please log in to view this image Tottenham Hotspur host Arsenal at White Hart Lane in the 28th round of 2012-13 Premier League matches on Sunday 3rd March 2013 (KO 16:00). Spurs come into the North London Derby in 3rd place on 51 points, while Arsenal are in 5th place on 47 points. This will be the 251st time the two teams have met. Spurs v Arsenal is now one of the great rivalries in World Football but the fixture had very different beginings back in November 1887 when the clubs first met in a friendly played on Tottenham Marshes. Arsenal, then called Royal Arsenal, had been formed just a year earlier as Dial Square and were essentially the works team for the munitions factory situated in Woolwich, Kent, while Spurs who had been formed some five years earlier in 1882 still had many of the youngsters who founded the club playing for them. Spurs won that first encounter 2-1, although the game was cut short by 15 minutes, due to poor light conditions because of the Arsenal team getting lost and turning-up late for the start. Seven more friendlies were played between the two clubs from 1888 to 1896 with Spurs winning four and Arsenal winning three before their first competitive match in March 1899. By this time, Arsenal were re-named Woolwich Arsenal and the clubs met in the United League with the Gunners winning 2-1 at the Manor Ground in Plumstead while Spurs won the return match 3-2 at Northumberland Park. Two matches were played within the same week in April 1900 in the Southern District Combination League with Spurs winning 4-2 at White Hart Lane which was followed by a 2-1 win to Arsenal at Plumstead in a game abandoned after 75 minutes due to "bad language". History doesn't provide the answer as to who was the guilty party! From 1901 to 1920, the clubs met in various minor competitions, friendlies and matches played during the First World War. Tottenham Hotspur joined the Football League in season 1908-09 and won promotion to the First Division on their first attempt. The following season they played Arsenal in December 1909 and lost 0-1 at the Manor Ground in Plumstead, while the reverse fixture at White Hart Lane ended in a 1-1 draw with John Curtis scoring Spurs' first League goal against the Gunners. The teams met for three more seasons before Arsenal's relegation at the end of the 1912-13 season with Spurs winning three matches, Arsenal winning two and one game drawn. September 1913 proved to be a hugely important date in the history of both clubs as Arsenal controversially moved from south of the River Thames into the territory reserved for Tottenham Hotspur and Clapton (later Leyton) Orient, in clear violation of the rules and regulations governing such relocations as stipulated by the Football League. Despite bitter protests, Arsenal's move to Highbury (more correctly called Arsenal Stadium) was allowed. White Hart Lane was requisitioned by the Army during WWI, so Spurs played many of their wartime matches at Highbury. When League football resumed after the war in 1919, it was decided to once again expand the First Division from 20 teams to 22. The normal way of doing this had always been to add the top two clubs from the Second Division to those who were already in the First Division. However, there were complications arising from allegations of match-fixing from Liverpool and Manchester United during the final matches of the last season played before the League was suspended and it was felt that they would forfit their Top Flight status as a result. From nowhere, Arsenal, who had finished sixth (later corrected to fifth) in the Second Division before the war were 'elected' to take Tottenham Hotspur's place in the First Division. Allegations of bribery persist to this day and Henry Norris (Arsenal's Chairman) was later given a lifetime ban from football from the Football League for underhand financial activities. Spurs and Arsenal played their first Football League match after World War One in the First Division in January 1921 with Spurs winning 2-1 at White Hart Lane while Arsenal won the return match at Highbury 3-2. All 150 League games played to date have taken place in the Top Flight of English football. Highbury was taken over by the Army during the Second World War and Spurs returned the favour by allowing Arsenal to play their wartime matches at White Hart Lane. Arsenal won the first FA Cup meeting between the two teams 3-0 in the 3rd Round in January 1949. The clubs have played five FA Cup matches to date with Spurs winning two and Arsenal winning