Arsenal vs. Tottenham: Score and Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match

Arsenal missed the chance to go top of the Premier League after being held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

A frustrating afternoon left the Gunners a point behind leaders Chelsea and third on goal difference behind Manchester City. 

Spurs were trailing when centre-back Kevin Wimmer headed into his own net after a wicked free-kick from Mesut Ozil inside the final five minutes of the first half. Going in trailing at the break was harsh on Tottenham, who had passed the ball with efficiency and authority.

Their accomplished play was rewarded when Harry Kane, back from injury, tucked away a penalty early in the second half. Both sides laboured hard afterward, but neither found a winner.

The stalemate means Spurs are still the Premier League's only unbeaten team but remain four points off the top. Meanwhile, Arsenal will rue a second straight draw at home after their goalless encounter with Middlesbrough last time out at the Emirates.

Arsenal welcomed back full-backs Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal from injury, while Alexis Sanchez continued to lead the line.

Spurs, meanwhile, made one notable change, with Wimmer coming in for attacking midfielder Dele Alli. His inclusion meant Eric Dier moved into the base of midfield alongside fellow destroyer Victor Wanyama.

The big news for Spurs was striker Kane's return to the starting XI, the 23-year-old being a menace to the Gunners in recent north London derbies, scoring twice in the league meetings last season.

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino revealed Alli had been injured in a training session, per the club's Twitter account:

A predictably cagey first half saw little in the way of clear-cut chances. Tottenham sprung a surprise when Dier dropped back to form a back three in a 3-4-3 formation, seemingly catching the Gunners cold.

Spurs might even have gone ahead when Heung-Min Son left Arsenal centre-back Shkodran Mustafi hopelessly trailing on the left, but the South Korean's low cross was just out of Kane's reach.

The home side's best chance came when Alex Iwobi was teed up just inside the box. However, the Nigerian's low shot was tame and straight at Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

For the most part, Spurs controlled possession, while the Gunners were content to sit back and strike on the counter despite their home advantage. Arsenal's approach was best summed up by how often they stole possession, per Squawka:

The tactic nearly worked to perfection when a ball released Theo Walcott, who cannoned a shot off the post. Ozil blazed the rebound over.

Arsenal weren't left waiting long for a goal, though. It came from Ozil's peach of a free-kick, a devilishly whipped delivery Wimmer had to attack but ended up heading into his own net to leave Spurs trailing at the break.

Unfortunately for Spurs, own goals have become a rather frequent occurrence in recent seasons, according to WhoScored.com:

Arsenal were still content to cede possession in the second half. It was a dangerous plan, one punished when Laurent Koscielny was judged to have fouled Mousa Dembele in the box.

Kane stepped up to take the consequent penalty to draw Spurs level.

Gunners 'keeper Petr Cech didn't cover himself in glory with the spot-kick, but he saved smartly to deny Christian Eriksen soon after.

Rocked by the goal, Arsenal tried to step up the pace and impetus of their own passing. The Gunners were nearly back in front when midfielder Granit Xhaka narrowly avoided getting his head to a beautifully clipped pass from Iwobi following an elaborate but well-worked corner routine between Ozil and Sanchez.

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

Sensing the need for change, both managers made attack-minded substitutions. Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger introduced Aaron Ramsey for Coquelin and Giroud for Iwobi. Meanwhile, Pochettino brought on Netherlands striker Vincent Janssen.

The general mode of play remained cagey and intense, though. In particular, the midfield battle was fierce, with neither side yielding much ground.

Tottenham remained the more accomplished in possession, while Arsenal's passing was too often rushed, with many balls needlessly overhit. Their best route to goal became to cross for Giroud, but the target man was unable to make the most of his chances.

Spurs might have snatched all three points when Eriksen guided a free-kick on to the post. Ultimately, though, neither side could force the decisive breakthrough.

Post-Match Reaction

Afterward, most of the talk focused on Tottenham's three-at-the-back approach. For his part, Pochettino played down the use of a formation leaders Chelsea have made the vogue this season, per James Benge of the London Evening Standard:

As for Wenger, he claimed he hadn't been caught unawares by Tottenham's tactical switch:

The Gunners boss was more aggrieved with what he viewed as leniency given to Spurs' midfield hardman Wanyama:

If Wenger were shocked by anything, though, it was the awarding of Tottenham's penalty, according to BBC Sport's Phil McNulty: "From the outside, it looked a very soft penalty. I was surprised."

In the end, Spurs will welcome the point more than Arsenal, who missed another chance to take control in the title race.