Gunners, Spurs all square in derby

LONDON (AP):

A wide-open north London derby fizzing with tension and littered with errors highlighted flaws that show why Arsenal and Tottenham are some way off from challenging for the English Premier League title.

A 2-2 draw allowed the neighbours, though, to take some comfort yesterday heading into the international break by avoiding back-to-back Premier League losses.

While Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino continues to fuel a sense of unease around the club, counterpart Unai Emery is working on forging stability at Arsenal.

Tottenham rued throwing away a two-goal lead built by Christian Eriksen’s tap-in after Bernd Leno’s weak parrying of Erik Lamela’s shot and Harry Kane’s penalty after Granit Xhaka’s foolhardy challenge on Son Heung-min.

“We played with our heart, sometimes more than our head,” Arsenal manager Unai Emery said. “We need the balance. We need to be clearer in our mind. We made some mistakes.”

So did Tottenham.

Alexandre Lacazette, in a front three alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and summer signing Nicolas Pepe, began the Arsenal comeback in first-half stoppage time by exploiting Tottenham’s frailties in defence where Davinson Sanchez was the makeshift right back.

“I was a little bit ashamed to concede before halftime,” Pochettino said.

And Aubameyang was gifted space to drift through the defence to meet Matteo Guendouzi’s pass to recover the point in the 71st minute.

“I’m a little disappointed,” Tottenham striker Harry Kane said. “When you go 2-0, up you expect to win, whoever you are playing.”

Not perhaps when you are a Tottenham side visiting the Emirates Stadium where they have not won in the league since 2010.

Still, four games into the season, Tottenham have left both champions Manchester City and Arsenal with draws after losing both games against them last season.