Arsenal vs. Tottenham: Winners and Losers from Premier League North London Derby
A Kieran Gibbs equaliser off the bench rescued a point for Arsenal in this season's second north London derby. The Englishman bundled home at the far post following a stunning Mesut Ozil cross-field pass.
Tottenham Hotspur dominated the first 70 minutes, and they deservedly took the lead late in the first half via a cool Harry Kane conversion but missed a slew of chances, couldn't extend their lead and were eventually punished.
"I am proud of my players and the way we played, the character that we showed," Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino told reporters after the game, per WhoScored.com's Ben McAleer. "In six days, we played three games, it's difficult."
Here, B/R picks its winners and losers from the 1-1 draw on Sunday.
Winner: Dele Alli, Tottenham Hotspur
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Dele Alli put in a fantastic showing on one of the biggest occasions a Tottenham Hotspur player can possibly experience: the north London derby.
His slick touch in midfield and high-intensity pressing set the tone for a great team performance from the away side. One particular moment in the second half, when he flicked the ball up and over Mathieu Flamini's head, forcing the Frenchman to hack him down from behind, wowed fans of every faction.
Manager Roy Hodgson has taken notice, drafting Alli into his second England senior squad this week.
Loser: Santi Cazorla, Arsenal
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In midweek at the Allianz Arena, Santi Cazorla put in a rare bad performance for Arsenal as they were crushed by a rampant Bayern Munich, 5-1. On Sunday, nothing from an individual perspective changed.
Cazorla gave the ball away, got caught in possession, struggled to play out of trouble and was bullied physically by an intense Tottenham Hotspur midfield. He was substituted at half-time for Mathieu Flamini as Gunners manager Arsene Wenger sought to level the battle in the centre.
Just let that sink in: Wenger brought on Flamini to improve the Gunners' midfield play at the expense of Cazorla.
Winner: Mesut Ozil, Arsenal
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"Mesut Ozil played seven key passes against Spurs. Spurs, as a whole, played nine," revealed WhoScored.com's Ben McAleer on Sunday, accurately charting the telling contribution of the German playmaker.
It was Ozil's wicked cross that picked Kieran Gibbs out for the equaliser at the back post, and he swung in countless balls for Olivier Giroud to gobble up. Yet somehow the Frenchman did nothing but miss.
Unsurprisingly, given the form he's shown over the course of October and November so far, Ozil was in a delightful, creative, penetrative mood.
Loser: Olivier Giroud, Arsenal
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How many chances do you want to spurn, Olivier? The Frenchman headed cross after cross either against the bar, wide of the post or just over.
For some reason the Tottenham Hotspur defenders continually left him free of marking, yet Giroud could not be the difference-maker when the time came. Recently he's been superb at scoring when it matters the most, but here he reverted to the norm.
With Alexis Sanchez also a consideration for the loser's column due to a complete non-performance and this Gunners side carrying so many injuries, things were never going to be easy up top. Mesut Ozil, though, provided Giroud enough chances on his own to win this game. He failed.
Winner: Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur
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For our final winner we considered Petr Cech, who made several big saves to keep the scoreline at 1-0 and allow Arsenal to claw their way back into the contest, but Harry Kane just pips him.
The Spurs striker scored his seventh goal in as many games, putting the visitors ahead with a super-cool one-on-one finish, and showcased a wonderful, widely ranged skill set when playing in team-mates and spreading play.
An aerial menace, a clever mover and a great interlinker, he's the full package, not a one-season wonder.
