The Gunners started brightly but it was Spurs who got the early goal, although it was gifted to them when two defenders went for the same ball, allowing Son Heung-min to feed Erik Lamela, whose low shot should have been held by Bernd Leno in the home goal, but only spilled it for Christian Eriksen to tap home.
The Gunners pressed for an equaliser but every time Spurs broke they looked capable of scoring again, and Leno partially redeemed himself with a one-handed save to keep out a shot from Son. Then again he fumbled a shot from Son and he was lucky that Harry Kane dawdled on the ball and allowed defenders to crowd him out. There was no reprieve on 40 minutes though when Granit Xhaka needlessly conceded a penalty, bring down Son in the box, and Kane despatched the spot kick ruthlessly.
Arsenal though did get a goal back on the stroke o half-time, when Nicolas Pépé, who had looked the best player for the home side found Alexander Lacazette, and he burrowed his way through before finding the net with a fierce shot.
The second half was even more frantic than the first as Arsenal strove for an equaliser. They came close in the space of thirty seconds, Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris getting down well to tip a goal-bound shot from Matteo Guendouzi, and, from the resulting corner, Lacazette’s header flashed across goal without anybody able to get a touch on it.
At the other end Harry Kane crashed a shot against the post, before Arsenal went close again, when Lloris palmed a fierce shot from substitute Dani Ceballos over the bar. The home side though did get the equaliser they deserved when Guendouzi’s curling ball found Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who steered the ball home with his right foot.
Arsenal thought they had scored a winner after a flowing move down the left, but it was ruled out for offside. It was end to end by this time, and Spurs wasted a fine chance to win the match when Mammolo Sissoko was played through in injury time, but he blazed his effort wide.