Match Report

Arsenal

Tottenham Hotspur

Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Vieira, Bould, Wright, Bergkamp, Overmars, Parlour (Anelka, 71), Petit (Platt, 69), Grimandi.

Attendance
38,102

Referee
G S Willard

Walker, Edinburgh, Howells, Fox (Nielsen, 45), Ferdinand, Carr, Scales, Iversen (Mabbutt, 45), Sinton (Domingues, 31), Campbell, Clemence.

Subs not used: Garde, Lukic, Marshall.

Subs not used: Baardsen, Arber.

Booked: Bergkamp, Wright, Bould.

Booked: Campbell, Carr, Domingues.
Sent Off: Edinburgh.

    Ten-men Tottenham emerged with a brave point after they had Justin Edinburgh sent off just before half time and then took a pounding from North London rivals Arsenal at Highbury.
    The Gunners hit the woodwork four times in the first half and turned the local derby into a siege.
    But they could not break down an uncompromising rearguard action by their neighbours for whom Sol Campbell returned after injury to press his claims for an England place with an impressive marking job on Ian Wright.

    Edinburgh was sent off for a second bookable offence in first-half stoppage time after tripping Wright, who again failed to match Cliff Bastin's club goalscoring record, and then Lee Dixon.
    There were seven bookings in all as the usual passions surfaced in this clash between old foes but Arsenal should have had the match wrapped up by the interval.
    Steve Bould saw his shot deflect off David Howells and onto a post early on and then Marc Overmars, the £7million Dutch winger, cracked the crossbar with a stunning drive before Dennis Bergkamp, his compatriate, did likewise from an Overmars free-kick.
    As the pressure grew from the Gunners, Wright looked certain to collect his 178th goal for the club equalling the record mark of 30s star Bastin when a perceptive Bergkamp pass put him in the clear. But he rammed his drive against the underside of the bar with only Ian Walker to beat.

    Edinburgh's dismissal prompted his manager Gerry Francis, who has lost only once to Arsenal as boss of either Tottenham or previous club QPR, to send on defenders Gary Mabbutt and Allan Nielsen for strikers Steffen Iversen and Ruel Fox at the start of the second half.
    And Spurs constructed a defensive wall against which Arsenal repeatedly banged their heads.
    Wright saw one shot cannon off Mabbutt for a corner when it was heading for the corner of the net, the elusive Overmars twice shot inches wide and right at the end when substitute David Platt knocked on a Dixon cross, Wright put the ball over the bar from six yards when it seemed easier to score.     But battling Spurs fought furiously for their points even though, as an attacking unit, they were very quiet.

Arsenal never resulted to the long-ball barrage which might have been their biggest option before the arrival of French manager Arsene Wenger, but their patient football still produced no reward.
Deep into injury-time, Bergkamp, having been booked for the third consecutive match, rifled a cracking drive just over the bar but Spurs with Campbell, Mabbutt and John Scales magnificent in defence, held out for their share of North London pride.