A frenetic afternoon at the Emirates ended with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur settling for a draw.
The encounter got off to a flying start, with both sides making their intentions known right from the get-go.
Arsenal recorded the game’s first big chance in the 14th minute after Bukayo Saka delivered a telling cross, which met Gabriel Jesus at the back post.
Jesus fired an instant shot toward the goal, and despite how acute the angle was, he still managed to trouble Guglielmo Vicario in goal for Spurs.
Vicario responded well by palming the effort wide, much to the relief of the visiting supporters.
Iyenoma Udogie was shown a yellow card in the 15th minute for a foul on Bukayo Saka, while Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard was also booked for dissent.
In the 16th minute, goalkeeper Vicario was called into action once again, and he made a great stop to deny Arsenal, following a shot from Eddie Nketiah, off a misplaced pass from Udogie.
Saka took Arsenal into the lead against Tottenham Hotspur
10 minutes later, Mikel Arteta’s side went ahead, after a curling effort by Bukayo Saka from the left side of the attack.
The ball appeared to be heading out of play, but Cristian Romero unfortunately diverted the ball into his own net.
Both sides continued to record to knock at the door of their opposition, but Tottenham Hotspur resurrected from their slumber later on in the first 45.
Heung-Min Son played a cut back to Brennan Johnson in the 38th minute and Johnson’s effort appeared to be headed for Arsenal’s net.
However, David Raya did brilliantly, leaping to his right to put the ball out of danger.
5 minutes later, Tottenham Hotspur drew level, with Heung-Min Son receiving the ball from James Maddison before sending it into the net of Arsenal.
In the 1st minute of additional time in the first half, Pape Sarr was handed a yellow card for a foul on Gabriel Jesus, as the Gunners looked to progress on a counter.
North London derby delivered intense football
Yves Bissouma was also booked for protesting to the referee over the stoppage of play.
Both sides went into the break level and then came the second half, with another dose of intensity and drama.
Kai Havertz was introduced for Fabio Viera in the 46th minute, while Jorginho came on for Declan Rice.
9 minutes later, Cristiano Romero continued his nightmarish afternoon at the Emirates Stadium, with the referee calling for a penalty, after the arm of the Argentine made contact with the ball.
Following a review by VAR, the referee also had a look at the monitor, and he pointed to the spot for a penalty to Arsenal.
Bukayo Saka converted the resultant penalty with seeming ease, slotting the ball down the middle with Vicario diving to the right.
Heung-Min Son continues to deliver for Tottenham Hotspur
In the 55th minute, Heung-Min Son doubled his tally for the afternoon, by scoring his 5th goal of the season.
Arsenal were punished after a loose ball from Jorginho found James Maddison. The Englishman laid it on a plate for Son, and the South Korean fired the ball beyond the reach of goalkeeper David Raya.
James Maddison also took his assist tally to 4 assists in 5 matches this season. Second half Kai Havertz was also booked for a poorly time tackle on Heung-Min Son in the 57th minute.
In the 63rd minute, Manor Solomon was brought on into the fray, replacing Brennan Johnson.
Eddie Nketiah was shown a yellow card 4 minutes later for a bad tackle on Spurs goalkeeper Vicario.
To compound his woes for the afternoon, Cristian Romero was also booked by referee Robert Jones.
In the 77th minute, Mikel Arteta substituted Gabriel Jesus for Reiss Nelson, while Ange Postecoglou brought on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Postecoglou also introduced Richarlison for Heung-Min Son, with the forward relinquishing his chase for a hat-trick.
10 minutes were added in the first 45, with Arsenal securing a massive chance in the 2nd minute of additional time.
Guglielmo Vicario was also on hand to save his side, going down to tip the effort of Bukayo Saka wide.
Mikel Arteta made his last and final substitution in the 7th minute of additional time in the second half, bringing on Emile Smith Rowe for Bukayo Saka.
Following the draw, Tottenham Hotspur drop to 4th, while Arsenal slump to 5th on the Premier League table, due to victories for both Liverpool (2nd), and Brighton (3rd).