three. The first Football League Cup match took place in November 1968 with Arsenal winning the first leg of the Semi-Final 1-0 at Highbury and Spurs drawing 1-1 at White Hart Lane the following month. Of the 12 League Cup matches played so far, Spurs have won 3, Arsenal have won 6 and three games have been drawn. Both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were founder members of the Premier League in season 1992-93 and both clubs are among the seven (Liverpool, Everton, Chelsea, Manchester United and Aston Villa are the other five) who have been ever-present during the 21 seasons of the competition. Arsenal went two goals ahead by halftime in the 2010-11 fixture at the Emirates in November through Samir Nasri and Marouane Chamakh but Spurs came back strongly with goals from Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart (penalty) and Younes Kaboul to secure a 3-2 win. The match at White Hart Lane in April 2011 was a six goal thriller with honours even. Theo Walcott and Rafael van der Vaart scored goals within the first 10 minutes before Samir Nasri put the Gunners 2-1 up after 12 minutes. Arsenal went further ahead with a Robin van Persie goal on 40 minutes but Tom Huddlestone made it 2-3 by halftime. Van der Vaart scored the only goal in the second half from the penalty spot. The fixture at White Hart Lane last season in October was won by Spurs 2-1 with goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Kyle Walker with Aaron Ramsey scoring for Arsenal. Arsenal won their home match in February 2012 5-2. Louis Saha had put Spurs ahead after 4 minutes and an Emmanuel Adebayor penalty put Tottenham further ahead after 34 minutes. But Arsenal pulled two goals back before half-time through Bacary Sagna and Robin van Persie. Tomas Rosicky put Arsenal in front just after the break and the rout was completed with a brace from Theo Walcott. The match on 17th November at the Emirates resulted in a 5-2 win for Arsenal. Emmanuel Adebayor put Spurs ahead after 10 minutes but was sent-off eight minutes later for a rash tackle on Santi Cazorla. Arsenal then scored three times to make it 3-1 at halftime - Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud grabbing the goals. Santi Cazorla put Arsenal further ahead on the hour mark but Gareth Bale pulled one back for Spurs before Theo Walcott scored the fifth for Arsenal just before the final whistle. Overall, Spurs have won 90 of the 250 matches played against Arsenal with the Gunners winning 101 and 59 matches drawn. please log in to view this image Full History of Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal Matches 1887-2013 please log in to view this image They Played for Spurs & Arsenal.... Emmanuel Adebayor Clive Allen Charlie Ambler Bob Arber (Arsenal player, Spurs reserves manager) David Bentley David Black Anton Blackwood Jimmy Brain Laurie Brown Walter Bugg Lycurgus Burrows Sol Campbell Herbert Chapman (Spurs player, Arsenal manager) Damien Comolli (Director of Football at both clubs) Freddie Cox James Delvin Wilf Dixon (Spurs assistant manager, Arsenal trainer) Jack Eggett Tom Fitchie Theo Foley (Arsenal assistant manager, Spurs reserves manager) William Gallas George Graham (Arsenal player, manager of both clubs) Vic Groves Tom Hatfield Stewart Houston (Assistant manager at both clubs) Joe Hulme (Arsenal player, Spurs manager) George Hunt David Jenkins Pat Jennings Bill Julian Peter Kyle Neil Lacy Bill Lane (Spurs player, Arsenal scout) Peter McWilliam (Spurs manager, Arsenal scout) Tom Meade Billy Minter Terry Naylor Terry Neill (Arsenal player, manager of both clubs) Jamie O'Hara Tom O'Shea George Payne Ron Piper Tom Pratt Rohan Ricketts Jimmy Robertson Andrew Swan Walter Thomas Erik Thorstvedt Steve Walford Ernie Walley (Spurs player, Arsenal coach) Charlie Williams Willie Young please log in to view this image Tottenham Hotspur Premier League Player's Squad Numbers 1993-94 to 2012-13 Arsenal Premier League Player's Squad Numbers 1993-94 to 2012-13 please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
A win on Sunday would put Spurs one point better off than we were at the same stage last season... Tottenham Hotspur Premier League Points Won 1992-93 to 2012-13
Shhhhh!!! There's still 10 odd games yet. Anything can happen! We've still got Chelsea, city, Everton and Liverpool to play!! Cheers again 6061. I hate this fixture. I'm a nervous wreck all day, I feel sick during the game and I end up in a massive pissy mood if we lose. Lets hope our outstanding form continues!!! COYS!
