There is never a good time to lose a north London derby but for both Mikel Arteta and Ange Postecoglou a defeat on Wednesday would only serve to further rile fanbases whose murmurs of discontent have grown more audible.

Ange Postecoglou said his Tottenham side was ‘nowhere near good enough’ in their 2-1 defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday night. Spurs took the lead in the first half through a deflected Son Heung-min strike,

Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou knows the blueprint to beat Arsenal after Spurs 'changes' - Spurs last week produced their most mature display under the manager

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou expresses his disappointment in his side’s performance as they lose 2-1 at Arsenal.

Ange Postecoglou’s post-match comments at the Emirates suggest the time for excuses and explanations is over. Throughout Tottenham’s bleak midwinter, Postecoglou has repeatedly pointed to his squad's crippling injury list and rotten luck as explainers for their form.