"It was a good game and we were playing so well and had them on the rack a bit. Everyone was playing at or near their best and it was good to be part of it," said Michael Carrick after the 1-1 draw with Arsenal.
"It was a shame we couldn't give ourselves a cushion while they weren't causing us too many problems, as we had good chances to go two or maybe three up in the first half. With a team like Arsenal though you have got to expect them to have some of the game - you are not going to dominate them for 90 minutes - fair play to them, they came at us in the second half and showed their quality.
"We found it hard in the second half because they made it difficult for us to get the ball while we wanted to play at a high tempo. We wanted to try and keep going because after you have played so well you want to do the same again. I guess it is impossible to do and, because it is so quick, you tire and it is difficult to manage.
"It is just a pity we couldn't come out with the win because with getting a draw the performance doesn't seem to mean so much. I think Arsenal are quite happy with their point and that is perhaps a measure of how well we have done this season. They were more satisfied than we are and that means we are going in the right direction."
Teemu Tainio, who confessed to looking like a boxer after he had to sport a few stitches just above his left eye, said: "I was looking forward to the game all week and really enjoyed it. The atmosphere was fantastic and the only sad point was that we didn't win. I suppose it says something that we're disappointed after a draw.
"We had a couple of situations to score a second goal and that would have changed the game, but against a team like Arsenal you have to make the most of your chances. Overall I was pleased with how it went though because we played really well in the first half. I think towards the end we started to tire both physically and mentally while they came back into it, so perhaps a draw was about right."
Ledley King had headed Spurs into the lead after 17 minutes: "It was a great feeling and I should score more goals although we felt we could have killed the game off in the first half because we were so much on top and that makes the outcome more disappointing. At 1-0 they were still in the game and it has happened to us this season where we have managed to dig ourselves out. But it was very hectic game and there was a lot of hard work done which probably took its toll on us in the second half.
"Against a team like Arsenal we knew they were still in it. Last year was quite similar in the first half and we played really well, but they scored before half-time and it was a different game in the second half. This time, even though we were a goal up, the second half was a completely different ball game. We didn't really get control and they put us under a lot of pressure.
"It was a good ball from Michael and I didn't really have to do too much - just get my head up there and meet it.
"Although we are disappointed to concede after being 1-0 up at home I think we have made some progress from last season and learned from mistakes. We've got a young squad that is definitely improving. We’re growing together and maturing, but we have still got some way to go."