Well, that was all a bit more stressful than it needed to be, wasn't it? Arsenal were coasting, flying towards a precious three points on the road against their fiercest of rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.
Mikel Arteta's men have been so good at eradicating jeopardy from their games this season but on this occasion, that certainly wasn't the case.
An own goal from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg opened the scoring before Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz sent the Gunners in at half-time 3-0 ahead.
This was dreamland for Arsenal who were about to hold on to top spot in the Premier League. They duly did, but not without an almighty scare from the hosts.
David Raya's abysmal error gave Ange Postecoglou's men a lifeline. The Spaniard was under no pressure but playing out from the back, gave it straight to Cristian Romero who was left with a simple finish. Declan Rice's clumsy challenge on Ben Davies then allowed for Heung-min Son to score a penalty.
Raya redeemed himself with some superb claims in the dying embers, as Arsenal held on to prevail 3-2. The Spaniard will no doubt take some flack, even if there were a number of notable performers in red and white. One of which was Havertz, yet again.
Kai Havertz's performance in numbers
£65m down the drain? We think not. Arteta hasn't got a lot wrong in the transfer market yet just months into the campaign the German was being branded with the tag of a flop. Understandably so, really.
It took until November for the former Chelsea man to score from open play but he's been nothing short of exceptional since the turn of the year, swiftly becoming one of Arsenal's most important players.
Havertz now has eight goals in his last 11 games, a run where he's also supplied five assists. The key change? More freedom as a false 9 in Arteta's system.
He was sublime against his former employers during the 5-0 win in midweek, scoring twice, and he was equally as good in the north London derby.
The summer arrival played a "Xhaka-esque" ball in behind – as the Telegraph's Sam Dean called it – for Saka to score the visitors' second goal before leaping like a salmon from Rice's corner to head home late in the first half.
It was a sensational display from the 24-year-old who left the field at the close of play having won a whopping 11 duels, drawn two fouls and supplied two key passes. There was even room for a haul of four clearances, a stat that showcases his desire to track back and help the team.
That said, he wasn't the only star of the show.
Thomas Partey's performances in numbers
This has been a long and arduous campaign for the £45m signing. Thomas Partey has missed 26 matches through injury in 2023/24 but has returned to the starting lineup over the last few days with some aplomb.
He was part of the midfield that dominated former Arsenal target Moises Caicedo last week on what was his first start of 2024 and as such was rewarded with another starting berth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
The result? A "Rolls-Royce" performance as Arsenal reporter Connor Humm put it on social media.
Yes, there were moments where the Ghanaian was caught in possession in dangerous areas but the overall sum of his game was excellent. Capable of breaking the lines with sumptuous passing, breaking up the play with consummate ease and being an all-round nuisance, he has more than proven his worth at a time when it potentially looked as though he could be sold.
Instead, Partey has revived his career. The performance at Spurs made it easy to see why he's in the side. Completing 93% of his passes, the best tally of any Arsenal starter, he also completed 100% of his dribble attempts and won five ground duels.
It wasn't a perfect performance but it led to a total domination of Tottenham's midfield. Rodrigo Bentancur was hauled off at half-time and then Hojbjerg was substituted just after the hour mark. Why? Because of how good Partey and Rice were in the centre of the field.
Minutes played
90
Touches
53
Accurate passes
37/40 (93%)
Long balls
3/4
Dribble attempts
2/2
Duels won
5/10
Tackles
2
Interceptions
1
Clearances
1
The former Atletico Madrid man has returned at just the right time, although whether his impact can bring the title to the Emirates Stadium remains to be seen. Manchester City just keep on winning and there is nothing Arsenal can do to stop that now.
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