Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette struck as Arsenal fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw in a pulsating north London derby against Tottenham.
A 10th-minute tap-in from Christian Eriksen, restored to the starting line-up despite continued speculation over a move away from Spurs, and Harry Kane’s emphatic penalty had given the visitors an early lead which Lacazette halved just before the break.
Aubameyang equalised with 19 minutes remaining and although both sides had chances to grab a winner, in the end they had to settle for a point apiece after 90 minutes combining some stunning attacking football and error-strewn defending.
Emery opted to start Lacazette, Aubameyang and club-record £72million signing Nicolas Pepe together for the first time, a prospect which had Arsenal supporters salivating before kick-off and Spurs’s defence, containing Jan Vertonghen despite recently falling out of favour, on the back foot from the outset.
Pepe fired over after just 55 seconds as the Gunners sought an early statement of intent but as threatening as they were going forward, Spurs found space with alarming ease on the break.
One such counter-attack led to the opening goal. Kane beat Sead Kolasinac in the air and suddenly Arsenal’s defence disintegrated. Heung Min-Son fed Erik Lamela, who took his shot early but without sufficient pace to beat Bernd Leno.
However, Leno failed to hold on and Eriksen was on hand to tap home.
Another error allowed Spurs to double their advantage from the penalty spot. Granit Xhaka dived in recklessly on Son, gifting Kane a chance from 12 yards he clinically dispatched.
Arsenal were handed a lifeline in first-half stoppage time as Lacazette thrashed a shot past Hugo Lloris, creating a momentum they picked up upon resumption as Matteo Guendouzi and Sead Kolasinac both went close to equalising.
Kane hit the post just before the hour mark with a fierce drive after a superb one-two with Eriksen but Arsenal kept probing and found an equaliser as Aubemeyang poked Guendouzi’s superb pass into the box past Lloris.
Arsenal thought they had won it 12 minutes from time when Sokratis Papastatopoulos bundled the ball home at the back post but Kolasinac was offside as he surged down the left flank to deliver his cross.
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