Cliff Notes – Arsenal vs Tottenham: Five classic north London derbies
- Arsenal currently leads the Premier League, four points ahead of Manchester City, but faces a potential setback with Gabriel Magalhães’ injury impacting their strong defence.
- Tottenham boasts the best away record in the league but struggles with creativity due to injuries to key players, including Dominic Solanke and James Maddison.
- Both teams are preparing for challenging Champions League fixtures shortly after their derby clash, with Arsenal set to host Bayern Munich and Spurs travelling to Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal vs Tottenham: Five classic north London derbies
Two of the country’s fiercest rivals will come head-to-head on Sunday when Arsenal host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
The Emirates has not been a happy hunting ground for Spurs but Thomas Frank’s men have the best away record in the league and hold hopes of denting their rivals’ title charge.
Despite dropping points against Sunderland before the international break, Arsenal are four points clear of second-placed Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. However, Gabriel Magalhães’ groin injury could disrupt what is arguably the best defence in Europe.
Spurs, meanwhile, are still trying to find their feet under Frank. Their league-best away record is balanced against their league-worst home record and in the absence of Dominic Solanke, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, creativity has proved hard to come by. Ange Postecoglou took just one point from the four Premier League north London derbies he oversaw during his time in charge so Frank could surpass his predecessor with a famous win at the Emirates.
Both sides also face the prospect of a daunting-looking Champions League tie three days later with Arsenal hosting Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich and Spurs travelling to face European champions Paris Saint-Germain.
With the latest instalment in the fierce contest just around the corner, here are five classic Premier League encounters that should whet the appetite.
Tottenham 2-2 Arsenal (April 25, 2004)Despite letting a late lead slip, Arsenal won the Premier League title at the home of their arch-rivals. ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images
Arsenal had become top-flight champions at White Hart Lane once before in 1971, but the fact they repeated the trick during their “invincibles” season in 2004 gave the moment an extra layer of gloss.
Needing only a draw to secure the title with four games to spare, Arsene Wenger’s side raced into a two-goal lead thanks to goals from Robert Pires and captain Patrick Vieira. However, Spurs fought back in the second half, equalising through Jamie Redknapp shortly after the hour mark before Robbie Keane dispatched a stoppage time penalty past Jens Lehmann to earn a draw.
But Spurs’ celebrations were short lived as the referees’ final whistle came with the dawning realisation, and a subsequent rush to the exits, that the result mattered little in the grand scheme of things.
Tottenham 4-5 Arsenal (Nov. 13, 2004)The north London rivals went toe-to-toe during a nine-goal thriller in 2004. Clive Rose/Getty Images
Later that same year, the two sides were back at White Hart Lane, offering up a remarkable nine-goal thriller in Martin Jol’s first match in charge that featured goals from a record nine different scorers.
The two rivals were neck-and-neck at halftime after Thierry Henry had cancelled out Noureddine Naybet’s 37th-minute opener. What followed has gone down in Premier League folklore and has an argument to be the most exciting 45-minute spell in the division’s history.
Lauren and the ever-reliable Vieira had the visitors 3-1 ahead on the hour mark but Spurs struck straight back when Jermain Defoe’s stunner halved the deficit less than a minute later. In the end, goals from Freddie Ljungberg and Pires just about kept Spurs at arm’s length during a rollercoaster final 20 minutes in which Ledley King and Freddie Kanoute’s strikes went some way to dispelling the imperious aura Arsenal had carried in the seasons prior.
Arsenal 4-4 Tottenham (Oct. 29, 2008)David Bentley’s volley from distance is one of the fixture’s classic goals. Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Featuring one of the north London derby’s most famous goals from David Bentley, the topsy-turvy 4-4 draw at the Emirates lives long in the memory.
With Arsenal 4-2 up and seemingly cruising to yet another home win over their downtrodden rivals, Jermaine Jenas gave Spurs a lifeline with a fine left-footed curling finish past Manuel Almunia in the 89th minute.
Just as it seemed Arsenal would hold out, Luka Modric’s hopeful effort deflected off Mikaël Silvestre and rebounded back off the post, falling perfectly to the onrushing Aaron Lennon who slotted home to send the visiting fans into raptures.
– Arsenal’s Gabriel out for at least a month – sources
– Reranking the MVP for each of the top Premier League clubs
– Premier League table
Arsenal 2-3 Tottenham (Nov. 20, 2010)Younes Kaboul’s late header gave Spurs their first, and still only, Premier League victory at the Emirates. Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Having gone 17 years without an away win at Arsenal, it was always going to need something special for Spurs to finally get one over their north London counterparts.
The 3-2 comeback win in 2010 proved exactly that as centre-back Younes Kaboul became Tottenham’s unlikely hero. Arsenal’s almost two-decade winning streak over their neighbours had appeared safe after Samir Nasri’s remarkable finish had helped Arsenal to a 2-0 lead at half-time. But Spurs reemerged from the interval a team reborn as first Gareth Bale, and then Rafael van der Vaart brought them back level. Then, with four minutes remaining and Arsenal all-at-sea, Kaboul rose highest in the box to flick Van der Vaart’s cross into the net and earn all three points for the visitors.
Spurs’ winner tipped the usually calm Wenger over the edge, with the TV cameras catching the French coach famously throwing his water bottle, and then the plastic water bottle cap, against the ground in disgust.
Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham (Feb. 26, 2012)Tomas Rosicky often seemed to be at the centre of things when the two north London rivals met. Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Arsenal only had to wait two years to make a remarkable comeback of their own.
In a fixture where scoring the first goal often comes to be seen as a poisoned chalice, Louis Saha and former Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor put Spurs 2-0 up before a dramatic turnaround saw Wenger’s team emerge victorious. Even as north London derbies go, the speed of Arsenal’s fightback was eye-catching. Goals from Bacary Sagna and Robin van Persie had Arsenal level before the break before Tomas Rosicky put them in front in the 51st minute.
Theo Walcott’s quickfire double then put the result beyond doubt, despite the fact there were more than 20 minutes remaining in the contest.
