Federico Fazio and Michel Vorm Under Most Pressure After North London Derby

Derby defeats are the most bitter when fortune seems to play a malevolent role, but Tottenham's 2-1 League Cup reverse at the hands of Arsenal was more than just a case of bad luck. 

While Mathieu Flamini is unlikely to ever again score two more fortunate goals, he was aware enough to be in position to take advantage of Michel Vorm's poor attempted save and bold enough to fire the decisive volley. 

At the very least, the old adage about winning lotteries and buying tickets seems to apply to Flamini's remarkable brace.

Harry Kane remains goalless after his eighth appearance of the season, but he continues to provide a threat. His remarkable scissor-kick attempt was worthy of a derby winner, but a staggering goal-line clearance preserved his personal clean sheet for now. 

Certainly, Arsenal were lucky and Tottenham seemed to be experiencing more than their fair share of misfortune, but to blame this defeat on luck would be to miss the greater lessons of the result. 

Mauricio Pochettino's team selection acknowledged that this was just one of the significant fixtures on the horizon for Spurs in coming weeks. 

He brought in an entirely new back line and goalkeeper while making more conservative changes upfield. 

Andros Townsend deserved an opportunity to start a game that he, as a local lad, understands better than most. He showed his quality in the Europa League against FK Qarabag and as a substitute against Sunderland, but a smothering performance from Kieran Gibbs and the Flamini-Mikel Arteta pivot kept him quiet. 

On the other flank, Nacer Chadli was afforded more space and punished the Gunners by creating Spurs' second-half equaliser but was otherwise largely ineffectual. 

Tom Carroll struggled to find his role behind Christian Eriksen but was an able replacement for Dele Alli and Ryan Mason.

Pochettino can also be satisfied with the performance of three of his four changes at the back.

Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier made some outstanding contributions going forward, while Kevin Wimmer was strong and assured in just his second appearance for the club. 

His central defensive partner Fazio was decidedly less impressive. 

In his first appearance of the season, the Argentinian former Sevilla captain was all at sea. 

At fault in the lead-up to Arsenal's opener and assisting Flamini's winner with an errant clearance, Fazio gave his worst in a string of poor performances for Tottenham. 

Fazio's performance was bordering on unforgivable, yet he was not alone in putting in an unacceptable performance. 

Vorm's attempted save of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's powerful drive smacked of fatal indecision; he neither caught the ball nor pushed it away from his goal. That is an unacceptable failure from a player of his experience. 

Derbies are almost universally tight, cagey affairs, and this one certainly matched that description. Giving away such a goal in such a match is a terrible error.

Flamini, quite apart from his goalscoring exploits, provided a rugged force in their midfield that more than matched Eric Dier. 

Alongside him, Arteta filled in the gaps in both attack and defence. He helped the Gunners to flood Spurs' midfield, preventing them from building from deep. 

The pair were deployed shrewdly to block Tottenham's midfield from connecting with their attack. 

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Toby Alderweireld has consistently provided an outlet for Spurs when their midfield is jammed this season. 

Modern centre-backs must be capable in distribution in order to release the pressure on their teammates further upfield. Fazio seems confident in his ability to play this role, but his execution is less than satisfactory. 

Mathieu Debuchy was another able to bring aggression to the game, and he decisively won his battle with Chadli on Spurs' left flank. 

Tottenham put out a good enough side to beat their eternal rivals in this match. Their ability to force an equaliser and dominate much of the second half indicates as much. 

Eriksen was superb, conducting Spurs' attacks despite heavy attention from Arsenal's enforcers. Kane worked hard and fashioned several good chances. 

The full-backs consistently penetrated deep into opposition territory and demanded attention from the Arsenal defence. 

Despite all that, they wilted when Flamini's stunner restored Arsenal's lead. The introduction of Clinton Njie, Dele Alli and Heung-Min Son made little impact as Arsenal closed up, satisfied they had done enough. 

It is hard to argue that Arsenal were a much better side than Spurs at White Hart Lane. 

What is not in dispute is that they were tougher and smarter than their hosts. 

While their result was not a smash-and-grab, they did just enough to win. They took their chances when they skated close to the line with their aggression without crossing it. 

With greater fortune, Spurs would have beaten Arsenal to earn a League Cup round-of-16 clash with Sheffield Wednesday. After having reached the final last season, they would have been well-placed to match that result, but now they must take the right lessons from a frustrating third-round exit. 

That Arsenal are able to win games when below their best should come as little surprise. 

Despite their reputation, their consistent ability to finish in the top four is a result of their capacity to pick up these sorts of wins. 

The core of this Arsenal team has been together for many years and the cohesion they enjoy allowed them to overcome a relative lack of quality against Spurs. 

Tottenham are, by comparison, a work in progress. 

Of the 11 players that started in this derby, none has been a regular starter for more than two years. The two oldest members of that lineup were Fazio and Vorm. 

Their inability to provide leadership in a fixture defined more by character than quality is an utter failure. 

Fazio has now likely lost his place even in Spurs' rotated back line, while Vorm will only retain his due to a lack of alternatives. 

The pair may never play for Spurs again and, on this evidence, do not deserve to do so.