Mikel Arteta left with egg on his face as Arsenal team instructions ignored vs Tottenham

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta saw his side lose their heads during their 3-0 defeat against Tottenham in the north London derby - despite the Spaniard urging his players to 'keep their emotions in check' before the match.

The Gunners had the opportunity to officially book their spot in next season's Champions League with a win over their bitter rivals, but Arsenal were undone by their lack of discipline in Thursday night's crunch clash as Rob Holding was sent off after just half an hour.

Harry Kane fired Spurs into the lead from the penalty spot midway through the first half before Holding was given his marching orders. Kane stole in to bag his second strike of the next just minutes later before Son Heung-Min sealed the points almost instantly after the break.

Arsenal are now just a solitary point ahead of their north London rivals after wilting under the pressure at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And the Gunners downfall came after they failed to heed Arteta's pre-match warning urging them to play with "composure" and to keep their emotions in check.

Speaking to Sky Sports before the match, Arteta said: "Yeah having composure and being able to play with emotion in these matches is very important without losing the anger and passion we need, but having cool minds to manage the situation as well."

Arsenal were always facing an uphill battle after Holding was dismissed, but the warning signs were there well before the ex-Bolton man trudged off the pitch. Cedric Soares gave away a needless penalty by barging Son over in the box while Holding was far too frantic and clumsy in his attempts to get to grips with Son in the opening stages of the match.

Despite the result, the Gunners are still in pole position to pinch the final