MY ACCOUNT
North London plays host to one of the oldest rivalries in English football as neighbours Arsenal and Tottenham compete for bragging rights.
Only separated by a handful of miles, this is one of London’s most famous and fiercest derbies dating back more than 100 years to when Woolwich Arsenal moved north of the river in 1913.
The Gunners hold the edge in their historic head-to-head record, but Spurs have addressed the imbalance with famous wins in recent years.
As the old foes get ready to square off again on Sunday, take a look at four of the most talked about clashes in North London derby history. Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal (1971)
Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal (1971)
Spurs suffered one of the cruellest defeats in North London derby history in 1971 when the Gunners won the Premier League in the Lilywhites’ home stadium.
Going into the match, Arsenal needed a win or a goalless draw to snatch the title from Leeds.
The nail-biting game remained tied until the 88th minute when Ray Kennedy secured the three points for the Gunners with a last-gasp winner.
Arsenal had painted the town red once again and went on to win the double by beating Liverpool in the FA Cup final five days later.
Spurs later suffered the same fate as the Gunners lifted the Premier League trophy again in 2004 after drawing 2-2 at White Hart Lane.
Tottenham 5-1 Arsenal (2008)
This was a day to remember for Spurs fans as they destroyed Arsenal 5-1 in the Carling Cup semi-finals after a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
This was only Wenger’s second loss to the neighbours since he joined the Gunners and it was also Spurs’ biggest victory over their rivals in the 21st century.
Jermaine Jenas struck in the third minute before Nicklas Bendtner’s own-goal left the Gunners 2-0 down at half-time.
By the time Adebayor had scored for the visitors, Robbie Keane and Aaron Lennon had already put Spurs four goals ahead.
Steed Malbranque put the finishing touches on the rout as the hosts booked their spot in the final, where they went on to beat Chelsea.
Tottenham 4-4 Arsenal (2008)
Another high-scoring thriller in 2008 saw possibly the most exciting North London derby ever.
David Bentley fired Spurs into the lead with an incredible 40-yard volley but Mikael Silvestre pulled the Gunners level by the break.
William Gallas, Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie had Arsenal on course for victory despite Darren Bent popping up at the other end.
But the final moments shocked everyone as Jenas took advantage of Clichy’s slip and curled it home to give Spurs a glimmer of hope with seconds remaining of normal time.
And in the 95th minute of injury-time, Luka Modric assisted Aaron Lennon with a rebound off the post to equalise, leaving the football world speechless.
Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal (2010)
Tottenham ended a 10-year losing streak in 2010 by finally beating fierce rivals Arsenal in a home league match.
The Gunners needed a win to keep their dying title hopes alive, while Spurs were looking to make their Champions League dreams a possibility.
Danny Rose lashed a 30-yard volley past Manuel Almunia ten minutes in before rising star Gareth Bale finished from close range after being released by Jermain Defoe.
Heurelho Gomes made several stunning saves to keep the Gunners at bay before Bendtner finally pulled one back with five minutes left.
But Spurs held on for a crucial win on their way to qualifying for the Champions League for the first time ever.
