After successive defeats, Arsenal needed a huge performance especially at home to bitter enemies Tottenham Hotspur.
Mikel Arteta made four changes to his side following their FA Cup exit to Manchester United which seemed to add some much needed energy to the midfield and attacking line.
Spurs opened the scoring against the run of play on the 25th minute as Son Heung-Min's deft volley deflected off Thomas Partey into the bottom corner.
Again, for all of Arsenal's pressure, it was a set-piece that saw them get back into the game. Declan Rice delivered a delicious ball to Antonin Kinsky's back post which Gabriel Magalhães headed off Dominic Solanke to tie the score five minutes before the break.
Leandro Trossard scored the match-winner on the the 44th minute as his strike across goal caught out Kinsky, sending the home crowd into pandemonium.
We learnt four things from the Gunners' North London Derby win.
Arsenal are still in the hunt
Despite their slight dip in form and current injury crisis, the Gunners find themselves just four points behind table toppers Liverpool FC. The Reds do have a game in hand, but have shown dwindling signs in recent weeks.
Arsenal have dominated their last five fixtures in terms of chances created, but have lacked that cutting edge that could swing results in their favour. Only Liverpool have scored more league goals than Arsenal this season, but watching the home side's forwards recently has only left fans wondering 'What if?'
If Mikel Arteta's side can replicate their 2024 form and find their shooting boots, they will certainly at least be within touching distance of a Premier League title.
Myles Lewis-Skelly has arrived
The teenager has been making a name for himself this season, but many would expect a nervous performance in a fixture that holds such history. It was quite the opposite for the youngster as he stifled Dejan Kulusevski and later Brenan Johnson.
Lewis-Skelly showed the technical quality of a cultured central midfielder as he slipped Sterling through one-on-one with a perfectly weighted pass in the opening period. Going the other way, Lewis-Skelly was just as good, highlighted by his crunching challenge on Pape Matar Sarr to stop the Spurs counterattack.
The 18 year old earned high praise from teammate Declan Rice who likened him to Moussa Dembele in his post match interview with TNT Sports.
Jury's out on Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling started his third Premier League match of the season but his performance left a lot to be desired. The Englishman could not find his way around Spurs' makeshift backline, finding it especially difficult against a lively Djed Spence.
Albeit a loan signing, Sterling has failed to impress throughout his Arsenal spell. Arteta has provided him with limited minutes and the now 30-year-old finds himself in starting contention going forward due to the injuries of Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri, and Gabriel Jesus.
Will a consistent run of games see Sterling rediscover the form that he displayed in his first spell under Mikel Arteta? With Arsenal chasing a league, Sterling has a golden opportunity to prove his worth to the Emirates crowd.
A forward is a MUST in January
As Declan Rice said post-match, " I think we're unlucky not to score 10 tonight! That's the feeling."
This has been the feeling of Arsenal fans for large portions of the season as their forward line has faultered in front of goal. Missed opportunities from Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling, and Martin Ødegaard saw Tottenham keep in the game for far too long.
Arsenal played themselves into great positions against Spurs but lacked the box presence to take advantage of their chances.
With the current injury crisis, Arsenal are left with only four fit first team attackers going into the final months of the campaign. For context, Liverpool have six.