It's the Premier League derby that never disappoints and it was more of the same on Sunday afternoon as Arsenal and Tottenham played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Emirates.
Both sides had enjoyed unbeaten starts to the league campaign before the kick-off whistle blew to commence the north London derby and there were thrills and spills for fans of the two rivals clubs to enjoy.
The Gunners' were dominant in this fixture during 2022/23, winning both games convincingly as Mikel Arteta's free-flowing football trumped Antonio Conte's rigid and defensive approach but Spurs have looked a different beast under Ange Postecoglou and the early signs pointed to an open and fast-paced game.
However, calamities have rarely been far away for Tottenham in this fixture and it was some rash defending from Cristian Romero which helped Arsenal take the lead midway through the first half.
Bukayo Saka drifted off the wing and fired towards goal, his shot catching Romero on the way through and nestling past the stranded Guglielmo Vicario.
Saka brought out England teammate James Maddison's trademark bullseye celebration, a cheeky nod he'd repeat with his first official goal of the afternoon later on.
Spurs had needed two saves from Guglielmo Vicario to keep them in the game early on but the visitors ramped up the pressure just before half-time and a David Raya error helped them draw level as Son Heung-min grabbed his first of the afternoon.
Arsenal were dealt a pretty large blow with the half-time withdrawal of Declan Rice, with Jorginho coming on alongside Kai Havertz as Fabio Vieira also made way. The injuries are certainly piling up for Arteta right now.
Romero, who characteristically flew into challenges all afternoon, was penalised for handball upon VAR review while trying to block a goal-bound shot.
Fans are still begging for some modicum of consistency for officials this season following the introduction of a myriad of new regulations, with Romero surviving a penalty shout against Manchester United a month or so ago with a similar infringement.
Either way, Saka stepped up and converted to make it 2-1. Again the dart came out, but Arsenal's excitement in celebrating came back to bite them in the space of 98 seconds.
Jorginho, who replaced Rice, was lackadaisical on the ball straight from the restart, allowing Maddison to swoop in, charge towards goal and feed Son. The South Korean cooly rolled in his finish for his seventh goal against Arsenal.
The chances were much less forthcoming in the second half after Son quickly cancelled out Saka's penalty, with Spurs shading possession without always looking threatening.
The 2-2 draw means Arsenal sit fifth just behind Tottenham on goal difference, with both sides usurped in the Premier League table by Liverpool after the Reds' 3-1 success over West Ham at Anfield. Manchester City sit atop the standings with a perfect record of six wins from six games.
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This article was originally published on 90min as X reacts as points shared by Arsenal and Tottenham in north London derby .
