It was five minutes before half-time in the North London derby and the atmosphere at The Emirates was about to get ugly. Not the kind of ugliness that disfigured Arsene Wenger's final days, but restless, anxious and frustrated.
It was the kind of anger that comes from facing the specter of the ordinary when you've been promised so much more. And while Arsenal lost to a Spurs goal scored by Son Heung-min, normality, another season of trying and failing to win the league, was staring them in the face.
But seasons go through strange times and perhaps Arsenal have changed in that time. Leandro Trossard won a corner that should have been a goal kick, Arsenal scored, forcing Dominic Solanke into an own goal, and then scored again through Trossard on the stroke of half-time.
Ugliness turned towards Ange Postecoglou. As the match neared its end and Spurs sank to their 11th league defeat of the season, which kept them languishing in 13th place, eight points above the relegation zone, 'AngeOut' began trending in X.
Arsenal have won seven and drawn one of their last nine games against Spurs and this season, only the last three have lost more than Tottenham. Spurs pride is being trampled.
This is not the form of a team that aspired to join a European Super League a few seasons ago. Those of us who love watching the football Postecoglou's team plays and believe that the Spurs' fortunes will change will hope that Spurs president Daniel Levy keeps faith in him.
Arsenal moved to within four points of the Premier League summit after a tense win against Tottenham.
The Gunners restored parity in the 40th minute when Gabriel's header forced an own goal from Dominic Solanke.
Leandro Trossard scored the Gunners' second and eventual winning goal a minute before half-time.
But after this defeat, after the struggle to overcome non-league Tamworth in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday, after a series of humiliations, Postecoglou is walking a tightrope. Nervous days lie ahead for those who still believe he represents the club's best hope for a bright future.
The Spurs' season has been derailed by injuries, particularly in defence, and Wednesday night's back five was the 10th different goalie-back four combination Postecoglou has been forced into during the campaign .
Despite everything, Spurs, contrary to common perception, have been relatively resolute in defense away from home. Before this game, Postecoglou's team had only scored nine goals in 11 away league games, the best record in the division.
The worry for Arsenal fans was whether their failing forward line could produce the guile or ruthlessness to bring down Spurs after the frustrations of recent matches against Newcastle and Manchester United underlined how much they miss the injured Bukayo Saka.
They came into this game reeling from the news that striker Gabriel Jesus had ruptured his cruciate ligaments during Sunday's clash against United and would be out for the rest of the season. Raheem Sterling has made just his third start in the league since moving from Chelsea in the summer.
Sterling had a chance in the first three minutes. Arsenal attacked Spurs and hounded them from the start and Sterling almost latched on to a pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly before being denied at the last moment by Djed Spence.
The Spurs couldn't get out of their own field. Arsenal were absolutely dominant. They came close again when Kinsky hesitated slightly with the ball at his feet and Havertz blocked his attempted clearance. For an instant, it looked like the German striker would have an open goal, but Kinsky fell on the ball like a man throwing a cloak on a naked flame.
Spurs finally broke out when Spence made a magnificent run down the left and crossed with the outside of his right foot. Solanke stretched to reach it, but Gabriel made a brilliant save to send the ball for a corner.
Gabriel made a stunning save to deny Solanke early in the first half of the match.
Song Heung-min had given the visitors a shock lead in the 20th minute after his volley was deflected by William Saliba.
New signing Antonin Kinsky showed the nervousness of a player playing his first derby in north London
Dejan Kulusevski forced a good save from David Raya soon after and suddenly Spurs were full of confidence.
When Arsenal barely cleared a corner midway through the half, Son found it with a volley and a deflection from Thomas Partey took the ball past Raya.
The match was now fully alive, the home crowd caught between roars of encouragement and cries of frustration.
Trossard executed a Cruyff spin so perfect that poor Pedro Porro sprained his knee and fell to the ground while trying to adjust his body to meet his opponent's feint.
A few minutes before the break, Trossard took a corner. Those Arsenal fans who have been claiming that there is a deep state conspiracy against them, orchestrated by PGMOL officials, might be interested in watching replays of their challenge with Porro. It shows that the last touch was Trossard's. It should have been a goal kick.
Arsenal made the most of their good fortune. Rice took a corner with speed and precision towards the back post, Kinsky stayed rooted to the spot and Gabriel rose above Dominic Solanke and Radu Dragusin and headed the ball into the unprotected net. He touched Solanke on the way and it was recorded as an own goal.
Five minutes later, as the clock ticked into added time, Partey dispossessed Yves Bissouma in midfield and the ball went wide to Trossard on the left.
Trossard took a few steps forward and then unleashed a ferocious attack that bounced clumsily in front of Kinsky and eluded his attempt to stop it before ducking into the net. It was a good hit, but Kinsky should have saved it.
Ange Postecoglou's side remain 13th in the Premier League standings with one win in their last five league games.
There was no chance of Postecoglou opting for caution in the second half. Instead, he brought on James Maddison for Bissouma and Brennan Johnson for Pape Sarr at half-time.
Arsenal should have gone further ahead 10 minutes after the break but Sterling and Havertz turned the opportunity into a comedy of errors with a couple of missed shots and aerial shots. Sterling was replaced shortly after. It hadn't been his night.
After a period of attrition, the match came back to life with 20 minutes remaining. Gabriel made another good block to deny Solanke at one end before Arsenal went ahead and Declan Rice turned his man before leveling a piledriver straight at Kinsky.
Arsenal pushed and pushed to get the third but, although Porro hit the post with a stinging shot in the final minute of stoppage time, it turned out he didn't need it.