How to Draw the Spurs Logo Step by Step

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Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal served up yet another "game of the season" contender as they drew, 3-3, in the North London Derby at White Hart Lane. With both teams desperate for all three points, a draw was the last thing either Arsene Wenger or Harry Redknapp wanted.

However, the Spurs manager will be the happier of the two, as his team fought back from 3-1 down to draw level before dominating the rest of the game. Wojciech Szczesny came to Arsenal's rescue, as he repelled attack after attack from Tottenham.

Going into the game, all the pressure was on Arsenal. Arsene Wenger had challenged his team to show some mental fortitude and go and win the game at their fierce rivals' home. Meanwhile, the Gunners captain, Cesc Fabregas, openly defied his manager, his team and his board by questioning the club's football philosophy.

Many wondered how Arsenal's players would approach this game, but they needn't have worried, as the Gunners started off like a house on fire.

Goals from Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri in the first 12 minutes, with a reply from Rafael van der Vaart in between, got the game started off at a frantic pace.

The two teams exchanged exquisite through-balls early on, as Fabregas found Walcott in acres of space after the diminutive winger timed his run to perfection before calmly slotting the ball past Gomes to open the scoring.

Then, Vedran Corluka found Rafael van der Vaart on the edge of the box, and the Dutchman's powerful finish into the bottom corner set the game up to be the North London Clásico everyone wanted.

Then, before anyone could even draw breath, Samir Nasri put the Gunners ahead yet again from just outside the box.

The Gunners went on to dominate midfield, and it must be said that initially Harry Redknapp had his tactics completely wrong, as Arsenal's midfield triumvirate of Cesc Fabregas, Abou Diaby and Alex Song dominated and dictated the pace of the game.

As the half wore on, Arsenal exerted their control in midfield by limiting Spurs to pot-shots from distance that rarely troubled Szczesny in goal. The Gunners were comfortable, and they enjoyed knocking the ball around in their trademark way.

Then the third goal came, and it was vintage Arsenal.

Cesc Fabregas released Sagna down the right; he held the ball up brilliantly and crossed into the box only for Gallas to intercept and inadvertantly chest the ball to Theo Walcott.

Robin van Persie charged to the back post and was picked out with a delicate chip. The Dutchman headed goal wards only for Heurelho Gomes to produce a wonderful save when he really had no right to even get to the ball. However, the rebound bounced kindly for the Arsenal No.10 who finished with ease to put his team into an unassailable 3-1 lead...

Arsenal had replied to their captain and manager, and had shown the kind of character that champions-elect need to show in the face of adversity.

Except, Spurs hadn't read the Gunners' script...

Mere minutes after Arsenal went up, 3-1, and right on the stroke of halftime, Spurs broke down the left,  a cross was lazily cleared by Fabregas to Tom Huddlestone, lurking just outside the box, who scored with a venomous half-volley from a full 25 yards to bring Spurs back into the game at 2-3.

The referee then called an end to the proceedings, as fans from both sides wiped their brows and reminisced about witnessing the best 45 minutes of football in the Premier League this season.

Harry Redknapp was forced to reshuffle at halftime, as a groggy Gareth Bale was deemed unfit to take the field of play after colliding with Szczesny towards the end of the first half. He was replaced by Aaron Lennon, while Vedran Corluka made way for Younes Kaboul on defence.

With Arsenal dominating the game, particularly in the midfield, one would have thought that after losing two key players, including Bale, Spurs would have found the going tough, and that the Gunners would have ripped them to pieces as they closed out the game.

But what transpired was very different indeed.

Rafael van der Vaart showed discipline by staying out on the right-hand side while Lennon hugged the left-hand touchline. By virtue of this simple tactic, Sagna and Clichy were both pegged back in their own half, and with that, Tom Huddlestone and Luka Modric began to get on top in central midfield as Fabregas, Song, and Diaby began to wilt under mounting pressure.

Spurs were now playing conventional wide-men with options that allowed them to to spray the ball and stretch Arsenal's team. That tactic was employed with a fundamental fervour, and all of a sudden, Arsenal's defenders seemed uncertain of how to answer this new question facing them.

With the Gunners defence and midfield stretched wider than they would have liked, Benoit Assou-Ekotto picked up the ball in an innocuous position at left full, and the whole pitch opened up for him. His phenomenal through-ball found Sagna flat-footed, and out of position.

Lennon did not need a second invitation, and he raced clear, only for Wojciech Szczesny to pull him down as he tore into the box.

Some referees would have sent the young Pole off for the indiscretion, but Martin Atkinson chose to save the 'keepers blushes and awarded him a lucky yellow.

Rafael van der Vaart stood up and smashed home his second of the game from the spot to draw the game level, and from here, Arsenal were obviously on the ropes, with Spurs only needing to find the knockout blow to win the game.

But just as Arsenal was reeling and in dire need of some real character, their saviour came from the most unlikely of places. By this stage, players like Fabregas, Nasri, Walcott and Koscielny had all gone missing and Spurs were just rampaging forward.

So it was left to Wojciech Szczesny to stand tall, and stand tall he did.

The Arsenal 'keeper went on to make save after save, most notably from Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric, who were both denied by world-class saves.

In the end, the character shown by Spurs to come back into the game was in direct contrast to that displayed by the Arsenal players, who shrank as the game went on.

Both teams wanted to win, and both teams needed to win. Arsenal had been openly challenged by both their captain and manager to display their character, but they failed in spectacular fashion when they needed to show it most.

The questions against this Arsenal side are mounting, and this performance will have done them no favours whatsoever. Their tilt at the title is over once again, as are Spurs' hopes of breaking into the top four.

But, as the season draws to a close, Spurs have one thing in reserve that Arsenal does not: optimism.

Teams and Player Ratings (1-10)

Tottenham

Gomes—7, Corluka—6 (Kaboul [46']—7), Gallas—6, Dawson—7, Assou-Ekotto—8, Huddlestone—7, Modric—6, Bale—5 (Lennon [46']—7), Van der Vaart—8, Pavlyuchenko—5 (Sandro [78']—6), Crouch—6.

Subs: Cudicini, Defoe, Bassong, Pienaar.

Arsenal

Szczesny—8, Sagna—6, Djourou—6, Koscielny—6, Clichy—6, Song—6, Walcott—7 (Arshavin [81']—5), Fabregas—6, Diaby—6 (Wilshere [53']—5), Nasri—5 (Bendtner [81']—4), Van Persie—7.

Subs: Lehmann, Ramsey, Squillaci, Gibbs.

Referee

Martin Atkinson—8

This article was previously published on Premier League Report.

You can follow me on Twitter   @WillieGannon

How to Draw the Spurs Logo Step by Step

Source: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/672556

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