After getting their campaign off to the perfect start with a victory over Crystal Palace, Mikel Arteta said his team looked hungry.
Gabriel Martinelli nodded in the opener in the 20th minute after new signing Oleksandr Zinchenko's headed assist.
It took Palace most of the first half to adjust to the visitors' style of play, but once they did, Odsonne Edouard forced Ramsdale into a save.
The Eagles poured forward in search of a leveller, but it was the visitors who found the net again, this time with the help of a mistake by the Eagles' goalkeeper.
I have felt this way for the first few weeks of the season. Arteta told Match of the Day that they are ready and hungry.
The team came here to play the way they wanted to play, and they played well from the start. We were able to cope with pressure with resilience.
There has been plenty to whet their fans' appetites this summer, between the savvy transfer business, free- scoring pre-season form and being the focus of the All or Nothing series.
We might have to wait until the second series to find out if Arteta piped Palace anthem 'Glad All Over' out during training before this one or if it was the Spaniard's artwork that set the scene.
The 21-year-old Brazilian had earlier missed a glorious chance after Gabriel Jesus ran through the Palace defence, but he stooped to head in from a clever corner routine
They lost their first three league games last season, including a Friday night opener, and missed out on a return to the top table.
Arteta's young squad have been strengthened by the acquisitions of Jesus and Zinchenko from Manchester City.
Jesus, who scored seven goals in five pre-season games, caused Palace's back four problems with his relentless work-rate as well as his talent on the ball, and he laid on a chance for Martin Odegard that the skipper might have done better with.
The 21-year-old centre back William Saliba, who has spent most of his three years at the club out on loan, produced a fine defensive display for the debutants.
The Frenchman was part of a back four that had to show resilience as the hosts grew more threatening.
It was a result and performance that will have pleased Arteta, who recorded his 50th league win as a manager, while simultaneously giving his top-four rivals a glimpse of what they are up against.
After a disrupted pre-season that saw some of his squad not being able to travel to Singapore and Australia, some players remaining on the treatment table, and the Frenchman still hoping to make more transfer additions, Patrick Vieira was worried that this game had arrived too early.
He said he was happy with the business the Eagles have done so far this window, although only Cheick Doucoure started after arriving from Lens, and Palace struggled to deal with an Arsne Wenger team.
The hosts, who took four points off Arsenal last season, did improve and Ramsdale's save from Edouard's head before the break was followed after half-time.
Palace, who are looking to improve on their 12th-place finish last season, were unable to take advantage of that pressure and were instead caught out on the break, but will want to wait until the end of the transfer window before giving a real assessment of where his side are.
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