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• James Maddison believes Tottenham are pushing away from their ‘Spursy’ tag

  James Maddison believes Tottenham are starting to shed their ‘Spursy’ tag after they continued a fine start to the new season with a battling 2-2 draw at rivals Arsenal.

  Spurs had lost on their last three visits to the Emirates and not won there in the Premier League since 2010.

  Tottenham’s losing streak to Arsenal could have continued after Cristian Romero’s own goal and Bukayo Saka’s penalty twice put the hosts ahead in the north London derby, but Son Heung-min equalised twice – both from Maddison assists – to earn a share of the spoils.

  A lengthy trophy drought coupled with frequent collapses on the biggest of occasions contributed towards the ‘Spursy’ tag growing during the past few years, but the club’s new number 10 hit back following another strong showing by Ange Postecoglou’s team.

  “We’re not in there celebrating a point, I think there was a few little moments at the end especially in the dying minutes where we could have maybe won it from a set-piece,” Maddison told talkSPORT.

  “I think winning late last week and coming back twice (here), when you hear fans and neutrals talk about Tottenham they often say, ‘soft, weak, they’ll bottle it, Spursy’, all that rubbish. I think the last couple of weeks shows that we might be going in a slightly different direction.

  “We scored in the 98th and 101st minute against Sheffield United to win late on when it looked like it was going to be one of those days.

  “Here we go behind twice at arguably one of the best teams in the world, we pull it back and we’re still fighting right until the end. Hopefully we can continue that.”

  Maddison was crucial to Tottenham leaving the Emirates with a point after he set up both of Son’s goals to make it four assists in six league matches since his summer switch from Leicester.

  It could have been a different story had Gabriel Jesus made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute when he robbed the ball from Maddison on the edge of Spurs’ penalty area, but the Arsenal forward blazed over.

  Postecoglou continued to encourage his team to play out from the back and that bravery was rewarded with a fine display where Tottenham enjoyed 53 per cent possession, a marked improvement on the 35 per cent they had under Antonio Conte at the Emirates last season in a humbling 3-1 loss.

  Maddison added: “I was really proud of how courageous the lads were and how brave we were. There were a couple of occasions in the first half, myself included, where we gave the ball away.

  “I gave the ball away edge of the box, they nearly scored and it is so easy to sink and not carry on playing the way the manager wants us to play, but that’s what bravery is.

  “It is having big b**** to take the ball under pressure. I gave it away but the manager makes me feel so good that I can get it again and if I give it away, it’s OK because that’s how he wants us to play.

  “He won’t be cheering if I keep giving it away on the edge of the box, but it was only once and once was enough to remind me to be a bit quicker because these derby games are a rapid pace.

  “After that I thought we passed the ball really well and had spells where we dominated.”

  Meanwhile, Maddison was happy to give back some stick post-match to England team-mate Saka, who mimicked Maddison’s own darts celebration for both of Arsenal’s goals, but was turned by the Spurs playmaker for Son’s first goal.

  Maddison, who was forced off with a slight knee injury, quipped to SpursPlay: “Me and Bukayo had a bit of banter and a bit of trash talking if you like on international duty.

  “I got told he did the dart celebration and he must have still been doing it when I turned him for the first goal.”

• Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta ‘not thinking’ about Man City’s lead after derby draw

  Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta brushed off talk of Manchester City’s growing lead at the Premier League summit, but did admit injuries were already starting to test his squad.

  The Gunners were pegged back twice by rivals Tottenham on Sunday and dropped points again following an entertaining 2-2 derby draw.

  It left Arsenal already four points off City, who are perfect after six fixtures, with the memory of Pep Guardiola’s side being able to overturn an eight-point deficit in April to clinch title success last season still fresh at the Emirates.

  Guardiola’s City visit north London on October 8 but Arteta, when asked about the current points deficit, insisted: “We’re not thinking about this. We have a game every three days, we try to win our games.

  “We tried to win our game again and we didn’t manage it for very obvious reasons. That’s it and we have to improve.”

  Declan Rice added to Arsenal’s growing injury list when he was forced off at half-time with a back problem.

  It makes the England international an early doubt for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie at Brentford, although the ex-West Ham midfielder would likely have been rested in west London anyway.

  “He had some discomfort in his back. He was telling us during the first half that he was uncomfortable,” Arteta said of Rice.

  “When we assessed him at half-time, he could not continue so we had to change him.

