Arsenal 2 Tottenham 3:Tottenham completed one of the most amazing comebacks in north London derby history to end their 17-year wait for a win at Arsenal and deny their arch-rivals top spot in the Premier League.
The Gunners romped to a 2-0 half-time lead thanks to brilliant goals from Samir Nasri and Marouane Chamakh as William Gallas’s return to the Emirates Stadium looked set to end in defeat.
But Gallas, named captain for the match, had the last laugh as Gareth Bale pulled a goal back and Cesc Fabregas inexplicably handled Rafael van der Vaart’s free-kick to allow the Dutchman to level from the penalty spot before Younes Kaboul headed home a dramatic winner five minutes from time.
Nasri carried out his threat not to shake the hand of former team-mate William Gallas, who he fell out with before the latter’s summer departure.
But the pair did come into contact in the first minute, Gallas thwarting Nasri with a tackle as the midfielder was found by Fabregas’s through ball.
At the other end, Bale flicked a Van der Vaart corner straight at Lukasz Fabianski.
Fabregas should have done better with an acre of space in the box, his low cross too close to Heurelho Gomes, but the Arsenal captain made amends by setting up a brilliant ninth-minute opener.
The midfielder’s 40-yard pass was matched by a superb run from Nasri, who raced between Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Kaboul, rounded Gomes and produced an amazing clipped finish from the tightest of angles.
Bacary Sagna was booked for a late tackle on Bale before Chamakh was wrongly flagged offside bursting onto an Andrey Arshavin pass.
Van der Vaart escaped with a warning after reacting furiously to a free-kick decision and Fabregas dragged wide after beating Kaboul to Sagna’s ball all too easily.
Spurs were rocking but could have levelled during a short spell of pressure when Kaboul nodded Aaron Lennon’s cross wide.
But as the visitors pushed forward, they were caught on the break by a wonderful sucker-punch goal in the 27th minute.
The move started right at the back, flowing effortlessly through midfield before finishing when Arshavin’s low cross was poked home by Chamakh.
It was no more than Arsenal deserved, the home side looking every inch the title contenders and the visitors very much also-rans.
Luka Modric did force an uncomfortable parry from Fabianski and Van der Vaart blazed over to herald a sustained spell of Spurs dominance.
But while Arsenal’s defence creaked, it refused to buckle and they might have had a third goal in stoppage-time had Chamakh beaten Kaboul or had Nasri’s touch been better.
Half-time saw Spurs replace Lennon with Jermain Defoe, the striker’s first appearance since undergoing ankle surgery two months earlier.
He made an immediate impact as Tottenham pulled a goal back in the 50th minute, outjumping his marker to flick the ball to Van der Vaart.
The Dutchman in turn fed Bale, who clipped a cool finish past Fabianski with the outside of his left foot.
Defoe then set up Modric for a fierce 20-yard strike that just cleared the crossbar.
Arsenal were still enjoying plenty of the ball but the final pass was letting them down, while Sebastien Squillaci also miscued a header from six yards.
Chamakh also allowed himself to be pickpocketed by Gallas after breaking clear before Spurs were gifted a 67th-minute equaliser.
Referee Phil Dowd decided Alex Song had fouled Modric 25 yards out and Van der Vaart’s resulting free-kick was clearly handled in the wall by Fabregas.
Dowd pointed to the spot and Van der Vaart stepped up to convert the penalty before being booked for his celebration.
Arsenal immediately threw on Robin van Persie for Chamakh.
Arsenal had the ball in the net in the 72nd minute but provider Fabregas and scorer Squillaci were both rightly flagged offside.
Tottenham brought on Peter Crouch for Pavlyuchenko before the home side threw on Theo Walcott and Tomas Rosicky for Arshavin and Nasri.
Fabregas immediately forced a wonderful one-handed save from Gomes from 20 yards before an unmarked Laurent Koscielny nodded over Van Persie’s far-post cross.
Denilson was yellow carded for bringing down Bale in full flight, while the ball just failed to come down quickly enough for Van der Vaart after Crouch caused chaos in the Arsenal area.
Squillaci was the latest player booked for felling Bale, a foul that proved fatal as Van der Vaart sent in an 85th-minute free-kick which Kaboul flicked into the net.
It was a stunning fightback and the inspirational Van der Vaart was quickly sacrificed for Wilson Palacios.
Arsenal piled forward in search of an equaliser and Walcott blazed over in the final minutes and Rosicky sent a stoppage-time shot straight at Gomes but Tottenham’s defence held firm.