the side have been feeling the strain.
With Manchester City held to a 0-0 draw in Remi Garde’s first match as Aston Villa coach, Arsene Wenger’s side could have moved to the summit with a win at home to Tottenham.
Arsenal came back with renewed vigour in the second half, but the array of injuries and the fatigue meant that they were second best to the challenges.
The North London derby was the biggest game of the weekend and it did not disappoint, both teams went for the win and it was Tottenham who started the brightest.
Instead, they had to fight back in the second half following a labored first half display, and Wenger was keen to praise them for once again showing they have the mental resources required to compete in the Premier League.
“I was absolutely buzzing with the goal”, Kane told his club’s official website.
“But perhaps in a couple of days when the dust settles we’ll probably say it’s a good point”.
“We’re in a great position at the moment and we’ve played a lot of tough teams”.
“With injuries, that is what we suffer a bit, but I’m convinced that after the worldwide break we will have more options and therefore more confidence. Today was not enough – we can do better”, the German said.
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“We’re happy he’s improved because when you’re young you need to learn”, the Argentine said. But I’m very proud of the way we played, the character we showed.
