Ange Postecoglou laments 'unacceptable' Tottenham defending in north London derby defeat | OneFootball

Despite a spirited second-half display from Spurs, who managed to score twice through Cristiano Romero and Heung-min Son, Mikel Arteta's side held firm to clinch victory, claiming both bragging rights and the vital three points.

"We showed resilience, we fought back, but we had to, there was no other choice. We couldn’t come out in the second half and not give our supporters at least a little bit of hope."

The deadlock was broken at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium thanks to an own goal from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages

On how Spurs need to improve going forward, Postecoglou added: "We are still not as resilient as we can be, particularly in those moments where there is a transition or a set piece. Like I said, they had far too easy access to our goal and scored three goals from four attempts. They’re a good side and they’re going to punish you if you don’t show the steel in protecting your own goal."

Goalscorer Son believes Spurs can take positives from the second half, saying to club media: "Everyone stepped up and they showed great character but that shouldn't be a habit for us. We should be better in the first half.