True, it is just pre-season, but that was an extremely encouraging performance from Spurs against their rivals.
The previous three performances under Thomas Frank, all against League One opposition, were not particularly show-stopping. It showed us a group of unfit players figuring out a new style of play, but in Hong Kong, everything was far more encouraging.
Tottenham Hotspur rattled the post three times in the first half, with Richarlison missing a clear-cut chance from a yard out being the greatest opportunity to take the lead.
Shortly before half-time, Spurs nipped the ball off Gunners left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly on the halfway line, albeit with questionable legality, with Pape Sarr firing the ball over David Raya in no man's land to open the scoring.
That turned out to be the only goal in the contest, as the Lilywhites defended diligently in the second half to see out their goal advantage.
Like the previous pre-season games, there are some notebook notes to digest and understand.
First look at Frank’s favoured lineup
In the friendlies against Wycombe Wanderers and Luton Town last weekend, the sides were split in half randomly, rather than into strong and weak sides respectively.
This meant that it was hard to recognise who Thomas Frank was favouring, but against your bitter rivals, you can be assured that the Dane was going to pick his perceived best eleven.
A strong team surfaced on our socials an hour before kick-off. It was not too dissimilar to the strongest Ange Postecoglou side, but it did gel during the match much better than under the Australian.
Cohesiveness between players is the most identifiable difference in the short time Frank has had on the changing ground. The players were clear in their instructions and were positioned well in every phase and zone of the pitch. Rarely would two players run into each other, and it was a well-oiled machine rather than the unorganised chaos of the last two years.
It also looks clear what profile of player the Spurs boss wants in each position. Some players were less effective in their role today, such as Richarlison, who struggled with maintaining possession against the strong Arsenal centre-backs.
Looking into midfield, Rodrigo Bentancur would benefit the team further up the pitch, hence the interest in Bayern Munich holding midfielder João Palhinha.
Depth might be lacking at this moment, but the foundations are strong, and the midfield was energetic in ball-winning today, which will impress Frank.
Lucas Bergvall’s place in the team could be under pressure, despite his start and strong performance today. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are not yet fully fit, but could be favoured over the young Swede once either is ready to start.
Strong performance from the wingers
Most of the highlights from the first half were courtesy of the two starting Spurs wingers. Wilson Odobert on the left was lively, while Mohammed Kudus maintained his strong performance levels during this pre-season on the right.
Thomas Frank evidently prefers the traditional winger rather than what Postecoglou opted for during his tenure. Odobert and Kudus typically play closer to the touchline and will opt to be involved in crossing rather than attacking the box, such as how Brennan Johnson and Heung-Min Son have for Spurs.
Both wingers were an absolute handful for the opposition’s full-backs, and if they failed to cross, they would regularly earn a corner for Spurs or shoot and hit the post like Odobert did in the first half.
This is a huge season upcoming for Wilson Odobert. A long-term injury halted his progress after a few decent performances at the beginning of last season, but he can kick on this year and become a starter under Frank. He remains raw, but could develop into a neat and essential player for Tottenham Hotspur next year.
For Kudus, his talents perfectly suit the physicality of the Premier League. His ability to keep the ball is astonishing, and if he can add regular goals to his game for Spurs, he will be the first name on the teamsheet.
Arsenal get a taste of their own medicine
For years, Arsenal have profited from putting a player in front of Guglielmo Vicario from corners, rendering his ability to defend the ball almost zero.
This has allowed the Gunners to score quite a few from corners against Spurs over the years, and still, the Lilywhites never learned how to combat this effective grey area of legally blocking the opponent.
In this game, Spurs gave Arsenal a taste of their own medicine as chances arose when they used their tactic against them.
Pedro Porro first swung in a corner on Spain teammate David Raya, who was being blocked by Micky van de Ven. The corner missed everyone, but almost went in directly when Porro’s cross hit the far post.
Not long after, the other post was smashed by Richarlison following another corner in the same situation, and the Brazilian really should have opened the scoring.
Using set-pieces in this way is a proven method, one which Postecoglou chose to complain about, but Frank is a person who will exploit and make gains at any margin. Spurs look far more dangerous from attacking corners under the Dane.
Superb defensive shape
Tottenham Hotspur conceded eight times in four games against Arsenal under the previous coach. It is a given that Thomas Frank has been working on Spurs’ defensive shape, and everyone saw the rewards reaped from the defensive display today.
The shape while defending was strong throughout the entire match, and combining that with the one-on-one defensive qualities of Cristian Romero and Djed Spence, the likes of Bukayo Saka were kept to few chances.
This was never a poor Spurs defence, even if the stats have suggested otherwise. Their qualities are clear to see, and there is a strong balance and range of qualities across that back line, which can help surpass the disappointing six clean sheets earned last season by the winners of this derby.