Football Review | Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 0 Arsenal

Arsenal were forced to settle for a second straight draw in the WSL

Tottenham produced a disciplined performance in the north London derby.

Author | DJ

Stadium | Brisbane Road

After drawing with Chelsea in the league and losing to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Arsenal were unable to find a response on an afternoon that grew increasingly frustrating for the visitors.

Tottenham were organised and confident both with and without the ball, riding out several spells of pressure to claim a deserved point under their new head coach Martin Ho.

The result leaves the two sides level on 16 points, sitting fourth and fifth in the table, and will be viewed as another encouraging marker of Tottenham's bright start to the season.

Arsenal dominated possession for long stretches, especially after the break, yet created little of real substance and rarely troubled Spurs goalkeeper Lize Kop. Much of their attacking play lacked conviction.

READ MORE | More news and stories from London's WSL sides

Substitute Olivia Smith provided the main spark for Arsenal, repeatedly finding joy down the right and carving out openings, but Tottenham held their shape and fully earned their share of the spoils.

Ho's team had shown signs of progress despite defeat to London City Lionesses last time out, so this was a fitting reward for their steady improvement in recent months.

By contrast, the pressure grows on Arsenal, who now sit eight points behind leaders Manchester City and have struggled to build momentum.

Tottenham are starting to bridge the gap between the two sides

Ho's squad have surpassed early expectations, adapting quickly to his methods and climbing the table with a consistency not seen in recent seasons.

This was a derby with more meaning than most, with the sides level on points and a place in the top three within reach. From the outset there was a sense that Tottenham would ask questions going forward and stay compact at the back, and so it proved.

Tottenham shaded parts of the first half, looking composed in possession, sharper in midfield duels and more alert to Arsenal's sporadic movement in attack.

Spurs defended well throughout

Their display underlined the strides made since Ho’s arrival, blending a pragmatic structure with flashes of enterprise and individual talent.

They were pinned back for much of the second half as Smith continued to probe down the right and Arsenal applied more pressure, yet Spurs refused to buckle.

The draw strengthens Tottenham's promising early campaign and signals a narrowing of the divide with an Arsenal side that have dominated recent meetings but found no such advantage here.

A record crowd of 6,788 turned out at Brisbane Road, including 1,324 Arsenal supporters, adding to the sense of occasion on a landmark afternoon for Tottenham.