Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino defended his decision to play a second-strength team after Wednesday night’s 2-1 defeat at home to Arsenal in the League Cup.

Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who has been in fine form recently, was rested with Michel Vorm playing instead, but Pochettino insisted that it was “not a gamble.”

“He deserved to play and I think it was a competition that was a good opportunity for him. I think we need to show respect for all professionals.”

Vorm was clearly at fault for Arsenal’s first goal, after 26 minutes, when he parried a shot from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain straight into the path of Mathieu Flamini, who finished with aplomb into the roof of the net.

Arsene Wenger praised the attitude of his veteran midfielder, who has barely featured for Arsenal this season but grabbed the two goals to take Arsenal into the fourth round.

“He worked very hard recently and I saw that in training he was focused. He’s a fighter and he’s a winner as well. I told him at the start of the season that it might be difficult for him to be a starter but he decided to stay,” Wenger said.

Flamini’s second goal on 70 minutes was a rare delight. A looping miskick from Federico Fazio hung in the air as though time had slowed down, before Flamini met it with a sweet right-footed volley into the bottom corner.

The goal took the wind out of Tottenham’s sails just as they seemed to be pushing for a winner. On 55 minutes Chadli had forced an own-goal from Callum Chambers to draw level, after Kieran Trippier picked him out on the left wing.

Ten minutes later Harry Kane, who is still seeking his first Spurs goal of the season, saw an acrobatic scissor-kick cleared off the line by Kieran Gibbs.

After the game Pochettino regretted his team’s failure to capitalise on their second-half dominance. “It was a missed opportunity because I think we dominated the second half,” he said. “In the end I think we had the better chances. I think that we deserved more.”