Nearly six years have passed since Arsenal finished a campaign above Tottenham. The last time was the season when Leicester won the Premier League title and Spurs finished third in the two-horse race.
It was a staggering final-day implosion, even by their standards. Mauricio Pochettino’s side was whacked for five by relegated Newcastle as Arsene Wenger sent on his captain Mikel Arteta for a fond farewell, in the closing minutes of a 4-0 rout against bottom placed Aston Villa.
While most of the nation’s football fans rejoiced in the Leicester miracle, hoots of laughter rolled down the Seven Sisters Road from the Emirates Stadium to White Hart Lane.
Arsenal are currently sitting three points ahead of Tottenham in the Premier League table
That’s how it often works in North London. Horizons can be restricted and so it is beginning to feel again as two teams locked into an eternal rivalry duel over the next two months with a live TV showdown expected to be rigged-up by Sky Sports for an armchair audience, probably in early May.
The first derby before a capacity crowd at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium promises to be the most significant in years. The original fixture was postponed at Arsenal’s request, when a Covid outbreak plus the Africa Cup of Nations and injuries left them short of players in mid-January, between the two legs of a Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool.
Arsenal were in fifth and Spurs sixth at the time, both trailing behind West Ham. They are now fourth and fifth respectively, and firmly in a better groove.
The last time Arsenal finished ahead of Spurs came when Leicester won the league in 2016
Arteta’s side have won 19 points from eight games since the postponed fixture. They are stable and more resilient, with a healthy balance in the team and harmony running through the club with supporters connecting again with the players after years when Arsenal seemed riven by factions.
Antonio Conte’s side have had more games during the same period, spluttering and losing four of six in the Premier League before recovering to win four of the next five, culminating in Sunday’s 3-1 victory over West Ham.
Conte was quick to remind everyone Arsenal had the advantage, three points better off with an extra game in hand. Maybe, too, it was a good time to encounter the Hammers, awash with the exhaustion and euphoria of an epic European win.
Harry Kane and Heung-min Son have scored nine in five games, however, and the sight of them gathering momentum at this time in the season will fuel the belief of the Spurs fans.
As with their rivals, Tottenham’s first XI is shaping up in the manager’s style. The signings of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur added physical presence and midfield poise, and the back three is solid and well drilled as long as Conte can select his first-choice trio.
Captain Harry Kane and Heung-min Son (above) have scored nine goals in five games
However, Tottenham manager Conte (above) has reminded fans that Arsenal have the advantage, three points better off with an extra game in hand
Yet their depth is questionable and both managers will live in fear of losing a key player over the next two months.
What random setback might the international break have in store? What if Kane succumbs to the annual injury? What if Arsenal lose Martin Odegaard, the man making them tick?
Twists and turns await and Manchester United are firmly in the equation. One point behind Spurs, they are first to play when the Premier League returns and if they beat Leicester, they will separate the North London clubs by the time Conte’s team step out against Newcastle, a day later.
Squeaky bum time, as they say at Old Trafford.
“In this moment, in my opinion, there are four teams that are very, very top,” declared Spurs boss Conte. “Manchester United, City, Chelsea and Liverpool but if one of these four has a struggle, and this season it happened with Manchester United, and last season with Liverpool, then we have to try to stay in there.”
Qualification for the Champions League will have repercussions upon the futures of Conte and Kane. It will boost income and bring elite European football back to a £1billion stadium built with it in mind, but which has only hosted six ties in three years.
The financial impact of ending Arsenal’s five-year Champions League exile would be huge for Arteta (above) ahead of a crucial transfer market
Spurs’ qualification would also have repercussions upon the futures of England striker, Kane
Similarly, for Arsenal, the financial impact of ending their five-year Champions League exile would be huge for Arteta ahead of a crucial transfer market, when he will try to build up a squad stripped to the bone by his latest purge.
The value of the prize is clear at a time when plates are shifting in London football. Chelsea are in flux, unsure if they will remain the capital’s most attractive destination (ie the biggest payer) once Roman Abramovich has left town.
The Champions League has rarely been such a golden ticket for these two clubs. It is turning into a three-horse race and neither can afford to finish second.
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