A battle over the dominance of North London, a contest now at it’s peak with both teams challenging for the same prize, a statement unknown years ago following Arsenal’s dominance. However, Tottenham fans will now feel they have gained the upper hand over their rivals with back-to-back finishes above Arsenal since 2016/17 making this an extremely balanced tie and one of the fiercest derbies in the United Kingdom.
The game wasn’t known at the time as the North London Derby, because it was played at Arsenal’s old home of the Manor Ground in Plumstead, an area of south-east London.
However, a rivalry between the teams began to develop four years later when Arsenal moved from Plumstead to Highbury in 1913. Their new home put the Gunners within four miles of Spurs’ home ground White Hart Lane and the local rivalry was formed.
Overall, Arsenal fans have seen more success than their Spurs counterparts in terms of major honours winning 13 League titles compared to Spurs two titles. However, Spurs have just reached the Champions League semi-finals where they play Ajax for a place in Madrid after beating Manchester City in the quarter finals, if Spurs go on to win the trophy, they will certainly hold the bragging rights over Arsenal as the Gunners still haven’t won the Champions League trophy yet.
Arsenal have had a greater head-to-head success with 82 wins, 52 draws and 64 defeats.
The first league meeting between both clubs was played on December 4, 1909, Arsenal won the game 1-0 thanks to a Walter Lawrence goal. The latest North London derby was on the 2nd March 2019 at Wembley Stadium in front of 81,332 spectators, the game ended 1-1 after a sole Aaron Ramsey goal, Harry Kane penalty and a crucial penalty save from Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in injury time after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang failed to convert. A north London derby that was the most frantic in the final moments, with both teams gifted with perfect opportunities to win the game and grab the bragging rights.
The player who has scored the most goals in the North London derby in the Premier League is Tottenham’s Harry Kane with 9 goals followed by Emmanuel Adebayor with 8 goals seeing spells at both clubs followed by Arsenal’s Robert Pires with 7. However, in all competitions, Adebayor is the top goal scorer with 10 goals.
The player who has the most appearances in a North London Derby is Arsenal’s David O’Leary, the Shelbourne schoolboy signed for the Gunners in 1973 and soon progressed through the ranks at Highbury making his debut against Burnley on 16th August 1975 at just 17 years old.
The reliable centre back went on to collect 558 appearances for Arsenal breaking several records along the way, he was the youngest player to reach the 100 and 200 match appearances milestone and also making his 400th appearance for the club at just 26 years old. His first major honour at the club was winning the 1979 FA Cup Final after beating Manchester United 3-2.
The largest victory of a North London Derby was on the 6th March 1935 when Arsenal beat Spurs 6-0
Notable Matches
It was the 3rd May 1971 and Arsenal travelled to White Hart Lane needing a win or goalless draw to win the title, Arsenal went on to win the match 1-0 after a Ray Kennedy header clinching the title an eighth time for the Gunners.
Arsenal found themselves in a similar position again on the 25th April 2004 where they had travelled to White Hart Lane in order of a point to win the 2003-04 Premier League title. Arsenal drew 2-2 and therefore were champions, they were also in the process of becoming the first side since Preston North End in 1889, which was the inaugural year of the league, to go through the season unbeaten.
The noise was gathering as fans questioned if Arsenal could become the second team to go unbeaten through the season, with home fans targeting Sol Campbell who had left Tottenham in 2001 to sign for Arsenal, a decision to make him an enemy to Spurs fans but a hero to the Gooners, the man once worshipped at White Hart Lane was now the ultimate villain. Lehmann, Lauren, Toure, Campbell, Cole, Ljungberg, Vieira, Gilberto, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry, they formed the invisibles.
April 30th, 2017, Tottenham were the victors after winning 2-0, this win ended the appalling 22 year run of St Totteringham’s Days, a day created by Arsenal fans as a day of celebration for when it is mathematically impossible for Tottenham to finish above them in the league. However, in 2017 they finished above Arsenal and they did it with pleasure in the final derby at White Hart Lane. Goals from Dele Alli and Harry Kane gave Tottenham the bragging rights as they finished above Arsenal for the first time since 1995.
Players who have ventured on both sides
Players who have ventured on both sides involve Harry Kane who was released from Arsenal as a kid, a point Spurs fans always like to laugh about, how Arsenal let go one of the best strikers in his generation through their grasp. He is still regarded as one of the best strikers in the world and almost always step’s up when it comes to playing rivals Arsenal.
Sol Campbell is another player who has caused more controversy after he left Spurs in 2001 to join Arsenal for free, branded a ‘judas’ it’s not sure how many Spurs fans have forgiven him but it’s obvious some still share their hatred towards him.
The England centre back still gets confronted over the move he made 18 years ago, with a confrontation last year at a Cambridge union talk. The student stated that a close friend who was a Tottenham fan said the decision Campbell made was the most traumatic experience of his childhood, Campbell stated his confusion as the boy would have only be a baby at the time of the move. However, this is a fitting example to show that the hatred is still there and fresh even 18 years after the move. He was a villain to Spurs fans but a hero to the Arsenal faithful as he completed the double in his first season at Highbury. He won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups in five years at Arsenal and was part of Arsene Wenger’s unbeaten Invincibles compiling a very successful résumé as an Arsenal player.
Memorable moments
14th April 1991, it was Tottenham vs Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final, Paul Stewart, Alan Smith and almost every other player on the pitch all saw that Gascoigne was acting differently, almost like something had got him extra revved up for the competition.
The rumour for Gascoigne’s random surge in liveliness was that it was because Arsenal players recently got their cup final suits fitted, a prime example of the team’s arrogance going into the semi-final which Gascoigne wanted to ruin.
Suits were also an unusual site for Gazza as Spurs players normally wore tracksuits to games rather than Arsenal’s style of suits, Gascoigne particularly arriving in his moccasins. Arsenal had to contain Gascoigne and man mark him even when he wasn’t fully fit, his lack of fitness was due to an operation on his hernia straight after the quarter final.
Although, Gascoigne scored a terrific free-kick, it sure wasn’t his greatest performance and no one expected it to mark one of the most memorable moments in Tottenham’s history as they progressed through to the final, going on to cause history by beating Nottingham Forest 2-1 becoming the first team to win the cup a record eighth time, a record now surpassed by Manchester United and Arsenal. David Howells remembers hearing Gary Lineker run past Gascoigne and shout “just smash it” so he did after a long run up, he met the ball 30 yards out and scored. Spurs went on to win the tie 3-1 after Gary Lineker bagged a brace.
Violent conduct
Every North London derby will see some form of football related violence leading to a larger police presence than other games. One of the most seen pictures is that of a fan with a cut to the head and large amount of blood accumulating down his face after the two teams met on Saturday 5 March 2016, a game which finished 2-2. A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: “Two men were arrested in connection with public order offences”, in unlinked incidents. The match was a 12:45 kick-off, a strategy used by the police to prevent trouble from accumulating through the day as fans won’t have as much time to drink. A strategy rarely seen to be effective as the majority of fans will just drink earlier or drink after the game which won’t help prevent fighting from happening. a fitting example of what happened on this derby, fighting still occurred even on a 12:45 kick off. Earlier that season, Arsenal fans were seen ripping up hoardings and seats after a Capital One Cup Tie at White Hart Lane leading to 10 arrests. An incident followed by Spurs fans trashing the toilets at the Emirates in a league fixture between the two in November.
footballrivalries.video.blog 