Spurs have now succeeded only once in their last 28 games against the Gunners but they dominated their latest encounter at the Emirates Stadium only for Theo Walcott to grab a late equaliser for Arsene Wenger's side.
Ramos opted to give a rare start to Radek Cerny rather than Paul Robinson in goal while Robin van Persie returned from injury for Arsenal in what was a very young Gunners side.
After the kick-off had been delayed for 15 minutes because of crowd congestion, Arsenal started brightly.
The Gunners created the first chance of the game in the 15th minute when Cerny was forced to make a spectacular save to keep out Niklas Bendtner's header after great play by van Persie and Justin Hoyte.
Ten minutes later at the other end Jamie O'Hara tried his luck with a free-kick, but his left-footed effort curled wide of Lukasz Fabianski's goal.
After the half-hour mark Spurs took control of the match and should have taken the lead in the 32nd minute.
The outstanding Dimitar Berbatov sent Robbie Keane scampering through the middle, and when Philippe Senderos stopped the Irishman, the ball broke to Steed Malbranque who stubbed a shot wide with the goal gaping.
Berbatov then tried his luck from 30 yards out, but Fabianski was equal to the task leaping across his goal to make a fine save, but the Arsenal keeper was beaten in the 37th minute with a goal that had been coming.
Another exquisite Berbatov throughball found Keane who beat the offside trap and burst forward before playing the ball to Jermaine Jenas who had the simple task of sliding the ball home.
Arsenal had completely lost their way and struggled for much of the second half to reassert themselves on the game.
If anyone looked like scoring after the interval it was the visitors with Jenas heading the ball on to Keane who lashed a 25-yard shot wide.
Arsenal seemed to have lost all their self-belief as Spurs got a stranglehold on the game, but with 11 minutes left Arsenal equalised.
Substitute Eduardo slipped a pass through to Theo Walcott and, although Young-Pyo Lee got to the ball first, it looped off the young Englishman and into the net.
In the closing stages Arsenal pressed for a winner, but it was the visitors who should have grabbed a second with Defoe clipping the ball over the bar when it seemed easier to score after being set up by Aaron Lennon.