Aaron Ramsey may even have nicked the game at the end if he’d hit the ball first time.
Spurs dominated most of the first half, but only produced one great chance, off Lamela’s shin, producing a stunning reflex save from Ospina.
Just before halftime Arsenal took the lead when Aaron Ramsey’s cheeky flick beat Lloris. They almost had a second but Welbeck was unable to head home.
Arsenal looked settled in the second half until a moment of madness from Coquelin, who’d already been booked, when he lunged in at Harry Kane.
Spurs took immediate advantage of being a man up and scored off a corner shortly after.
They almost had a second, but Ospina barely kept the ball out and kept the Gunners alive.
Tottenham took the lead when Ali beat Mertesacker to a rolling ball, fed it to Kane, who produced a stunning drive that found the far post and beat Ospina.
Arsenal managed to rally and finally Alexis, with the help of an awkward bounce, beat Lloris and found the far corner.
Referee Michael Oliver ignored an obvious second yellow card offence committed by Erik Dyer that could have evened things up.
Both teams had chances near the end, but Ramsey’s was the best, however he spurned hitting it first time.
Neither team will be entirely happy, but Arsenal will feel better that they rallied from being a goal down and a man down and Spurs will feel they let a golden chance slip through their fingers.
Player Ratings:
Ospina 8: He made a number of great saves, particularly the first half save off Lamela. He made a fine save off Kane and a good one off Ericksen near the end.
Bellerin 6: A fine assist on the opening goal which may have been a shot. He was busy the entire afternoon and had to deal with Rose on his flank.
Mertesacker 6: On the second goal he could have done better, but overall he made a number of key headers and interventions.
Gabriel 5: He was motivated, nervous, committed, jittery … you get the picture. He made a number of key interventions and was better than the last time he played. However, he almost scored a spectacular own goal when he swiped at a cross and watched horrified as the ball looped over Ospina … and the crossbar.
Gibbs 7: Kieran came into the squad and had a very good game. He generally kept Walker quiet and he attacked effectively.
Coquelin 4: Played decently in the first half, but his yellow card was poor when he reached out to grab the ball with his hand. His second card was foolish, lunging at Harry Kane along the touchline. Given his role on the team, he needs to do better.
Elneny 7: Made his full Premier League debut and he did well. He passed well, made a number of interceptions, a few tackles and he got about. Brought more stability to the midfield.
Ozil 6: He worked hard, made some good passes, but Coquelin’s going off meant he had to drop back more and be less influential.
Ramsey 7: Back on the wing and he added more defence. Scored a wonderful goal with a flick that finally worked (he’s had a number of poor flicks in recent games). He was able to attack more and that was good, although his late chance should’ve been taken. He still gives the ball away too often.
Welbeck 7: Good energy throughout and had a decent chance to score in the first half. Has been our best player for the last three weeks.
Sanchez 8: Finally he scored and what a key goal it was. He worked hard and there were fewer giveaways and he seldom lost possession. Let’s hope he’s out of his slump and can move on.
Substitutes:
Giroud 7: He came in and gave extra energy to the attack and although he never had any real chances, he helped spark the comeback.
Flamini n/a: Came in late to add some defensive stability.
Campbell n/a: Also came in for some defence.