Spurs drew with their rivals thanks to a mature performance where they were perhaps unlucky not to win - Could they now be in a position to challenge Arsenal?
Closing the gap: Are Spurs ready to end a 20 year wait?
Tottenham Hotspur made it 11 Premier League games unbeaten as they avoided defeat against Arsenal on Sunday.
Spurs claimed a 1-1 draw at the Emirates with a mature performance where they were perhaps unlucky not to win, Harry Kane's first-half goal cancelled out by Gunners substitute Kieran Gibbs.
The result helped continue the Lilywhites' upward trajectory under Maurico Pochettino, as he continues to mould a side that looks ready to not only challenge, but to attain a top four spot.
So could they now be in a position to challenge their north London rivals? They haven't finished above them since 1995 but they only sit five points off right now and Pochettino's men are seemingly growing as a team.
So could north London bragging rights finally head to White Hart Lane? Or will it be a 21st year where Arsenal look down on their rivals?
Our Mirror Football writers' assess the situation... In pictures - Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham:
Sorry, but I yawned at this one. Haven't we been here before?
Like in March 2013 when Tottenham went seven points clear of Arsenal with ten games left. Or another season when Champions League qualification went to the final day.
Are Spurs making progress? Of course. Should they be worried about Arsenal? No.
Julian Finney/Getty
Bragging rights: Is it still Giroud and co. who represent the best of north London?
They need to worry about themselves finish top four - and I think they can do it this year. Mauricio Pochettino is doing a fine job.
But to suggest Tottenham can close a gap which has been incredibly wide during Arsene Wenger's reign is a nonsense.
They were terrific at the Emirates and deserved to win. But if we judge closing a 20 year gap on just one performance then we might as well all pack up and go home.
Darren Lewis
Tottenham's performance yesterday was outstanding. Their best away from home for some time. They still, however, have some way to go.
Arsenal still have the better squad, top players to come back and are in the better place in terms of their stadium and financial stability. They are still the Champions League club, competing for the title and attracting the really big players.
Tottenham are the club making the most of what they have and building a new team from the back.
Kent Gavin/Daily Mirror
Some way to go: Pochettino's side must continue to build
That’s not to say that the fans should not be delighted with the rapid progress they are making under Mauricio Pochettino.
Having turfed out the underachievers and wasters they are a younger, fresher, more exciting side, packed with pace and a willingness to work
But, even if they had won, one good display at the Emirates would not haul them closer to a team that are on another level right now.
Adrian Kajumba
Tottenham are on the rise under Mauricio Pochettino.
There are plenty of reasons - on and off the pitch - for Spurs fans to be excited about what is going on at their club. And they should have underlined that with what would have been a fully deserved north London derby win at the Emirates on Sunday.
But it's too early to talk about gaps closing just yet. We have seen a number of false dawns in that sense recently. And let's not forget how big a gap it is to close. Spurs haven't finished above Arsenal in the league since 1995. Since they were last the best club in north London Spurs have won one trophy compared to Arsenal's nine (not including six Community Shields).
Arsenal are in their 18th consecutive season in the Champions League and have reached one final. Their biggest rivals have qualified for the competition just once. So Spurs have plenty of ground to make up. But the signs are so promising for Spurs.
Reuters / Eddie Keogh
Focus: Pochettino has put together a side in the image he wants, all working together
Julian Finney/Getty
Up for the fight: Vertonghen and Giroud clash
Even more than they have been when this topic has cropped up in recent years. At last at Spurs there seems to be a plan. The type of player that fits the Pochettino mould and the way he wants his team to play is clear to see and his methods are being endorsed by performances and results.
Spurs are finally looking long-term and have found themselves a manager who looks capable of building something substantial at White Hart Lane.
And if they can continue their improvement over the long-term and back it up with trophies and top four finishes then the gap will definitely close.
James Nursey
Tottenham finished fifth last season, two places and 11 points behind Arsenal. But on their current form, and after yesterday's close contest, it will surely be closer between the two North London clubs this season.
In the past, with the exception perhaps of Gareth Bale, Arsenal have simply had better players than their rivals.
Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty
The one that got away: Kane scores the derby opener
But in Harry Kane, Spurs have a formidable homegrown striker who Arsene Wenger openly rues missing out on.
And other players - Hugo Lloris, Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Dele Alli - could also possibly get in the Arsenal side these days and certainly their squad.
