3 takeaways from depleted Tottenham's stalemate at Arsenal

Tottenham Hotspur should be the happiest of the two teams after going to Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on Sunday battered and bruised, but still managing to pick up a point in a 1-1 draw.

Spurs' injury issues were worsened before kick-off, when it was revealed that Dele Alli was now set for "a few weeks" in the treatment room, but Harry Kane, making his first appearance since mid-September, converted from the spot in the second stanza to ensure it was honours even in the north London derby.

Tottenham's bright start in the opening stages of the match promptly dwindled, and was punished when a pesky set-piece delivery from Mesut Ozil was nodded in by Kevin Wimmer on 42 minutes.

After Kane's equaliser, Spurs wheezed through the second half but, despite the introduction of a reinvigorated Olivier Giroud, Arsenal was unable to secure three points and the top spot in the table.

Here are three takeaways from Arsenal and Tottenham sharing the spoils in Sunday's curtain-raiser:

Weighty load for Wimmer's 1st league showing

When Wimmer was signed by FC Koln in 2012, the Austrian youngster was suffering with weight issues, but worked admirably to shed the pounds.

"I've been able to lose two kilos, turn body fat into muscle mass and bulk up with my gym programme," Wimmer said after losing some timber, according to FourFourTwo. "For a defender it's important to have power."

But, despite adhering to a club-controlled diet since moving to Spurs, Wimmer was rumoured to have been jettisoned from first-team duty lately after sporting yet another roly-poly physique. This weekend, Mauricio Pochettino put even more on his plate by handing him his first Premier League appearance - and in an unfamiliar back three.

He had to act on Ozil's devious 42nd-minute free-kick - Laurent Koscielny and Alexis Sanchez were queuing to nod in behind him - but his header was panicked. Rather than flicking or powering it away from danger, he buried it beyond Hugo Lloris.

Replacing Toby Alderweireld, one of the finest centre-halves in the league with Koscielny and Virgil van Dijk, is a tough ask, but Pochettino should've given Wimmer more minutes before throwing him in at the deep end.

Maybe the Argentinian presumed the dumpy defender would float.

Gunners could benefit from bolstering the flanks

Arsenal has its strongest spine in over a decade.

The addition of Shkodran Mustafi alongside Koscielny has mercifully granted the club's fans respite from the erratic Gabriel or sluggishness of Per Mertesacker, while Granit Xhaka has brought impressive vision and (sometimes too much) physicality to the middle. Alexis Sanchez's new No. 9 role has been a revelation.

Concerns may lie on either side of Mesut Ozil in the advanced midfield three, though.

Alex Iwobi is one for the future at 20, but has been notably off-colour since the start of October, and Theo Walcott, showing promise of his finest season for the Gunners since 2012-13, was largely ineffectual except for chipping paint off the woodwork with a superb strike.

Walcott's 71st-minute replacement, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, has never churned out consistent performances.

More enterprising runs from the left would be welcome - maybe something to target in the January transfer window - particularly when Nacho Monreal, who put in a much-needed composed showing after a couple of tough outings lately, is sensibly working behind. Hector Bellerin offers enough potency storming forward from right-back, so Arsene Wenger can afford to have someone who prefers to operate more narrowly, like Aaron Ramsey, on the right of a roaming Ozil. The Welshman managed 25 minutes off the bench.

War-torn pair earn their spurs

Mousa Dembele and Kane had missed a respective five and 12 matches through injury before this tilt, but both put in key interventions en route to a precious point five miles down the road.

Dembele is oddly neglected in the debate for the league's finest midfielders, and his wonderful knack of anticipating opposition attacks and performing well-timed challenges was evident throughout. It was his marauding run through the middle, however, that earned Tottenham's equaliser.

The Spurs' standout made a bustling foray through the middle, forcing Koscielny, who was faultless this season until this point, into action. The Frenchman clumsily bundled the midfielder over.

For his fifth goal in four north London derbies, Kane converted from 12 yards. Clearly lacking legs after a sustained layoff, the 73 minutes he played at the Emirates was still vital for the added industry - he put in more tackles and made as many defensive clearances as Bellerin - that he provides.