Nacer Chadli could barely contain the delight after his low finish had set up the smash-and-grab raid for Tottenham Hotspur, and he cupped his hand to his ear as he wheeled away in front of the Arsenal supporters. How about that then? What have you got now?
Arsenal did have an answer and it came in the form of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s clinically converted equaliser. This was a high-octane occasion in which Arsenal made the bulk of the running and the draw was the least that they deserved.
But, at full-time, there was the sense of regret for the hosts. Some of their players slumped on to their haunches and it was pretty clear that they were trotting through the chances that they had created and spurned in both halves. Hugo Lloris, the outstanding Tottenham goalkeeper, thwarted them on a number of occasions.
Tottenham’s bubble might have been pricked by Oxlade-Chamberlain, but it was not deflated. This venue has held precious few happy memories for them and this felt like a tonic for the visitors and their new manager, Mauricio Pochettino.
It is a defining spell for both clubs. Arsenal have Galatasaray and Chelsea coming up; Tottenham have Besiktas and Southampton, high-flying, Champions League-chasing Southampton, a fixture that has added resonance for Pochettino. But that was for later. Nothing mattered apart from this, and it was spiky at the outset, which was no surprise.
No comments:
Post a Comment