Mathieu Flamini scored twice as Arsenal beat North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 to book their place in the fourth round of the League Cup on Wednesday evening.

The Gunners took the lead in the first half when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's strike was parried by Michel Vorm, and Flamini followed up to score the rebound.

After the break Spurs drew level as Calum Chambers could only divert a cross from Nacer Chadli into his own net.

However, with 11 minutes left to play Flamini fired a volley from the edge of the box into the bottom corner to seal the win for the Gunners.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the events that unfolded at White Hart Lane.

Match statistics

TOTTENHAM
Shots: 13
On target: 4
Possession: 55%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 10

ARSENAL
Shots: 13
On target: 6
Possession: 45%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 14

Was the result fair?

The Gunners did just enough to deserve the win in what was a hard-fought North London derby. There was little to choose between the teams until Flamini gave Arsenal the lead, and they ended the first half strongly. However, it was Spurs who made the better start to the second half and they were on top when Chambers turned the ball into his own net.

The hosts kept up the pressure and Harry Kane saw an effort cleared off the line by Kieran Gibbs, but the introduction of Alexis Sanchez helped turn the game in Arsenal's favour. Then, when Flamini scored his second of the match, they comfortably saw out the rest of the tie to seal their place in the next round.

Tottenham's performance

Spurs made a positive start to the evening and they were causing problems for their rivals in the opening minutes, with Danny Rose constantly getting in behind Mathieu Debuchy. They had looked more threatening until Flamini gave Arsenal the lead and they struggled to provide a response in the remainder of the first half.

It all changed in the second half, as Tottenham took control and looked the more likely of the teams to score. They did manage to equalise and the momentum was firmly on their side, but a lapse at the back saw Flamini break free and leave them trailing in the closing stages. Despite a spell of late pressure, they were unable to trouble Arsenal's defence, as their hopes of reaching the final for the second successive season ended.

Arsenal's performance

Following recent defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Chelsea, a victory over their closest rivals will provide Arsenal with a huge boost of confidence. They were missing a number of key players, but many of those who came into the side, including the midfield duo of Mikel Arteta and Flamini, produced impressive displays.

In the attack, Oxlade-Chamberlain was influential and he played a major part in the first goal, while Aaron Ramsey showed brief glimpses of what he can do for the Gunners. Arsene Wenger will also be pleased at how his team responded to conceding, as they withstood a spell of pressure from the hosts to regain their composure and control the latter stages.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Mathieu Flamini: The Frenchman had never scored a double before in his 12-year playing career, but he picked the perfect night to change that statistic. He was in the right place to slot home after Vorm could only parry an Oxlade-Chamberlain strike, before he scored the winning goal with a stunning volley that sealed Arsenal's progress.

Biggest gaffe

Vorm must be given the blame for the first goal that Spurs conceded. He could only palm a shot from Oxlade-Chamberlain back into the direction of Flamini, who gratefully fired into the net. It was a poor piece of goalkeeping, but there was little the Dutchman could have done about the winning strike.

Referee performance

Andre Marriner had a firm command of the match and he never allowed things to boil over. He did hand out four yellow cards during the evening, but all were deserved bookings, while he made sure that the game was able to flow.

What next?

Tottenham: Spurs will return to action with a Premier League clash against Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.

Arsenal: The Gunners are also playing on Saturday when they will take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.