For all of the optimism surrounding Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur revolution, the bubble easily could have been burst in just 90 minutes.
The stage had been immaculately set for Postecoglou’s first north London derby, too.
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Both Tottenham and Arsenal went into the fixture undefeated and Postecoglou had the chance to do what no Spurs manager had done since November 2010: win at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal started strongly and took a deserved albeit slightly lucky lead inside 30 minutes when Bukayo Saka’s curling effort from range took a wild deflection from Cristian Romero and flew into the back of the net.
Yet the Gunners’ hot start kicked Tottenham into life as a fleet-footed James Maddison produced some byline magic to set up Heung-Min Son to score the equaliser late in the first half.
The home side re-took the advantage in the 54th minute from the spot after Romero was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area.
But Tottenham hit back within an instant as Maddison dispossessed a careless Jorginho in a dangerous position before sliding it into the path of Son who made no mistake with an unerring finish past David Raya.
A final scoreline of 2-2 ensured both teams’ undefeated starts remained intact, but The Times’ Henry Winter believed the result proved Postecoglou’s revolution passed its biggest test yet.
“Given the pre-match narrative was all about how many Arsenal would score, and that Spurs would fail their first big test of the season, this draw almost felt like a win for Postecoglou’s men,” Winter wrote.
Postecoglou full of praise for Spurs | 00:41
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“They certainly made a point.”
Winter added: “Where Spurs were once meek, they are now strong. Where Spurs were once inhibited by managers, they are now expansive.”
Prior to the fixture, some pundits questioned whether Postecoglou would stick to his attacking principles in a game riddled with pressure and expectation.
Sky Sports’ Paul Merson even predicted Tottenham would “get blown away” if Postecoglou’s side didn’t alter their gung-ho approach.
A pulsating 90 minutes later and the Australian boss proved his swashbuckling brand of football can work, even in such a tension-filled fixture.
Not only that, but Arsenal must now view this fixture with a heightened sense of trepidation so long as Postecoglou is in charge.
“This north London derby will live long in the memory of Tottenham fans,” The Telegraph’s Jason Burt wrote.
“It is the day when their new team under their new head coach and with their new attacking style of play went to the home of their nearest and bitterest rivals and showed there is a new kid on the block.
“Tottenham are transformed under Ange Postecoglou and here was the most compelling evidence to support that bold claim.”
Interestingly enough, Tottenham have as many points as they did this time last season, albeit with a one-goal differential.
VAR call leaves Ange ‘disconsolate’ | 01:12
Yet the mood surrounding the club now couldn’t be more different than what it was under Antonio Conte.
Despite the feel-good factor that has engulfed Tottenham since Postecoglou’s arrival, BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty was quick to reiterate that there are many twists and turns yet to come.
But, perhaps more importantly, Postecoglou has instilled certain characteristics within his team that his predecessors struggled to do and it does not bode well for Tottenham’s rivals.
“Postecoglou will not be getting carried away, nor should he, but it was easy to see why this Spurs performance brought so much delight to their supporters packed in one corer of Emirates Stadium, sharing a mutual love-in with manager and players after the final whistle,” McNulty wrote.
“Spurs did not simply adhere to the attacking principles Postecoglou has made his trademark but they also showed the requisite levels of grit and basic fight when required, commodities that have often been in short supply in recent seasons.”
Barring a brutal FA Cup draw, Tottenham won’t get to lay so much as a finger on Arsenal until April 28 next year, but who knows how far along Postecoglou’s revolution will be by then.
If Sunday’s fixture was any indication, it might be Arsenal fans who are nervously sweating when they next meet.
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