I'll start by covering the negatives, which are few and far between in all honesty. Christian Eriksen had one of his worst games in a Spurs shirt and bar one effort tipped over by Ospina, the Dane was unable to get into the game at all with some sloppy passing. I sympathise with the playmaker as he clearly needs resting but we lack a like-for-like replacement in the squad.
I was also very disappointed with how we approached the game when 2-1 up. Yes, going for the insurance goal and rubbing salt in the Gooners' wounds would've been brilliant, but we kept trying to play out from the back. I understand that Pochettino's tactics dictate a passing game from Lloris onwards - and it largely works barring a few shaky moments - but sometimes I think we need to shut up shop and be a bit more ruthless when clearing the ball rather than always trying to play out from the back towards the end of the game.
Now for the positives. Perhaps other fans will see things differently, but I think there's a lot we can take from that going into our remaining nine Premier League games.
Kevin Wimmer is a player who continues to impress me. The big Austrian always looked solid in cup games before his Premier League debut back in January, but has really excelled in recent weeks to the point where Jan Vertonghen's absence has barely been a problem. There's no greater testament to the former Köln centre half's ability than that. I was worried that Welbeck's pace in behind may cause problems similar to midweek's game, but Wimmer stood up to the task well, putting in a few key tackles and blocks particularly as the game wore on. His last-ditch tackle/block on Aaron Ramsey late on was superb. It's safe to say Kevin Wimmer will have a role to play for years to come at Tottenham.
Harry Kane continues to both amaze and excite me in every possible sense of the word. He's incredible. While fatigue has no doubt played a part in his recent dip in form, Kane is still capable of astounding pieces of technical brilliance such as the goal today. To put that out of reach of the goalkeeper and somehow back inside the post is remarkable, especially considering the intensity and magnitude of the match. You can always count on Harry to turn up for a North London derby.
Erik Lamela is fast cementing his place as a fan favourite. However, I can only speak for myself: he is still much maligned by those around me at White Hart Lane who are all too quick to bemoan the Argentine's occasional loss of possession. I detest fans playing favourites with our players. Eriksen concedes possession far more often than Lamela and yet rarely do I hear fans complain about it. What you do get from Lamela - every time he steps foot on the pitch, might I add - is 100% effort. I would love to find a statistic detailing how many goals we've scored from Lamela's constant closing down and harrying the opposition. It's so integral to our game plan but because he isn't firing the ball into the top corner every week à la Bale, and because his reputation and price tag clearly precede him, people think they should pick on the lad. He works hard, he creates chances and he has an abundance of technical talent in that left foot. I look forward to the day when his talents are recognised by everyone.
While today may feel like something of a missed opportunity, I implore you all to look at the positives. We've lost ground on Leicester but we kept Arsenal at bay. We fought back from a goal down again to get something from the game and we showed incredible character and passion throughout, reciprocating the incredible support shown from the White Hart Lane faithful today. We've got to keep playing our game and try to finish as high up as we can. I just worry that our intense style of play and fixture congestion will lead to a burn out as the weeks go by. But with the passion I've seen today, I think we'll be alright.
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