Spurs score twice in the last minutes to draw 4–4 at Arsenal

Juande Ramos left Tottenham on 25 October 2008. His side had taken two points from their first eight league games, the club's worst start in 126 years, and within hours Harry Redknapp had been brought in from Portsmouth. The next day Spurs beat Bolton 2–0 at White Hart Lane. Three days after that they went to the Emirates, still bottom of the table.

The long-range opener

Tottenham scored first. Early in the game David Bentley took the ball on his thigh and volleyed it from long range over Manuel Almunia, a goal both clubs' own reports measured at 40 yards.

Arsenal came back through set pieces, both delivered by Robin van Persie. Mikael Silvestre headed in a corner before half-time, and straight after the break William Gallas headed in a free-kick. It was the thing Redknapp had tried to guard against. "We worked all day yesterday defending set plays, corners," he said afterwards.

Samir Nasri then slipped Emmanuel Adebayor through for a close-range third, and Van Persie struck a fourth from Adebayor's pass. Spurs' only reply in that spell came from Darren Bent, on as a substitute, who scored when Almunia could not hold a shot. With the game in its closing stages Arsenal led 4–2 in front of 60,043.

The last minutes

In the final minutes Gaël Clichy lost his footing and Jermaine Jenas, captaining Spurs, curled a shot into the corner to make it 4–3. Late on Arsenal sent on Emmanuel Eboué, Abou Diaby and Alex Song.

In stoppage time Luka Modrić shot against the post. Aaron Lennon, another second-half substitute, was first to the rebound and scored. It finished 4–4.

Arsène Wenger did not hide his view of who had been the better side. "We were absolutely, certainly a level above Tottenham today," he said. "Unfortunately we were not rewarded because we lack maturity and instead of being efficient we became a little too negative in the last 10 minutes."

Spurs left the Emirates still bottom of the Premier League, and with a point.