There and back again at the Lane

Taking the long miserable walk up from Seven Sisters Underground station along Tottenham High Road to White Hart Lane, a walk incidentally not brightened up the Easter sun, I pondered the status of the North London derby. Certainly in the English top three, probably bigger than City v United, on a par with Everton v Liverpool? Tonight though was about more than North London pride with three points essential for both sides. Add in the rivalry though and you get an exhilarating no holds barred contest which must have been thrilling to watch on TV. Stuck in the upper tier of the Park Lane though it was more of a harrowing emotional rollercoaster as Arsenal lived up to the music hall joke of being worse than a pet dog which can at least hold a lead.

So there was pandemonium when Theo Walcott gave the Gunners the lead, followed by an unbelievable crescendo of noise from the majority of those in the ground when Rafael Van Der Vaart equalised straightaway. Samir Nasri and Robin Van Persie's goals at least meant there wouldn't be a repeat of the proceedings in the corresponding match at Arsenal last autumn, but Tom Huddlestone's goal just ahead of half time gave notice that the game wasn't over.

Tottenham's resilience bore fruit when they equalised again from Van Der Vaart's penalty, and they seemed to most likely to win at this point as Arsenal seemed to be running on empty, lacking the mental capacity if nothing else to create a fourth goal. Like two prizefighters who had been slugging punches at each other all evening, fatigue took away the goal scoring edge leaving the game a draw. In the short term a point was no good for either team, but surely the night will live long in the memory as the genuine El Classico on show on Wednesday. A point some of the Tottenham fans seemed to want to put to us as they waited impatiently on the corner of Park Lane as the Arsenal fans streamed out.

Samir Nasri and the Sunshine Band

Two Samir Nasri extra time penalties sent Arsenal fans into rapturous song at White Hart Lane, reviving KC's 80 classic hit to an increasing number of empty seats as the Tottenham fans made an early exit.

This Carling Cup tie provided the 36,000 crowd with a typically bombastic North London derby as both managers went against recent practice by fielding strong teams for this stage of the competition.  Arsenal's line up was certainly the stronger on both paper and grass so it was no surprise that they won comfortably, playing the role of home team throughout by keeping on the attack.  Thus Tottenham's main threat was on the counter and they seemed to be keen to test hapless goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski from distance, their strategy paying off when he fumbled Robbie Keane's shot over the line to give Spurs an equaliser at the start of the second half..  Arsenal had earlier taken the lead when Henri Lansbury had finished off a terrific move initiated by a visionary crossfield pass by Emmanual Eboue.  

Tottenham's defence seemed to grow in strength as the game wore to the extent that Arsenal were increasingly frustrated in normal time with a late Spurs winner not out of the question.  However within minutes of the start of extra time Nasri had converted two penalties so by the time Andrey Arshavin made it four, the Gunners could have virtually declared with fifteen minutes left.

With bragging rights secured the 4,200 Arsenal fans who serenaded White Hart Lane with the full Gooner songbook would have left feeling they had seen a good night's work but the real consequences of the night's full blooded encounter may be felt over the next ten days when both clubs face a Champions League tie in between two league matches.