Keller's adrenalin rush spurs Arsenal to greater heights

Tottenham Hotspur 1 Arsenal 1

In English football, from the parks to the Premiership, you have to earn the right to play. It is a lesson Arsenal have been slow to learn this season but, yesterday, they finally absorbed this basic tenet.

For 44 minutes the Highbury strollers were overrun by a Tottenham side who, like Manchester United last week, were notably more committed than the champions. Then Kasey Keller, the previously under-employed Tottenham goalkeeper, suffered an adrenalin rush which resulted in Thierry Henry sprawling across the turf and the referee, Neale Barry, pointing to the penalty spot. Henry rejected the chance to punish Keller personally but Robert Pires stepped up to ensure Arsenal maintain both local pride and a little daylight at the summit of the Premier League.

Keller's mad rush should have been an irrelevance, for Arsenal ought to have been beyond rescue. However, two goal-line clearances by Ashley Cole meant Spurs had only Christian Ziege's 11th-minute free-kick to show for their first-half dominance.

Arsenal did not waste their reprieve, returning from the break prepared to match their hosts tackle for tackle, run for run. This earned them the time and space to express their talent and the second half's better moments tended to feature red shirts. Even so, Arsène Wenger admitted: "It is a good point for us. We needed great mental strength and resilience."

The point edged Arsenal a point clear of a Manchester United side who were 11 points adrift six weeks ago. Wenger, whose side have won just four of their last nine League games, insisted that Chelsea and Liverpool remain just as much a threat to his team as United. He may reflect that the biggest danger to his team is themselves. The match-winning ability is there but, with Patrick Vieira injured and Gilberto Silva feeling the effects of a demanding year, an unbalanced midfield is struggling to provide Arsenal's gifted forwards with possession.

Tottenham's midfield had better proportioning of art and graft. The wing-backs provided width, Steffen Freund power and Gus Poyet presence. This enabled Darren Anderton to feed an attack in which Robbie Keane and Teddy Sheringham provided contrasting threats.

"Only one team deserved to win," said Glenn Hoddle who is yet to win a north London derby against his old mentor. Indeed, since defeating Arsenal in November 1995, under Gerry Francis, Spurs have won once in 16 matches against the old enemy. Nevertheless Hoddle could justifiably comment: "I'm very pleased with the way we played. We had a fantastic first half. If we can get close to that consistently we can achieve things here."

It would not be Spurs, though, without an injury problem. Jamie Redknapp, absent yesterday, has a suspected hairline fracture in his foot. He will have a scan tomorrow.

He may not be the only one requiring a scan when the bruises subside for this was a ferociously contested match loosely refereed by Barry. A Continental observer, no stranger to the English game, sat next to me watching through half-shut eyes muttering a constant stream of "oohs" as the tackles flew in. Most came from Tottenham with Ashley Cole and Ray Parlour two of the few Arsenal players up for the battle. Only the bravest dwelled on the ball, not that Henry or Dennis Bergkamp saw it often.

David Seaman was far busier, making his first save – an unorthodox one with his feet – after five minutes from Ziege's teasing free-kick. Five minutes later some neat passing released Poyet into the box only for Parlour to push him over. Referee Barry waved play on. Spurs' furious fans were, though, soon celebrating as a minute later Ziege bent a free-kick past a wrong-footed Seaman from nearly 30 yards. The goal, which evoked memories of Gazza's famous free-kick at Wembley 11 years ago, followed a foul by Sol Campbell.

Spurs went close again two minutes later when Dean Richards met Anderton's corner only for Cole to clear off the line. The left-back, who had a fine match, repeated the trick on the half-hour. Seaman had just saved bravely from a fired-up Sheringham when Stephen Carr and Poyet combined well on the right. The ball ran to Keane, via a clever pass from Sheringham, but Cole cleared his shot.

Eventually Arsenal strung together a move such as we have come to expect. Pires weaved across the pitch before finding Fredrick Ljungberg whose cross was met at the near post by Henry. Keller made a fine instinctive save from his diving header but he was unable to savour the moment for long. Two minutes later Henry's first touch from Ljungberg's pass took him wide. There seemed little danger but Keller sprinted from his goal and felled the Frenchman. "I underestimated his pace," Keller said. "It was a 50-50 and I had to go for it, but he was faster."

Henry, who has scored one and missed one from the spot this season, declined to take the kick. Pires, his deputy, tucked the ball away. "A penalty is a confidence thing," Wenger said. "It was intelligent not to take it."

Not that Henry lacked confidence in the second period. One mesmeric run deserved a goal but his cross to Bergkamp was blocked. A later crossfield ball to Gilberto should have brought an Arsenal winner but the Brazilian, after an 80-yard run, failed to control the pass. In between Seaman twice denied Keane, while Poyet and Sheringham went close. Honours even then, but the north London divide is no longer a chasm.

Goals: Ziege (11) 1-0; Pires pen (44) 1-1.

Tottenham Hotspur (3-5-2): Keller 4; King 6, Richards 6, Bunjevcevic 6; Carr 7, Anderton 8 (Davies 5, 70), Freund 8, Poyet 7, Ziege 6; Sheringham 6, Keane 6. Substitutes not used: Hirschfield (gk), Perry, Iversen, Clemence.

Arsenal (4-4-2): Seaman 5; Lauren 6, Keown 6, Campbell 5, Cole 7; Ljungberg 4, Parlour 6, Gilberto Silva 4, Pires 5; Henry 5, Bergkamp 3. Substitutes not used: Taylor (gk), Upson.

Referee: N Barry (Roxby) 5.

Booked: Tottenham: Keller, Sheringham, Freund. Arsenal: Lauren, Parlour.

Man of the match: Anderton.

Attendance: 36,076