Joe Mewis
Sure, one swallow doesn't make a summer, but after watching yesterday's draw at the Emirates, it's hard to argue against the fact that Tottenham have made more progress than Arsenal over the past 12 months.
Spurs have been quietly putting together a very efficient campaign, having not lost in the Premier League since the opening day as the club have benefited from a sensible summer in the transfer market as Mauricio Pochettino's masterplan has taken shape.
His team yesterday looked balanced, committed and had a very clear idea of what their manager told them to do, whereas the same cannot be said of the home side.
Action Images via Reuters / Andrew Couldridge
Unlikely hero: Gibbs was the man to thank for earning Arsenal a point
And while Arsenal have improved in certain areas - they've started to produce in big games on a semi-regular basis and have sorted out their goalkeeping position - they still have several of the same old failings, with a lack of depth being the biggest blight on their copybook.
That said, Arsenal are still ahead of their north London neighbours and I fully expect them to finish ahead of them when at the end of the campaign - but St Totteringham's Day may well come later than usual this year.
Ben Burrows
While it's clear - the league table doesn't often lie - that Arsenal remain the superior team in north London it's also becoming more obvious that Tottenham are indeed closing the gap.
And the reason for that is also easy to see - the man in charge.
Given the time that no Spurs boss has been has in the last decade or more Mauricio Pochettino is fast proving to be one of the very best around.
David Price
More than equal: Did Pochettino out-coach Wenger on Sunday?
The Argentine's teams are set-up exquisitely, every player knowing and performing his own role to a tee, with all of them, to a man, leaving every drop on the field. Combine all three and you have a potent mix.
Take yesterday for example: very few of the Tottenham first XI would make it into the corresponding Arsenal line-up - but there's no doubt who were the better team on the day.
It may be tantamount to heresy in places, but whisper it quietly: in 2015 Arsenal have the better players, Tottenham have the better coach.
Jack Lang
It would seem churlish to judge this solely on yesterday’s game, simply because Arsenal were so obviously below their best.
Until injuries hit, Arsene Wenger’s side had been impressive in the Premier League and still look capable of mounting a title challenge. The international break probably comes at just the right time for them.
But Spurs are certainly a growing force under Mauricio Pochettino.
The Argentine has them playing tidy, clinical football in front of a defence that, by Tottenham’s recent standards, is as solid as a brick wall.
Reuters / Eddie Keogh
More to come: Can Pochettino unlock Erik Lamela's potential?
They’re not perfect, by any means. Erik Lamela remains a frustratingly flitty sprinkler of stardust, while it would be unfair to expect Dele Alli and Eric Dier to maintain their current level of performance through the entire season, given their relative inexperience.
But in Pochettino they have a steely, thoughtful manager who is capable of growing with his young players. If they continue on their current trajectory, they’ll be well on the way to closing the gap on their red-shirted rivals.
Alex Richards
Type in the word lackadaisical on Google and wait for the web description. Underneath the adjective is shown how to use said word in a sentence, which reads as such: "a lackadaisical defence left Spurs adrift in the second half".
That's what Mauricio Pochettino is currently fighting against: not just an Arsenal side built in Arsene Wenger's image,over a 20 year period, but also the whole issue of Spurs being Spursy.
Certainly, he's winning that battle. As they showed at the Emirates, the side are maturing nicely, with young players who are growing, and a defensive trio - Lloris, Vertonghen, Alderweireld - that is perhaps as solid as anything they've had in the last decade.
But if Pochettino is to close this gap on Arsenal and threaten to overtake them, then he'll need help. Notably from the board and notably in terms of a goalscorer blessed with genuine pace - the kind of pace that kills defences at the highest level. Jamie Vardy has been linked while Saido Berahino was the No.1 target in August. Such a partner would certainly help Harry Kane. Alas, such a player will cost.
Alex Broadway
Help wanted: Pochettino needs backing so he can help Kane
Action
Businessmen: Pochettino deserves even greater backing from Lewis and Levy
However, if they are to catch their rivals, then Spurs need to grow. They need one or two difference-makers who can help turn draws (six so far) into wins. And to grow to the level they ultimately want - regular Champions League action - they have to pay for those players. Pochettino will know that and hopefully chairman Daniel Levy and owner Joe Lewis do too.
If not, then Spurs are destined to always remain well and truly in Arsenal's shadow. Thanks to Pochettino, they can at least see the light.
If Tottenham are closing the gap on Arsenal, then could they finish above them this season?
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