(CNN)Ten-man
Arsenal ended a three game losing run to hold local rival Tottenham
Hotspur 2-2 and maintain its Premier League title chances at White Hart
Lane Saturday.
Aaron
Ramsey gave the Gunners the lead on 38 minutes by flicking Hector
Bellerin's low cross beyond Hugo Lloris in the Tottenham goal.
But
the tables turned when Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin was shown a
second yellow card shortly after halftime for a needless foul on Spurs
striker Harry Kane.
Within
minutes, Toby Alderweireld had leveled for the hosts from close range.
Kane then put Spurs in front shortly after with a curling shot from a
seemingly impossible angle.
Yet
Arsenal battled on despite its numerical disadvantage and drew level
when Alexis Sanchez fired low beyond Lloris when slipped through on goal
by Bellerin.
Arsenal's
second choice goalkeeper, David Ospina, also played his part stepping
in for the injured Petr Cech to secure the result.
The
Colombian made nine saves throughout the match to keep Spurs forward
line at bay -- a stat that frustrated Spurs striker Kane.
"We
are disappointed, it's an opportunity missed," Kane told BT Sport after
the match. "We should have got the third and fourth and that would have
been the end but if you give top sides room they punish you."
The
result means Tottenham remains second in the EPL table, three points
ahead of Arsenal in third place with just nine games of the season
remaining.
As such, the real victors from all the
drama in north London could be league-leaders Leicester City, which can
stretch its current two-point lead atop the table with a win away to
Watford later Saturday.
"If Leicester
win at Watford, they are in a very good position and they don't depend
on other people's results," Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger later told
reporters.
Asked whether Arsenal can
still win the league despite damaging recent defeats to Manchester
United and Swansea, Wenger added: "I don't know. Let's see what happens
over the weekend but we have to take encouragement from today and if we
can reproduce that we still have a chance."
"It shows that we had the right spirit and balance in the team, and overall we had a solid performance," Wenger added.
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