Arsenal’s progress under Mikel Arteta undermined by defence

Arsenal's 2-1 defeat to Tottenham showcased the defensive vulnerabilities that Mikel Arteta will need to erase if he is to succeed in the job, writes Adam Bate.

“I think Mikel found a way for them to be stable and they are improving,” Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports in his post-match assessment. “And then we found our chances.”

It was a neat summary of a game in which Mourinho's Tottenham were dominated for large spells but still ran out 2-1 winners thanks to Arsenal's all too familiar weaknesses.

Mourinho's strategy was clear, particularly in a second half in which his side saw just 24 per cent of the ball. Spurs sat in and waited for mistakes - because the mistakes were coming.

Arsenal's encouraging form is being undermined by a failure to do the basics.

The defeat means Mikel Arteta's side are back down in ninth - below their rivals and with qualification for the Europa League let alone the Champions League now in the balance.

There have been positives for Arteta as he looks to sift through the wreckage of years of confusion and mismanagement at the Emirates Stadium. But the 15 points lost from winning positions since he arrived are an indication that the mentality still needs to change.

Meaningful progress is still to come.

That is a frustration for fans because there had been positive signs in beating Wolves 2-0 at Molineux just one week ago. Arsenal have been the better side for long periods of the two matches that have followed - at home to Leicester and this away day against Spurs.

But they have contrived to pick up only one point from six.

At least there was the excuse of Eddie Nketiah's red card to help explain the dramatic momentum shift that saw them lose their way in midweek. Against Tottenham, they gifted their opponents the equaliser in the first half before being sucker-punched in the second.

Alexandre Lacazette's opening strike was a reminder of the firepower that Arsenal possess. The error that cancelled it out just 137 seconds later was a reminder of how easy it is to squander the advantage that this attacking quality can provide.

Sead Kolasinac was the player guilty of the slack pass to David Luiz that Heung-Min Son latched onto and lofted over goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. It was the sort of mistake that most would file under shocking but has long since lost the power to shock their own supporters. บาคาร่า