Arsenal and Spurs played the first North London Derby of the new season at the Emirates this Sunday and it ended in a 2-2 draw.
The Lilywhites were bold enough to take a 2-0 lead within the 40th minute of the game and to be honest, the Gunners were looking down the barrel at this point in time.
But thankfully they were able to dig in deep and goals from Lacazette and Aubameyang were enough to ensure Arsenal did not allow their arch-rivals to walk out of the North London Derby with all three points.
And speaking after the match, Paul Merson claimed that Tottenham should have gone ahead and won the match.
“I fancied Arsenal to win, but Tottenham are still a very good side and played well, but they will be kicking themselves,” he wrote for Sky Sports.
“You cannot be happy with letting a two-goal lead slip in the North London derby, especially with the way Arsenal defended.
“It looked like Spurs would pick them off and score three or four, but their final pass wasn’t good enough at crucial stages of the game.
“The positive for Spurs is that they’ve got tough trips to Manchester City and Arsenal out of the way and drawn them both.
“After falling over the line against Aston Villa and losing to Newcastle, the challenge now is to be tuned in for every game. That’s what it’s all about when you’re a good team.”
And while Merson does have a case but the pundit is not giving credit to the way Arsenal clawed themselves back during the North London Derby.
A 2-0 scoreline last season would have certainly meant the end of the Gunners but this year it is different which just goes to show that Unai Emery has made a pretty positive impact on his players.
Yes, Spurs were sloppy in losing a 2-0 lead but Arsenal were equally brilliant in defending their pride at home – something they have constantly failed to do during the past few seasons.
After many years, the Emirates looks a daunting place and on Sunday, Spurs got a taste of it.
So on paper, this might just be the one point from the North London Derby but it gave us a glimpse of what Unai Emery has been building at the club over the past year.
