Arsenal extended their unbeaten record at the start of this season to six games courtesy of a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby this evening.
The Gunners were forced to come from behind after Nacer Chadli had given Spurs the lead 10 minutes after the restart with a cool finish inside the box.
It was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who got the leveller with just over 15 minutes remaining, slamming the ball home with an emphatic finish from close range.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at an absorbing match at the Emirates.
Match statistics
ARSENAL
Shots: 16
On target: 6
Possession: 69%
Corners: 15
Fouls: 7
SPURS
Shots: 6
On target: 4
Possession: 31%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 16
Was the result fair?
Spurs will certainly be the happier side at having come away with a draw from this one, but they were hanging on towards the end. Arsenal will feel that they had enough of the ball and enough sights of goal to have put this game to bed, and it will feel like two points dropped for them rather than a point gained.
The stats all point to Arsenal deserving to win this match, and they certainly did more than Spurs in their attempts to come away with all three points. However, considering all of their possession and shots, they didn't create enough clear openings from open play.
Even so, they had the chances to come away with the victory and probably should have done. A draw is not exactly a completely unjust outcome as Spurs had openings of their own, but the visitors' celebrations at the final whistle suggested that they also thought they were fortunate to come away with a point.
Arsenal's performance
It was a mixed bag for Arsenal today. They were in complete control for much of the first half without ever really threatening Hugo Lloris's goal, and suddenly found themselves in the back foot for the final 10 minutes before the interval.
There was a distinct lack of quality in the final third at times, but that changed in the second half as they made a very bright start and began to find a way through to goal. Tottenham's opener was a setback, but the Gunners responded very well and dominated from then on.
They had chances to win the match and will be disappointed at not being able to do it, but there are positives for Arsene Wenger to take from the performance this evening. Having said that, they have now drawn four of their last five league games and have been forced to come from behind in four matches too. They still need to improve if they are to challenge for the title.
Tottenham's performance
Tottenham's performance this evening was a fairly strange one. They were poor for long spells - in an attacking sense at least - but had flashes during which they were on top and looked capable of scoring whenever they came forward. They offered very little until the final 10 minutes of the first half, when suddenly Wojciech Szczesny was forced into a couple of important saves.
They also started the second half on the back foot, but weathered the storm and then took the lead. From that point on, we saw very little of Spurs in Arsenal's half as the hosts piled the pressure on, but they deserve credit for their defensive performance in that regard.
The likes of Younes Kaboul and Jan Vertonghen cleared almost everything that came their way, and it took a goalmouth scramble for the Gunners to finally find a way through. There are still plenty of issues with Spurs, such as the execution of their final pass and creativity in the final third, but this was an improvement for sure.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Younes Kaboul: No player really outshone the rest today, but Kaboul was central to his side's defensive solidity. His repeated clearances kept the Gunners at bay time after time, and he was ably assisted by Vertonghen in that regard. It really was a captain's performance from the centre-back, without whom Spurs would have probably lost this match.
Biggest gaffe
This one goes to Flamini, who was caught in possession in a dangerous area for Tottenham's goal. Christian Eriksen nipped in to steal the ball off the midfielder, allowing Lamela to slip a pass to Chadli, who finished with aplomb. It really was poor from the Frenchman, who should have been more alert and stronger when being challenged.
Referee performance
Predictably, this wasn't the easiest game to referee, but Michael Oliver did a fairly good job of it. He flashed no fewer than nine yellow cards, which was excessive, but he prevented things from bubbling over and didn't have any really big decisions to make.
What next?
Arsenal: The Gunners return to Champions League action at home to Galatasaray on Wednesday.
Spurs: Tottenham are also in European action as they host Besiktas in the Europa League on Thursday.
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