Arsenal 2-2 Tottenham analysis: Alex Keble reflects on Arsenal's draw with Tottenham

You can always rely on the North London derby for total carnage, for players gleefully abandoning their manager’s carefully thought-out battle plans in favour of a blood bath. But even by the standard set in recent years Sunday’s 2-2 draw at the Emirates was a special game, and one from which both sides emerge relatively pleased with the spirit and fight of their respective performances. Nevertheless, it was chaos and disorder that defined the game, teaching us as much about Arsenal’s and Tottenham’s limitations as it did their strengths.

Arsenal were maddening, as usual. Unai Emery finally unleashed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, and Nicolas Pepe together in a Liverpool-esque 4-3-3 with predictably thrilling results, and yet familiar defensive errors undermined the fact Emery’s frantic, dogged energy is beginning to rub off on his players.

Focus on the positives

But first, the positives: Arsenal snapped and snarled into challenges, Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira supplying the aggression that Emery needs for his surging counter-attacking football to take hold at the Emirates. They hustled with the alacrity Jurgen Klopp squeezes out of his Liverpool midfielders, and the comparisons to the European champions don’t end there. It is no surprise that Klopp would inspire his peers, and indeed ahead of a workmanlike midfield trio Emery picked three quick, incisive forwards in the mould of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino.