Arsenal - 1 Tottenham - 1: Throughout the saga of Thierry Henry's uncertain future mention has been made of how much Arsenal will miss the striker if he departs. Over the past 15 days their fans have received painful confirmation of the gap he would leave. None will doubt that Arsene Wenger's gambles in not starting the captain against Manchester United and Tottenham contributed to taking one point from those two matches. It now looks as if the team will have to win the European Cup to play in it next season.
Wenger is entitled to point out that Arsenal only drew at Portsmouth in between with Henry and that sparing use of the 28-year-old in the Premiership may make the difference between the club lifting the European Cup for the first time or going out in the semi-finals.
The manager cannot be blamed for wanting to take a rare chance to prevail in that tournament and correctly predicted that Villarreal would rest 10 players against Real Sociedad on Saturday. But failure in Europe and a finish below fourth in the league will leave his selections looking unwise.
Whatever the rights or wrongs of omitting Henry here, his impact after coming on in the 62nd minute spoke volumes. Though one of his first duties was to watch Robbie Keane's incendiary goal, he responded by making a chance, equalising and helping to push Spurs ever deeper in Arsenal's best spell of pressure.
Henry psychologically boosts his team while deflating opponents, and Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie were mainly quiet. Henry's celebration after he finished sweetly from a rare penetrating Adebayor pass, running almost the length of the field towards the away fans, is unlikely to bring Football Association censure, though the governing body will take guidance from the referee Steve Bennett on that as it sifts through the fallout.
It will today study footage of Jens Lehmann's and Robert Pires' confrontation with Edgar Davids after Keane's goal to decide whether charges are required. It will also examine Wenger's claim that Martin Jol lied in saying he had not seen two Arsenal players on the floor after colliding as Spurs began the move that ended in them scoring and the managers going eyeball to eyeball.
He may be asked to explain his comments and can expect a fine if subsequently charged and found guilty. He was still consumed by anger that Tottenham had not kicked the ball out to allow treatment when he addressed his selections.
"People will criticise because Thierry Henry didn't start," he said, "but at the end of the day I think if Tottenham had not stolen that goal we would have won."
Talk of lying and thieving reflected Wenger's frustration at Arsenal's performance and the latest failure of his rotation but should not obscure one important fact. Jol made one of Saturday's more unarguable observations when he said: "Tottenham deserved something from this game."
Spurs were superior in the first half and could have won with sharper finishes or final passes. Aaron Lennon exposed Philippe Senderos and Mathieu Flamini when running at them but needs to improve his delivery.
This season Arsenal have won two of the eight Premiership games Henry has not started. On Saturday they were not helped by vapid displays from Jose Reyes and Pires and the inability of Abou Diaby to help Gilberto Silva gain a grip on a midfield in which Michael Carrick and Teemu Tainio were outstanding.
Spurs are guaranteed a Uefa Cup berth and wins at home to Bolton and at West Ham will secure fourth spot.
They were helped by a clever performance by Keane, who could hardly miss when set up by a cross from the busy Davids, whose late red card for a second booking could not ruin Tottenham's joy.
Guardian Service
