Which was the better goal: Lampard's or Bentley's?

Perhaps Harry Redknapp should have been given the England job after all. In just four days with Tottenham Hotspur he has restored the club’s self-respect, secured their first win of the season and inspired this incredible comeback against their neighbours and bitter rivals. The only complaints in North London last night came from Arsenal fans.

This act of escapology was worthy of Harry Houdini. On an incredible night Tottenham were beaten not once, twice, but three times, though like a modern-day St Peter, found themselves in a state of insistent denial. The Cockerels may never stop crowing after this comeback.

Darren Bent’s tap-in to bring it back to 3-2 with 23 minutes remaining appeared to be mere consolation, particularly when Robin van Persie extended Arsenal’s lead again a minute later, but no one had told his team-mates. Jermaine Jenas narrowed the gap once more in the 89th minute with a great solo goal that inspired Luka Modric to attempt the same in fourth minute of injury time, with the Croatia midfield player striking the post from 20 yards and looking on as Aaron Lennon tapped in the rebound with Manuel Almunia, the Arsenal goalkeeper, beaten. Cue bedlam. To the ecstatic visiting fans the depressing defeat in Italy to Udinese six days before must have seemed as long ago as the days when Jimmy Young would enjoy cosy chats with his listeners on Radio 2.

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Redknapp puts the transformation down to enhancing his players’ self-belief and restoring their team spirit by such simple acts as ensuring even fringe players are given squad numbers, much of which springs from his engaging personality. For all of his faults, it is almost impossible to dislike Redknapp and the players have taken to him instantly, warming to his sense of fun after the austerity of the Juande Ramos era. The 61-year-old said as much afterwards, describing a new laid-back regime in which his players are permitted to pass on the salad and eat a few pies, as long as they are able to pass a football.

No one has responded more quickly than David Bentley, who thrived on the boos of the home fans against his former club to give his side the lead in the 13th minute with a wonder-goal from 39 yards that brought back memories of Nayim’s bolt from the blue for Real Zaragoza in the European Cup-Winners’ Cup final against Arsenal 13 years ago. Bentley’s natural ebullience went missing in the final days of the Ramos regime, along with his professionalism as he appeared to sulk at being played out of position by the Spaniard, but Redknapp has perked him up by speaking to him in the language he understands. Essentially cocky Cockney.

A spot of pinball in the middle of the Arsenal half ended with Modric volleying the ball on to Tom Huddlestone who headed to Bentley, only to watch open-mouthed as his team-mate took one touch before unleashing a stunning volley that beat Almunia. The Spaniard suffered some recurrences of the Fawlty Towers moments that marred his early time in England later in the game, but this was not one of them.

Redknapp’s influence was visible for much of the first half as Tottenham passed about the ball crisply, though it clearly has its limits as at the back they were a shambles. For all his impressive man-management skills, Redknapp cannot heal Ledley King’s injuries by laying on hands, claim crosses on behalf of the erratic Heurelho Gomes or cure Alan Hutton’s worrying lapses in concentration. If he had not just taken on the job at Portsmouth then a call to Tony Adams would be in order, irrespective of the feelings of the locals at White Hart Lane.

All of Arsenal’s goals were avoidable, even if they were thoroughly deserved given their dominance in midfield and the ever-present threat of Theo Walcott. Gomes is making Paul Robinson look like a rock in goal, with the Brazil player having a lucky escape after flapping at a Cesc Fàbregas corner midway through the first half, before being punished after he again failed to claim a corner from Van Persie that allowed Mikaël Silvestre to score his first goal for the club with a free header in the 37th minute.

Having been told by his backroom staff that Gomes’s errors were directly responsible for goals conceded against Aston Villa, Stoke City and Udinese, this season it is little surprise that Redknapp is looking to replace him with Ben Foster, whom he wants to bring in on loan from Manchester United.

On this evidence the England goalkeeper cannot arrive soon enough.

Arsenal’s second just after half-time also came from a set-piece, with Gallas rising above the far larger frame of Vedran Corluka to head home a Van Persie free kick.

Samir Nasri’s elegant chip over Gomes in the 64th minute looked like it was worthy of winning any match, but the ball should have been cleared off the line by Hutton before Emmanuel Adebayor arrived to score his eighth goal in as many games against Tottenham, while the Scotland defender presented Arsenal’s fourth on a plate, giving the ball away for Adebayor who crossed for Van Persie to score his seventh of the season.

Arsenal were guilty of similar errors at the back. The increasingly jittery Almunia should have held on to Huddlestone’s shot before Bent scored from close range, an untimely slip from Gaël Clichy enabled Jenas to embark on his mazy run and Gallas failed to track the run of Lennon as Modric was advancing towards goal at the death.

Such lapses are nothing new, with the lack of leadership and composure provided by Gallas, their captain, at the heart of the problem.

Wenger, in no mood to discuss such shortcomings, was ungracious when asked to assess the contribution of Redknapp.

England’s loss could be Tottenham’s gain.

Arsenal (4-4-2): M Almunia — B Sagna, W Gallas, M Silvestre, G Clichy — T Walcott (sub: E Eboué, 75min), F Fàbregas, Denilson, S Nasri (sub: A Song, 87min) — E Adebayor, R van Persie (sub: A Diaby, 81). Substitutes not used: K Touré, C Vela, L Fabianski, N Bendtner. Booked: Diaby.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-1-1): H Gomes — A Hutton (sub: C Gunter, 79), V Corluka, J Woodgate, B Assou-Ekotto — D Bentley, J Jenas, T Huddlestone, G Bale (sub: A Lennon, 55) — L Modric — R Pavlyuchenko (sub: D Bent, 65). Substitutes not used: D Zokora, F Campbell, C Sanchez, J O’Hara. Booked: Assou-Ekotto, Bentley, Huddlestone, Jenas.

Referee: M Atkinson.