Even if we had lost today, and I don’t like losing, but for me to keep pushing these guys, they need to feel that out there that what we talk about and work on, they can see it come to fruition and when it does against a top team, being brave with our approach, that’s the key thing. For me I’m pleased.”

Postecoglou was less enthusiastic about the decision to award a penalty for Romero’s close-range block on White and likened it to the handball given against Wolves’ Joao Gomes at Luton on Saturday.

He added: “I’ve got no idea about the handball rule. I really don’t. I saw the one yesterday at Wolves and it just seems if it hits your hand it’s a penalty and then other times if it hits your hand, it isn’t a penalty. I’ve got no idea. It is the one rule in the game I just don’t understand.

“Unless we start developing armless defenders I don’t know how you are supposed to block things and be in a natural position. It is what it is. You kind of hope these things even themselves out over the course of a year but I don’t understand the handball rule.

“I think any clarity would be good because I have got no idea.”

Opposite number Mikel Arteta was disappointed Arsenal failed to make it three wins in a row over their rivals. A key moment occurred after Romero’s own goal when Gabriel Jesus won back possession from Maddison inside the area, but his 14-yard effort was blazed over the crossbar.

Arteta said: “We are very disappointed not to earn the three points, that’s for sure, and especially when you go in front twice in the game and have the opportunity to win it. We had control of the game, could have made it 2-0 with Gabi and then you concede the goal and you have to bounce back. We did and scored the goal but it’s a shame that within a minute you concede the other one.

“I think that affected the team emotionally quite a lot and we lacked some composure to make more passes in the final third.”

Arteta also leapt to the defence of Jorge Ho, who was introduced at half-time in place of the injured Declan Rice, after the ex-Chelsea midfielder was robbed of possession by Madison for Tottenham’s second goal.

“What happened is I love him and we love him,” the Arsenal boss insisted. “Errors are part of football. They’re allowed to make errors because they play and we don’t play. We are all with him.”READ MORE

Arsenal and Tottenham both love a late winning goal, but even ten minutes of stoppage time was not enough to break the deadlock in a fiercely contested derby, with a point apiece meaning Manchester City increased their lead over the north London rivals.

Bukayo Saka scored twice for Arsenal, one of them thanks to a huge deflection off Cristian Romero, but Heung Min Son equalised quickly on both occasions, and a draw was about right.

Arsenal did what they have been doing so well in the past 18 months, but Tottenham are a vastly-improved side since Ange Postecoglou took over from Antonio Conte, and played some sparkling stuff too, dominating in terms of possession, shots on goal and shots on target, and only some superb last ditch defending from William Saliba denied them more goals.

Arsenal could also have scored more but for the reflexes of Guglielmo Vicario, who had little chance with both goals and made excellent saves from Saka and Gabriel Jesus, who had the best of the early chances when he met Saka’s cross with a goalbound half-volley that the Italian keeper did well to tip away.

Son got the ball in the Arsenal net early on, but was offside when he diverted Brennan Johnson’s low shot.

Arsenal made the breakthrough in the 26th minute. Dejan Kulusevski ran out of road on Tottenham’s right and Arsenal broke quickly. When Saka receives the ball wide on the right, it is a given that he will cut inside, but Spurs did not respond quickly enough and gave him the time and space to curl in a cross-shot with his left boot.

Vicario looked to have the flight of the ball covered until Romero stepped across and deflected it past him with his knee.

Arsenal’s fans erupted and their players were lifted, while Tottenham’s looked nervous, making basic errors. James Maddison lost possession on the edge of the penalty area to Gabriel Jesus, but the Brazilian blasted his shot high over the bar.

Five minutes later Tottenham were level. Johnson had been denied by a sliding tackle from Saliba and then a superb one-handed save by David Raya, but the goalkeeper was at fault when he flapped at a deep cross from the right.

He blocked Johnson’s subsequent shot, but the ball fell for Maddison, who left Saka for dead on the left and cut a low cross back for Son to guide it into the goal off the inside of the far post.

Mikel Arteta made two changes at half-time, sending on Kai Havertz for Fabio Vieira and replacing a surprisingly below-par Declan Rice with Jorginho. Saka restored Arsenal’s lead five minutes into the half from the penalty spot, after Romero blocked Ben White’s close-range shot with his arm, but Son hit back within a minute to score again.

Jorginho lost the ball to Maddison in the centre circle, and ran on to supply the pass from which Son equalised with a first-time shot inside the far post.

Now it was the turn of Tottenham’s noisy band of travelling fans to celebrate. Son could have had a hat-trick but for a brilliant intervention from Saliba, who then cut out a dangerous cross from Pedro Porro.

There were still chances at each end going into ten minutes of stoppage time. Vicario got down well to save a low shot from Saka in stoppage time, and substitute Raya had to leap high to hold a looping shot from Tottenham substitute Richarlison.

The final whistle brought little celebration from either side, both of whom are still unbeaten but now slipping behind City, Liverpool and even Brighton.

Arsenal: Raya 6, White 5, Saliba 8, Gabriel 6, Zinchenko 6, Rice 5 (Jorginho 46), Vieira 4 (Havertz, 46), Odegaard 7, Saka 7 (Smith Rowe 90+7), Nketiah 5, Jesus 5 (Nelson 77).

Spurs: Vicario 7, Udogie 7, van de Ven 7, Romero 7, Porro 5, Sarr 7, 8, Maddison 7 (Hojbjerg 78), Kulusevski 7, Son 8 (Richarlison 78) Johnson 5 (Solomon 63

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