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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Harry Latham-Coyle

Tottenham vs Arsenal LIVE – Harry Kane scores and Hugo Lloris saves as penalties define north London derby

Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed a 90th-minute penalty as a scrappy north-London derby against Tottenham Hotspur ended in a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Hugo Lloris got down low to keep out the substitute's poor kick and rescue a below-par Tottenham who had equalised in the 74th minute through Harry Kane's spot-kick.

Arsenal, bidding to close the gap to their arch-rivals to one point, had taken the lead in the 16th minute when Aaron Ramsey broke clear after a mistake by Davinson Sanchez.

Kane had a first-half header ruled out for offside but Tottenham struggled to create chances as a third Premier League defeat in succession for the first time since 2012 loomed.

Alexandre Lacazette had wasted a good chance to make it 2-0 to Arsenal, but it was the man who replaced him, Aubameyang, who cost his side victory with a poorly-struck penalty after Sanchez was adjudged to have fouled him.

A niggly game ended with Arsenal's other substitute Lucas Torreira being red-carded for a high tackle on Danny Rose.

Tottenham's first league draw of the season left them third in the table, four points above Arsenal who can be overtaken by Manchester United if they beat Southampton later.

Reuters

Good morning and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of today's Premier League North London derby as Tottenham host Arsenal at Wembley Stadium.
 
Kick-off is scheduled for 12:30pm with the teams set to be confirmed an hour before, and we'll bring you all the latest news as it lands plus build-up to the biggest game in the top flight today.
Welcome to the pointy end of the 2018-19 Premier League season.
 
There are just ten games left in a season that has ebbed and flowed, and there is still much to be decided, particularly amongst a top-six that has surged comfortably clear of the rest of the league this season.
 
And as we round the bend into the home straight, what better way to kick things off a weekend of derbies than in North London, for a game chock-full of intrigue.
 
It's Tottenham against Arsenal.
 
Just four points separate the two teams heading into today's fixture, with Tottenham's recent misfires pulling them away from the title race and leaving Muaricio Pochettino's side looking over their shoulders for their closest rivals. 
 
Conversely, Unai Emery's Arsenal are going from strength-to-strength, rotating effectively, calling on forgotten faces yet maintaining good form, playing some lovely football in the process.

It is a derby that is finely poised, as ​Luke Brown illustrates...
 
Five minutes until team news from Wembley...
Team News
 
Jan Vertonghen returns to the Spurs team as part of a back threee after passing a late fitness test on his hip, but a similar ailment sidelines Harry Winks. Victor Wanyama comes in to midfield, while Harry Kane starts a third game in a week after returning from injury.
 
Team News
 
Laurent Koscielny is also fit enough to start for Arsenal after an injury scare against Bournemouth.
 
Alexandre Lacazette is preferred to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up front, and Granit Xhaka to Lucas Torreira in midfield.
 
Derren Brown? Penn coaching the defence, Teller the attack? Paul Merson?
 
Mauricio Pochettino believes Daniel Levy will have to find another "magic guy" if he is expected to start winning the Premier League and Champions League in the club's current climate.
 
And with Pochettino presumably glancing more and more anxiously into the rear-view mirror, today's opponents aren't the only side he'll see...
 
Tottenham certainly wouldn't have expected Wembley to host this game when the fixtures came out last summer.
 
But the continued delays at the new White Hart Lane mean we are indeed at Wembley, which, as plenty of Arsenal fans have pointed out on Twitter since Spurs moved two their temporary home, marginally closer to the Emirates than the site of the new stadium...
 
The series is one apiece this season, with Arsenal coming from behind to win the reverse fixture before Spurs got some form of revenge in the Carabao Cup three weeks later in a game marred by an unsavoury incident involving Dele Alli.
 
Overall, the series record reads 82 Arsenal wins, 64 Spurs wins and 51 draws.
 
Who'll come out on top this afternoon?
 
Shkodran Mustafi is an unnatural right-back for Arsenal this afternoon, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles a welcome returnee to the bench and someone who may fill that berth in subsequent fixtures.
 
But visitors to the Emirates on Wednesday caught a rare glimpse of Carl Jenkinson in full flow, and Luke Brown pays tribute with a panegyric fitting of a peculiar player who has nevertheless outlasted the rest of the famous 2012 British core.
 
Harry Kane loves a London derby, and the Tottenham striker would move ahead of Emmanuel Adebayor as top goalscorer in this fixture in the Premier League should he get on the scoresheet today.
 
Kick-off is less than 20 minutes away...
 
Kick-off is very swiftly approaching.
 
Spurs, of course, are yet to draw a game in the Premier League this season...
Tottenham are assembled in the tunnel, but Unai Emery and Arsenal are making them wait, delaying their exit from the Wembley dressing rooms to as late as possible.
 
Mind games...
Finally the teams come out onto a Wembley pitch swathed in March sunshine, somewhat overcast morning skies clearing to leave perfect conditions for spring football.
 
Scarcely an empty seat in the lower tiers, and it's hardly sparse at the very top, as you would expect.
Anthony Taylor is the whistle man for this fixture.
KICK OFF
Arsenal get things underway.
1 minute
 
As anticipated, Shkodran Mustafi starts at right-back for Arsenal.
 
Three centre halves and wing backs for Tottenham, with Christian Eriksen central behind Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane starting as a clear front two.
2 minutes
 
Arsenal press high but clever passing down the right from Kieran Trippier and Moussa Sissoko breaches the press.
 
But the move breaks down and Alex Iwobi picks up the ball on the left touchline.
 
Moving in, the Nigerian's pass is deflected up into the air, lopping over the Spurs defence and into the path of Alexnadre Lacazette, who should do better with his left-footed shot across Hugo Lloris, which is rather scuffed and dribbles wide.

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