SOCCER: Tottenham 3 Arsenal 3ARSENAL STAND six points adrift of the Premier League leaders Manchester United but, if ambition is at an end in this campaign, there was proof here of the talent they and, indeed, Tottenham Hotspur can bring to bear in the future.
The hosts’ recovery from 3-1 down, with Rafael van der Vaart outstanding, made this encounter so gripping it was as if participation was itself the equivalent of a medal. This visit to White Hart Lane was more tonic than trial for Arsenal, who were irrepressible at the outset. They had two goals within 12 minutes and the fact that Tottenham scored an equaliser in between seemed hardly to be noticed by Arsene Wenger’s side.
The spirit sometimes lacking of late at the Emirates returned with torrential force in that period.
With five minutes gone, Cesc Fabregas released Theo Walcott to shoot low past Heurelho Gomes.
Tottenham, however, were not to be subdued easily. On this occasion enterprise was woven into the team selection, with Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko as a centre-forward pairing.
Given the anxieties of Arsenal in the middle of the back four this looked an exercise in commonsense by the manager, Harry Redknapp.
The equaliser came in the seventh minute. Vedran Corluka passed towards Van der Vaart and, as Johan Djourou lost his footing, the Dutchman finished strongly.
It was a match caught up in itself. Arsenal are pursuing the title but rivalry seemed to make them tingle at least as much as the craving for the crown.
Tottenham were again left in the visitors’ wake when Abou Diaby set up Samir Nasri for a 20-yarder that seemed to go through the legs of Michael Dawson on its way to the net after 12 minutes.
The match seethed with adventure and eventfulness. Gomes was able to reach a header from Robin van Persie after a Walcott cross but, when the goalkeeper pushed the ball back, the Dutchman converted it with force in the 40th minute.
Even moments seemed to be crammed with significance on this night and Tom Huddlestone, from 20 yards, cut Tottenham’s deficit to 3-2 before half-time.
The match was manic in its endeavours. There was an abundance of interest, some of it troubling. Gareth Bale felt the impact of the Arsenal goalkeeper as Wojciech Szczesny collided with the Welshman.
The midfielder appeared to recover for a time but still had to make way for Aaron Lennon at the interval. Contact on Bale had been accidental but Wenger’s men were generally committed to making their mark as they cast aside the diffidence that often affects them.
Arsenal have a reputation for underachievement. The spending on transfers is restrained by some standards but few doubt the potential of those players, even if it has been going untapped. These are wearisomely familiar issues for the club but Arsenal have gone against type in some respects. Despite the popular and not entirely unfounded accusation that they lack character, the side’s away form is the best in the Premier League. No one could have thought that statistic odd on the evidence of the first half.
Despite the swagger Arsenal’s lead was still slim. In view of the calibre of the visitors’ work there might have been relief in Tottenham ranks that the situation was not irretrievable. Younes Kaboul took over from Corluka at half-time, with the suggestion that the right-back was injured.
Diaby also had to go off before long, with his place taken by Jack Wilshere. The game then seemed a greater test for Arsenal, although Szczesny was equal to the moment when he excelled in reaching and turning away a strong shot from Van der Vaart.
The fixture entered a spell in which it might nearly have been mistaken for a normal game.
The setting and the tradition had probably been of benefit to Arsenal initially. It did not look as if they could spare an instant to mull over the prospects of landing the Premier League title.
Tottenham were making an attempt to be more measured. They had hope when Bacary Sagna came close to leaving a pass back short. The extravaganza appeared to have ended and Tottenham were managing to pin down the visitors more than they had done.
They equalised with a penalty in the 70th minute. Szczesny miscalculated when rushing out to cut off Lennon and brought him down. Van der Vaart converted from the spot on an evening that could hardly bear to pause for breath.
GuardianService
TOTTENHAM: Gomes, Corluka (Kaboul 46), Gallas, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Huddlestone, Modric, Bale (Lennon 46), Van der Vaart, Pavlyuchenko (Sandro 78), Crouch. Subs not used: Cudicini, Defoe, Bassong, Pienaar.
ARSENAL: Szczesny, Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Clichy, Song, Walcott (Arshavin 81), Fabregas, Diaby (Wilshere 52), Nasri (Bendtner 81), van Persie. Subs not used: Lehmann, Ramsey, Squillaci, Gibbs. Booked: Clichy, Song, Djourou.
Referee: M Atkinson (W Yorkshire).
