Leandro Trossard's close-range finish in the 20th minute proved to be the difference between the sides but the Gunners, who needed a win to regain top spot after rivals Manchester City's emphatic 4-0 triumph at Fulham, were given plenty of anxious moments by the likes of Amad and Alejandro Garnacho.
Garnacho tormented Arsenal's highly rated right-back Ben White throughout the contest and was still running and firing shots at David Raya's goal deep into second-half injury time, when the glorious weekend weather in Manchester was swept aside by a thunderstorm and torrential rain.
Admittedly, Andre Onana was the busier of the two goalkeepers, producing top-drawer saves to keep out shots from Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice that would have made their manager Mikel Arteta's afternoon much less stressful.