  “We have to assess him. It’s strange that a player like him asked to come off because he was uncomfortable. Hopefully not (long-term), but let’s see.”

  Arsenal were light of attacking options against Tottenham after Leandro Trossard suffered a muscle problem in the midweek thrashing of PSV Eindhoven and Gabriel Martinelli was absent after picking up a hamstring injury at Everton.

  With Jurrien Timber (knee) out long-term and Thomas Partey sidelined for “weeks” with a groin issue, Arteta’s team are being stretched with cup competitions to juggle alongside league commitments.

  “It (injuries) was already a test because we missed five big players (for Tottenham), but it’s what we have,” Arteta said.

  “As well, it gives opportunities to the other ones. We have a game every three days and that’s the level we have to show, so go for it.”

  Fifth-placed Arsenal remain level on points with Tottenham after this draw and, while Arteta praised Ange Postecoglou’s team, he was reluctant to list them as title contenders.

  “I think they are a really good side,” he acknowledged.

  “They are really well coached. You can feel the spirit in the team, the energy in them, but I think six games is too early for everybody to discuss where we’ll (all) be.”

• I don’t understand handball rule – Spurs’ Ange Postecoglou bemused by penalty

  Ange Postecoglou hailed Tottenham’s bravery at Arsenal, but expressed his bemusement at the handball rule and joked “armless defenders” will be required after Cristian Romero gave away a penalty in the 2-2 draw.

  Spurs grabbed a share of the north London derby spoils after captain Son Heung-min struck either side of half-time.

  An own-goal from Romero in the 26th minute broke the deadlock at the Emirates, with the Argentina defender deflecting Bukayo Saka’s shot beyond team-mate Guglielmo Vicario.

  Son fired home before half-time from James Maddison’s cross, but Arsenal made the perfect start following the restart when Romero was penalised for handball after he blocked Ben White’s shot from close proximity.

  Saka rolled home the 54th-minute spot-kick but 108 seconds later Tottenham were level when Maddison won possession from Jorginho and played in Son, who netted his 150th Spurs goal.

  “It’s not about being happy with the result, for me it was about the performance,” Postecoglou said.

  “You can get a result here, a draw, and like I said before you can walk away knowing that ‘you know what, we escaped’, but I don’t have that feeling now.

  “I think we went toe-to-toe with a top team and at times I thought we really asserted our dominance on the game. At times they did but that’s what happens when you face top sides.

  “Even if we had lost today, and I don’t like losing, but for me to keep pushing these guys, they need to feel that out there that what we talk about and work on, they can see it come to fruition and when it does against a top team, being brave with our approach, that’s the key thing. For me I’m pleased.”

  Postecoglou was less enthusiastic about the decision to award a penalty for Romero’s close-range block on White and likened it to the handball given against Wolves’ Joao Gomes at Luton on Saturday.

  He added: “I’ve got no idea about the handball rule. I really don’t. I saw the one yesterday at Wolves and it just seems if it hits your hand it’s a penalty and then other times if it hits your hand, it isn’t a penalty.

  “I’ve got no idea. It is the one rule in the game I just don’t understand.

  “Unless we start developing armless defenders I don’t know how you are supposed to block things and be in a natural position.

  “It is what it is. You kind of hope these things even themselves out over the course of a year but I don’t understand the handball rule.

  “I think any clarity would be good because I have got no idea.”

  Opposite number Mikel Arteta was disappointed Arsenal failed to make it three wins in a row over their rivals.

  A key moment occurred after Romero’s own-goal when Gabriel Jesus won back possession from Maddison inside the area, but his 14-yard effort was blazed over the crossbar.

  Arteta said: “We are very disappointed not to earn the three points, that’s for sure, and especially when you go in front twice in the game and have the opportunity to win it.

  “We had control of the game, could have made it 2-0 with Gabi and then you concede the goal and you have to bounce back. We did and scored the goal but it’s a shame that within a minute you concede the other one.

  “I think that affected the team emotionally quite a lot and we lacked some composure to make more passes in the final third.”

  Arteta also leapt to the defence of Jorginho, who was introduced at half-time in place of the injured Declan Rice, after the ex-Chelsea midfielder was robbed of possession by Maddison for Tottenham’s second goal.

  “What happened is I love him and we love him,” the Arsenal boss insisted.

  “Errors are part of football. They’re allowed to make errors because they play and we don’t play. We are all with him.”