Sunday saw the battle of the two deadline day signings as Takehiro Tomiyasu and Emerson Royal faced off.
The former started as the latter was a half-time introduction as Tottenham were in disarray after Arsenal's rampant 35 minutes.
There was a lot of talk on the final day of the transfer window was about who got the better deal out of Mikel Arteta and Nuno Espirito Santo as they confirmed the capture of the Japanese and Brazilian internationals, respectively.
With preconceptions that the white half of north London won the battle after signing a full-back from Spanish giants Barcelona whereas the Gunners signed a relatively unknown young full-back.
And a lot of the talk prior to the game came from Arsenal legend Tony Adams who questioned the Spanish tactician's decision to select the 22-year-old.
"He put Chambers in and killed him, if I’m honest with you, because he took him out of the team. But he’s put this guy in, communication is so important, he needs to play with other people, if he sits there and wins all his duels I’ll be delighted," he said.
But his display quickly turned the doubt to delight: "I loved Tomi [Tomiyasu], I thought his positioning was excellent. I thought they were exceptional all over the pitch and the game was over in the first half."
His assured and imposing performance nullified any pre-match nerves surrounding the grudge match with Arsenal's fierce rivals, accompanied by bursting runs and his goal threat from dead-ball situations firmly established himself as a threat in the ranks and a fan favourite.
Nuno Espirito Santo was self-critical of his selection and the inability of his side to implement the game opting for Japhet Tanganga over Emerson Royal.
The first time he has been left out of the squad since his move to north London after his move.
As for Tomiyasu, Sunday saw his third successive start after his move from Italy and continued to put in good performances keeping Spurs' stars Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Lucas Moura at bay.
His defensive nous saved Arsenal on a number of occasions and drew praise from Gary Neville.
“Special mention to the right-back again, Tomiyasu, for following in,” he said.
“That’s twice he’s done that. The follow-up could have cost them."
Although early days, Tomiyasu has bedded into an Arsenal system which is beginning to get results on the pitch, whilst Emerson Royal has been introduced during a time where Spurs have struggled, losing three consecutive London derbies in uninspiring fashion.
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