The pre-match build-up tried to tell a story. The stadium announcer thundered that Arsenal were rattled, that pressure had crept into their veins and doubt into their boots. The narrative was neat and convenient. After dropped points at Wolves, the idea of a fragile title contender was easy to sell.

But when the whistle blew in north London, there was no sign of fear. What followed was a performance built on conviction, aggression and daring. Arsenal did not play like a side consumed by angst. They played like a team determined to remind the Premier League exactly what they are made of.

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In the days between the frustration at Wolves and this derby showdown, Mikel Arteta did not allow negativity to fester. Instead, he and his staff focused on unity and emotional reset.

“You have to lift yourself up because you’re feeling angry, upset, ashamed at some point,” he said. “We are all different nationalities, we all have different feelings, and you have to bring everybody together. We said, ‘OK, let’s love the players when they need it the most’. It’s been a joy to spend that time together with them, to align everybody. But after, you have to live on the pitch.”

That final line proved decisive. Arsenal did not simply talk about resilience. They showed it, particularly in attack, where questions have lingered for much of the campaign.

There was a sharpness to Arsenal’s forward play that has sometimes been absent this season. Much of it stemmed from the influence of Bukayo Saka.

Back in his natural wide-right role, Saka was electric from the first minute. After a campaign disrupted by hamstring and hip problems, and still building rhythm following major surgery last year, he looked liberated. Direct. Assertive. Hungry.

Arteta was effusive.

“I loved his attitude, his presence, how dominant he was in the game. From the beginning, the first reaction immediately is like, he wants to grab the game and he really wants to say I’m here. And that’s what I love.”

That intent translated into tangible impact. Saka darted along the byline, cut the ball back with precision and found Eberechi Eze arriving in the box. With one touch to lift and another to volley, Eze produced a moment of balletic brilliance that silenced any lingering doubts about Arsenal’s nerve.

For much of the season, attention has centred on Arsenal’s summer recruits. Viktor Gyokeres and Eze arrived to inject freshness and depth into the forward line, yet consistency has been elusive.

Against Tottenham, both looked reborn.

Gyokeres delivered his most complete performance in an Arsenal shirt. His first goal was a classic centre-forward finish: sharp control, powerful strike, a hint of curl into the corner. His second was equally emphatic. Beyond the goals, his link-up play and relentless pressing set the tone for Arsenal’s second-half surge.

Eze, meanwhile, played with swagger. Clever touches, deceptive movement and a willingness to take responsibility. This was the version Arsenal fans had hoped to see regularly. A player capable of turning tight spaces into opportunities and big games into statements.

There was an added edge to his display. Tottenham had pursued him before he opted for Arsenal. Now, he has developed a habit of punishing them. His productivity in this fixture continues to underline his growing importance.

Arteta hinted at the emotional fuel behind it.

“I could see that he wanted to prove something. He was upset, even with me, because I didn’t play him the other day from the beginning, and some of the decisions that I made. And I just have to understand how we’re going to get the best out of him now.”

Even in control, Arsenal remain capable of self-inflicted drama. With Tottenham offering little threat, a rare lapse from Declan Rice handed them a route back.

Rice hesitated near his own box, and Randal Kolo Muani seized the gift to score from Spurs’ first meaningful opportunity. For a brief spell, the pre-match talk of nerves threatened to gain traction.

But the response was immediate and telling.

Rather than retreat into caution, Arsenal accelerated. Once they regained the lead, they chased a third and a fourth with intent. The difference lay in mentality. Instead of protecting an advantage, they sought to extend it. That hunger is often the mark of genuine title contenders.

For months, there has been a sense that Arsenal’s forward unit has been waiting to ignite as a collective. Injuries, adaptation periods and fluctuating form have disrupted rhythm.

Against Tottenham, the pieces aligned.

Saka’s authority on the flank allowed Gyokeres to operate centrally with greater freedom. Eze’s movement between the lines stretched Spurs’ structure. Even as Kai Havertz continues to build towards full sharpness, the depth in attacking options suddenly looks like an asset rather than a concern.

This was not just about individual brilliance. It was about cohesion. The pressing was synchronised, the passing purposeful, the transitions swift. The derby context amplified everything, but the foundations were tactical as much as emotional.

When Arsenal beat Tottenham earlier in the season, it felt like a marker. Yet subsequent inconsistency tempered that optimism. The Premier League campaign has been a grind, with exhilarating highs offset by frustrating stumbles.

The question now is whether this derby victory represents another fleeting peak or a genuine turning point in the title race.

The manner of the win suggests substance. Arsenal combined aggression with control, flair with structure. They showed they can absorb a setback within a match and still impose themselves.

Arteta remains clear-eyed.

“We showed what we are made of, but then you have to show it again and again and again.”

That repetition is the true test. The Premier League does not reward one-off statements. It demands relentless confirmation.

There is always symbolism in a North London Derby. Pride, history and local bragging rights are constants. This one carried additional weight.

With the title at stake and pressure mounting, Arsenal had a choice. They could internalise the narrative of fragility or confront it head on. They chose the latter.

By attacking with freedom and defending with renewed focus after Rice’s error, they demonstrated maturity. By unleashing Gyokeres and Eze in their most confident form yet, they showcased depth. By leaning on Saka’s leadership, they reaffirmed their identity.

The noise around nerves will not disappear overnight. Nor should it. Title races are meant to feel uncomfortable. The key is how a team channels that discomfort.

On this evidence, Arsenal have decided that the best antidote to anxiety is ambition.

And in a Premier League season defined by fine margins, that mindset could yet make all the difference.