Conte's moment with Sarr
Not many Tottenham fans would have correctly predicted the starting XI ahead of kick-off following such a big surprise in Antonio Conte's midfield. With all eyes on Rodrigo Bentancur's fitness in the days leading up to the derby, it was Pape Matar Sarr who instead got the nod next to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the middle of the park.
Just not getting a look in prior to the World Cup, the Senegal ace has come into the head coach's thinking of late and minutes have comes his way in the past three games. Excellent in last week's slender FA Cup win against Portsmouth, the 20-year-old was rewarded for his promising display with his first ever Premier League start.
The decision demonstrated just how much the ex-Metz man has impressed Conte over the past month after only making two Premier League 2 appearances before heading off to Qatar. The call also highlighted that the starlet has jumped ahead of Oliver Skipp in the pecking order and maybe even Yves Bissouma after the ex-Brighton & Hove Albion had to settle for a place on the bench despite Bentancur's absence.
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Just before the players made their way out on to the pitch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as they lined up in the tunnel, Conte made his way over to Sarr and gave him a kiss on the top of his head. Perhaps kissing him for good luck, Sarr, who sent Granit Xhaka to ground with a neat dummy in the first half and looked comfortable on the ball throughout, handled the occasion well and game time will continue to come his way as a result.
A lack of quality from Sessegnon
Another big surprise in terms of Conte's Tottenham XI was the decision to start Ryan Sessegnon ahead of Ivan Perisic at left wing-back. Maybe a shock for some given the Croat's excellent numbers from the left after registering eight assists so far this season, the boss does often turn to Sessegnon in the big matches.
The ex-Fulham man was involved a couple of times inside the first five minutes with Spurs working the ball well and finding him in space down the left. In excellent crossing positions both times, the 22-year-old couldn't make the most of the opportunities and failed to beat the first man.
Incredibly frustrating moments for Conte and the Spurs fans inside the stadium, many were left wondering what would have happened if it was Perisic on the ball instead of his competitor. Given the runaround by Bukayo Saka in the opening 45 minutes, Sessegnon did improve after the break and was unlucky not to net after Aaron Ramsdale saved well not long after the restart.
Lloris at fault again
Hugo Lloris was once again a major talking point following another howler in the North London Derby. Having fumbled the ball for Gabriel Jesus' strike back in October, the World Cup winner was guilty of a huge error as Arsenal's opener was credited to him after he failed to keep hold of Saka's cross.
It looked a simple take for the experienced goalkeeper but he couldn't gather the ball and it bounced over the line as the Gunners made the best start possible. Replays showed that Saka's cross did take the slightest of touches off Sessegnon, yet it was still not enough of a deflection to really trouble Lloris.
Prior to that the shot-stopper had almost gifted the visitors the lead after some poor play with his feet led to Eddie Nketiah having the opportunity to shoot from close range. Thankfully Lloris was on hand to save on that occasion.
Making a number of high-profile errors in the past, the 36-year-old has made a fair few clangers this term and they have proved rather costly. As much as Lloris has given the club following his move from Lyon in the summer of 2012, Fabio Paratici and Tottenham need to find his long-term successor sooner rather than later.
Romero angered by Martinelli
There was one moment in the second half when Arsenal man Gabriel Martinelli angered Cristian Romero. Seeing a ball sprayed across the field, the Brazil international turned away from the ball and controlled it using his back.
Clearly showboating with the visitors two goals to the good and with 20 minutes remaining on the clock, it was something that didn't go down well with Romero. He sprinted across to close down the Arsenal man and said something in his direction, before again having words once again a matter of moments later.
He wasn't impressed at all with Martinelli's antics.
Another mountain to climb
Tottenham once again gave themselves a major uphill battle after going in 2-0 down at the break. Whereas they have overcome a two-goal deficit on a handful of occasions this term to register points, including against Brentford on Boxing Day when they drew 2-2, it was a different prospect altogether trying to come back against the league leaders.
Spurs gave everyone a glimmer of hope at the start of the second half with Dejan Kulusevski, Harry Kane and Sessegnon all going close. The chances continued to come their way in the second half but Ramsdale, who was named man of the match by Sky Sports, was on hand time and time again to deny them.
Despite their woes in the first 45 minutes, Spurs ended up having more shots on target than Arsenal after testing the England goalkeeper seven times compared to the five on target from the visitors. However, it's all well and good hitting the target but you need to take the chances when they come your way.
As has been said numerous times this season, Tottenham need to stop making life so difficult for themselves as it is only going to impact their aspirations come May.
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