But who have they beaten? Three teams in the bottom four and, er, Manchester United. Tottenham had heard the attempts to explain away their excellent start to life under Ange Postecoglou, their finest opening to a season in 58 years.
This would be the acid test, a truer gauge of where they stood – a derby against their neighbours at whose stadium they never seem to win. What we learned after a stirring contest is that they are looking like a serious proposition.
Postecoglou’s team were unable to record what would have been only a second Premier League win in 31 attempts on enemy turf. But what the manager wanted to see from his players was personality and the imposition of their style. He certainly got that.
Son Heung-min was razor-sharp, scoring a pair of equalisers, answering the Bukayo Saka-forced Cristian Romero own goal and a Saka penalty, conceded by Romero. But Son was ably supported by a clutch of stellar individual performances – most notably from Yves Bissouma, a titan in central midfield. Destiny Udogie was a powerhouse from left-back, recovering from a difficult start that meant he was booked for a lunge at Saka, while James Maddison had his moments, setting up both of the goals.
There was steel and control from Spurs, no panic when the board went up to show 10 additional minutes. If anything, they looked the likelier scorers of a winner in the closing stages and the post-match scenes were telling, Postecoglou and his players taking the acclaim of the visiting fans.
Arsenal did not do enough. They were flying after their 4-0 Champions League win over PSV Eindhoven in midweek, unbeaten since the start of the season, but they came to look heavy, lacking in inspiration in the second half. They missed Declan Rice after he was forced off with a back problem at the interval and the injured Gabriel Martinelli, who did not play at all. Nobody in an Arsenal shirt really seized the occasion. They were not the story here.
Bukayo Saka celebrates after forcing Cristian Romero to turn the ball into his own net. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images
Mikel Arteta had faced Postecoglou before – when he was Pep Guardiola’s No 2 at Manchester City and they met Postecoglou’s Yokohama F Marinos in a 2019 friendly. City won but what was notable was how Yokohama hogged 58% of the ball. “They played some incredible football,” Guardiola said.
Postecoglou only ever wants to play his way – on the front foot, possession-heavy, well-grooved combinations. Arsenal were determined not to let them and one of the key battle areas was when Spurs had the ball in their defensive third. Arsenal put huge pressure on the ball as they sought to build. Spurs showed their nerve.
The transitions were everything, the speed of them breathtaking, including the one for the breakthrough goal. Postecoglou watched Dejan Kulusevski run left to right and then run out of options, losing the ball. The manager gestured in frustration. He knew there was danger coming.
Arsenal moved slickly, Martin Ødegaard coming right to Saka, who cut inside and shaped a trademark curler, the ball flying past the helpless Guglielmo Vicario off Romero’s outstretched leg.
Arsenal had threatened before then. Gabriel Jesus, who Arteta played off the left-wing, worked Vicario from a tight angle; Eddie Nketiah did likewise from the right after a loose Micky van de Ven backpass. Might Ntekiah have cut the ball back?
A turning point came on 32 minutes when so many of the main themes coalesced. Spurs played out through Vicario to Maddison, who took too long on the edge of the box and was robbed by Jesus, who had to score. Instead, he blazed high.
Maddison did not let his head drop. Udogie continued to drive and Spurs stuck to the game plan. They deserved the equaliser. Brennan Johnson, on his full Spurs debut, drew a smart save out of David Raya after a Son incision, the Arsenal goalkeeper moving quickly across his line. Raya would deny Johnson again after a weak punch on a Pape Sarr cross. Yet Spurs recycled the ball, Udogie heading to Maddison, who turned away from Saka’s challenge and pulled back, Son timing his arrival to flick home.
The penalty at the start of the second half was a body blow for Spurs after they defended a corner poorly, allowing the delivery to bounce and leaving Ben White all alone in front of goal. When he spun and shot, the ball banged into the ground and reared up to hit Romero’s outstretched hand. It was not his day. Saka chipped his kick up the middle with beautiful disguise.
Back came Spurs. Again. Arteta had introduced Jorginho and Kai Havertz into midfield at half-time, Rice and Fábio Vieira making way. And it was Jorginho who gave it away. Again, it was a high turnover that provided the talking point, the catalyst. Jorginho tried to step away from Maddison but he was dispossessed and Spurs had two on one, Maddison drawing William Saliba to play in Son, whose finish was nerveless.
Both teams had the chances to nick it, Havertz lashing high when well placed and Saka extending Vicario after a corner. For Spurs, Son went close after a Kulusevski pass and, at the very end, Richarlison – on as a substitute – saw a shot deflect wide off Jorginho after Bissouma had stepped up imperiously to feed Kulusevski for the cross.
