As a pulsating and compelling north London derby reached its final furlong, with 85 minutes on the clock, Nabil Bentaleb swung in a hopeful cross.
In reality, it should have been dealt with better. Neither Laurent Koscielny nor Per Mertesacker claimed it for their own.
One man did, however. He is, of course, the man of the moment. He had dominated the pre-derby talk, no-one now able to avoid his obvious qualities. And yet, once the match started he had been initially peripheral.
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