Arsenal required a late goal from Alex Oxlade-Chambelain to secure a 1-1 draw against neighbours Tottenham Hotspur in the first North London derby of the season at the Emirates stadium.
Tottenham took the lead in the 55th minute when Nacer Chadli received Erik Lamela’s pass on the right side of the penalty area to apply a delicate finish past Wojciech Szcesny from a tight angle.
However the Gunners found their response nineteen minutes later as Oxlade-Chamberlain turned in the equaliser from close range at the end of a persistent Arsenal attack.
After gaining parity the hosts kept up their onslaught on the Spurs defence in search of a winner which produced terrific a climax to the game for the neutrals but no further goals.
At the end of the match Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger did not hide his disappointment at the final result.
“We had a lot of quality and I am frustrated it finished 1-1 because we put the effort in,” Wenger spoke to reporters of Sky Sports.
“We had great spirit and great determination. On top of that, we were 1-0 down and I think we had 77 per cent possession, which is unbelievable in a game like that.”
Despite having the greater share of possession Arsenal could not create much in terms of decent scoring opportunities.
“I am frustrated because we dropped two points and also because we didn’t do enough with our set–pieces.”
Wenger was also forced into making two substitutions inside the first half after his skipper Mikel Arteta and fan favourite Aaron Ramsey both hobbled off the field with injuries and had to be replaced by Mathieu Flamini and Santi Cazorla.
The second-half began in much the same way as the first with Arsenal controlling the ball and Tottenham staying resolute in defence.
However it was Spurs who went ahead after 55 minutes when Christian Eriksen snatched the ball from Flamini in midfield and picked out Lamela who in turn slipped the ball through into the box for the onrushing Nacer Chadli.
The Belgian international produced a composed finish as he slid the ball into the bottom far-corner of Szcesny’s goal.
Arsenal looked for a quick equaliser and nearly got one when Per Mertesacker’s downward header drew a terrific save on the line from Hugo Lloris.
Arsene Wenger made his final change switching Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal’s big summer signing from FC Barcelona, in place of Jack Wilshire to add an extra dimension to Arsenal’s attack.
The Gunners drew level on 74 minutes when a Alexis Sanchez sent in a cross from the right for Danny Welbeck, but the former Manchester United man completely missed his kicked to leave the Spurs’ defence bamboozled.
However Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was on hand to direct the loose ball past a hapless Lloris into the top-corner from five yards.
Arsenal piled on the pressure on the visitors until the end of the fifth minute of added time but could manage to make a breakthrough again as Spurs hung on until the final whistle.
