Alex Iwobi's Indecision Hinders Arsenal in Derby Draw

A pulsating north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur ended in a 1-1 draw, but the Gunners will be left feeling they might have come away with more from Sunday's Premier League game.

Had they capitalised on a period of first-half dominance, Spurs might have required more than a Laurent Koscielny error to get back into the game.

It was Tottenham who started the match better, playing with an impressive sense of purpose from kick-off. Lining up with three centre-halves, they ostensibly looked like they were deploying a defensive setup, but the speed of Heung-Min Son meant they also offered considerable threat on the break. Arsenal started the game with plenty of adrenaline but too little control.

However, it’s a sign of Arsenal’s growing maturity that they were able to weather that early storm and steadily work their way into the ascendancy. By half-time, they led—a Mesut Ozil free-kick was diverted into his own net by the unfortunate Kevin Wimmer. 

Manager Arsene Wenger might well feel it should have been more. Speaking to the media after the game, the Gunners boss suggested his side had been a little wasteful in that first 45 minutes:

"

It was a game of high intensity where I felt in the first half we looked always like we could score every time we crossed the halfway line and in the second half we looked a bit more flat physically, a bit more less sharp and we couldn’t find the creativity, the fluency around the box nor the vision we are used to.

[...]

I felt we were quite dangerous in the first half a lot and we created many dangerous situations. I felt that we gave absolutely everything but we were not as sharp physically as we can be in the final part of the game.

"

There were a couple of instances when Arsenal might have fared better—and young Alex Iwobi was particularly culpable.

First, a flowing move ended with him being played in on the left-hand side of the penalty area. He opened his body as if to bend a shot into the far corner but slipped at the crucial moment. The Emirates Stadium crowd groaned in frustration—this was a clear-cut opportunity that should have resulted in Arsenal taking the lead.

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Given his age, it’s tempting to blame Iwobi’s lack of composure on inexperience. Could the occasion have been too much for the 20-year-old? However, there is a more practical explanation: The Nigerian has yet to score a competitive goal this season. With a bit of goalscoring form behind him, he might have seized upon the chance with a greater degree of conviction. 

Wenger has already spoken about the importance of Iwobi improving his goal return, per David Hytner of the Guardian: "I think he has [it] all in the locker to pass and give the final ball. What you want from him now is the finishing—that’s still a little part that is missing in his game. He is too nervous at the moment when he has the possibility to finish."

Unfortunately, he was not able to discover his predatory streak in time for derby day. 

Minutes later, another Arsenal attack saw Iwobi on the ball in the penalty area. He had Alexis Sanchez and Ozil well placed to his right but instead played a heavy ball to Theo Walcott on his left. The move was snuffed out, and Ozil could barely disguise his frustration. Iwobi, presumably still reeling from his miss, looked deflated. 

He’s a conscientious player who clearly thinks analytically about his own game. Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ earlier this season, Iwobi said:

"

I want to keep being consistent in my performance.

I believe I'm doing well so far but you are only as good as your last performance. Each game I'm trying to prove to the world and to myself that I can maintain that level of performance.

The more I'm progressing I'm looking at what's ahead and what I need to do to reach my goals and targets. I don't have time to reflect on the past, I'm trying to prepare for the future.

"

Hopefully he won’t spend too much time reflecting on a couple of costly moments against Spurs. He is a hugely exciting prospect and also deserves credit for working hard to protect Nacho Monreal at full-back. His day to shine against Tottenham will surely come. He needs to improve in certain respects—but if he does, he'll be a truly remarkable player.

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Nevertheless, the Gunners paid for their carelessness in the final third. Arsenal’s style of play is contingent on being efficient in attack. Think back to the 3-0 win over Chelsea earlier this season—that result was characterised by the manner in which the Gunners were able to capitalise on any mistake by their London rivals.

In the big games, the margins are fine. When you fail to take your few presentable opportunities, you're always likely to drop points.

In the end, Tottenham probably came closest to winning the game. A Christian Eriksen free-kick stuck a post, while Petr Cech also had to show good reflexes to deny the Dane’s crisp volley from the edge of the box. Monreal was also at his alert and athletic best to deny Harry Kane with one crucial late lunge.

Against Tottenham’s robust defence, Arsenal found chances difficult to come by. As the game wore on, those early opportunities to put Spurs to the sword felt all the more significant. Koscielny will take considerable criticism for his needless trip on Mousa Dembele, but the reality is Arsenal’s attacking contingent also need to shoulder the blame.

At this level, profligacy is almost always punished. For Arsenal and Iwobi, there remains room for improvement after the international break.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout 2016/17. Follow him on Twitter here.