Arsenal's spirited comeback against Tottenham gives them hope - and proves Arsene Wenger was right

After snatching a point Wenger, the Gunners and their followers can at least carry hope into the final two months of this strange season, writes Andy Dunn

Arsene Wenger often sees spirit, character and commitment where there is only weakness, frailty and timidity.
But this time, he was right.
The most meaningful reward he took away from the North London derby was not the single point, not the satisfaction of having cooled the rising temperature of expectation at White Hart Lane.
It was the relief that his team has a backbone. The relief his team has these leader-types everyone keeps banging on about. The relief his team has example-setters.
They don’t turn up weekly – which is why this Premier League season is still likely to end in familiar, decade-old ­frustration – but they are there.





And when another perfect, and perfectly predictable, storm of negativity erupted around them – Francis Coquelin’s brain-fade, a set-piece concession to Toby Alderweireld, Harry Kane’s wow moment – they reacted. The stadium and football waited for ­capitulation and it never arrived.
That is why Wenger, Arsenal and their followers can at least carry hope into the final two months of this strange season. Even in a competition oddly bereft of true excellence, they are probably still not good enough to win it.
But this was a big step up on efforts at Old Trafford and the Emirates last week.
OK, if you cannot get revved up for this genre of match, there is something wrong. But there was a feistiness about Arsenal, nicely encapsulated in Mesut Ozil barking encouragement and ­instructions from the bench after his own 89-minute flick-fest had been ended by Wenger.
If this had been a backheel contest, Michael Oliver would have stopped it and raised Arsenal hands after half an hour.
There was an attractive irony in the way Aaron Ramsey put Arsenal ahead – a previous showboat had sunk without trace and seemed to symbolise his struggles.
But there was a resilience to go with Arsenal’s instances of flamboyance.
Of all the withering criticism that has come their way, the most damning had been from one of their own.
Alexis Sanchez – sidestepping his own fitful contributions recently – accused his squad-mates of lacking hunger.
His appetite here was rapacious and it was fitting he scuffed the points-sharer past Hugo Lloris. It underlined how a return to the Sanchez prime will be key to what remains of Arsenal’s season.
There were other positives for Wenger.
The John Terry theory that Petr Cech would be worth between 12 and 15 points for Arsenal was finally exposed for the insult it was to David Ospina, and Danny Welbeck was selfless and of considerable nuisance value.
Per Mertesacker may be as slow as a week in prison – and culpable in the build-up to Kane’s house-downer – but he was more effective than he looked, while Ramsey seemed to be trying to rage himself into top form.
But Wenger cannot ignore the negatives. For meaty chunks of this match, Spurs were the dominant force, quicker, stronger, more robust, although Arsenal looked to be holding on to their lead with some comfort until Coquelin slid and walked.
His moment of second yellow madness would have given Wenger an escape clause had Spurs gone on to win.
But he didn’t need it.
More embarrassment loomed, more recriminations loomed, more former players riling Wenger loomed.
But his team responded. And Wenger knows that in a time when he has to stand alone and take a million potshots, at least he has not lost his players.