Arsenal have worked extremely hard in recent weeks to prove that they are finally real title candidates this season after failing over the past few years largely as a result of inexperience and naivety, with Arsene Wenger's young side sometimes missing a crucial element of leadership. Hard-fought wins over Wolves away from home and Everton away from home seemed to prove that the home defeat at the hands of Newcastle prior to those games was a minor blip from which they did well to recover. However, on the evidence of the weekend's game against Spurs, it would seem that all the positive work performed so far this season has gone to waste.
The first half of the North London derby showcased Arsenal's silky skills and possession football brilliantly, with Spurs unable to break up the home side's play. Despite Rafael Van der Vaart and Gareth Bale forced into more defensive positions in an attempt to help out the Spurs defenders with the likes of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas running riot, Arsenal were allowed the time and space within which to weave their magic and they perhaps should have scored more than the two goals they grabbed in the opening 45 minutes.
However, even those favouring the arsenal betting odds will admit that the second half saw naivety and sloppy play creep into Arsenal's style, with complacency allowing Spurs a foothold in the game. After Spurs' opener, Arsenal lost their heads and the sort of composure needed to win the title was entirely missing from their play. When Tottenham grabbed an equaliser, it seemed there was only one side capable of finding a winner.
With tough fixtures coming up against Aston Villa away from home, and a trip to Manchester United also on the horizon, Wenger may find that it's only the inconsistency shown by the other sides in the race for the title that prevents the arsenal odds of success falling behind irreparably over the Christmas period.
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