Familiar failings haunt Postecoglou but Spurs fans must not lose faith

THERE are two ways of looking at Sunday's north London derby from a Tottenham perspective.

- Dan Kilpatrick

Zoom out and take the bigger picture, and a 1-0 defeat was hardly a disaster for Spurs. Ange Postecoglou's side more than held their own against an Arsenal team who are years ahead of them in their development and, on another day would have come away with a hardearned point or even three. They played some eye-catching football and their work out-of-possession was often excellent.

Take the match in a narrower context, however, and it felt like a huge opportunity missed, and in frustrating and familiar circumstances.

There is never 'a good time' to play a side as robust as Mikel Arteta's Arsenal but Spurs might not get a better chance to beat their fiercest rivals for a long while.

Arsenal were without the suspended Declan Rice and missing six senior players to injury, including captain Martin Odegaard and Rice's new competition in midfield, Mikel Merino. Arteta named five teenagers on the bench and started with a midfield two of Thomas Partey and Jorginho both experienced players but in their 30s, and short of athleticism and dynamism. Spurs were nearly at full strength, with Yves Bissouma the only obvious absence from their best XI.