Can't deny that I'm not nervous for this one. On current form we're playing better than them lot... But as we've seen far too often in these games, form goes out the window and counts for nothing. Home advantage with the crowd behind the team, plus the recent confidence of our good run all points to positives for us but Arsenal's ambitions are now to solely finish above us seeing as their CL hopes look bleak. Going for (presuming Dempsey is still out?): Lloris, Walker, Dawson, Caulker, Ekotto Parker, Dembele Lennon, Holtby, Sigurdsson Bale (free role) Subs: Friedel, Naughton, Gallas, Vertonghen, Carroll, Livermore, Adebayor Left Vertonghen out purely because a) I think Daws has been on fire and deserves place and b) Caulker's aerial threat will be needed to deal with Mertesacker and Giroud. Benny comes back as we'll need someone quicker to deal with Walcott, Vertonghen's too slow for someone like him and Naughton is NOT good against speed when he plays on the left. Ade, I didn't want him playing against West Ham and the case has strengthened after his performance. Sigurdsson deserves a start and I think Bale should be given a free role. If anything adopt the 4-6-0 that Spain has. Having Ade in the side is having an adverse effect in my opinion and the form of others mean it's harsh to drop them instead of him. Going for a very tight 2-1 or 3-2. Both teams will score, of that I'm confident, I just hope we get more. COYS!!!
That's what I'd go for too SOS, although I'm toying over whether Ade starts. I know it sounds daft after all i've said, but like you say, form goes out of the window. after his sending off in the previous game and his poor performances in general, this is the exact sort of game where we could see Ade's season make a complete u-turn, for the better. it's a tough call.
Did you not see the fabulous assist that he 'jedi mind tricked' the West Ham defender into giving Bale for the first, or the wonderful 'dummy' that allowed for Siggy's goal?!?
Completely see what you're saying mate but I have no faith in the guy now. I'd rather give opportunities to players that deserve a chance and the likes of Sigurdsson definitely deserves one now and Holtby, although was disappointing against West Ham has been impressive since signing and needs more time with the team to really find his feet. Starting Ade means one of them two dropping out, which I think is harsh.
and this is the other side of the decision... I think i'd probably agree with this, see how it's going after 55 mins and then consider bringing Ade on to liven up the crowd and see what he can do.
I suspect if he is fit Gallas might play in this one. His experience might be crucial. Also, it has to be Ade up front to get in amongst their defenders, where they are vulnerable. My team Lloris Walker Vertonghen Gallas Assou-Ekotte Parker Dembele Lennon Bale Siggy Ade Holtby to come on for Lennon or Siggy
Looking forward to watching Diaby or Arteta trying to pick up Bale. Dirty tactics like rotating fouls and trying to leave an extra boot in won't come naturally to Arsenal players(except Wilshere) so they'll either do it badly and get players sent off or not at all. That's about all I'm looking forward to, I'm far too nervous about the rest of the game, it should be an even game but we really don't want to be losing this.
We have to play our socks off for the last eleven matches especially Sunday's match. If Norwich can beat Everton then so can we. City will be difficult but they can wobble and so can Liverpool who'll be peed off about being eliminated from the Europa. We can have Chelsea if our minds are right but first let's get Sunday out of the way. Let's get this one goal win cycle broken into a two goal win and we'll make top four easily. But I'm making no predictions about Sunday's match,it's the goons after all so a derby. We scraped through yesterday but shouldn't have done,it should have been easy. We know what to do,The Mighty Thor has spoken.
Yeah exactly what I'd do... It's a no lose scenario in my opinion. We experiment with a new formation with players hungry and desperate to impress, if it's not working then switch it up with Ade coming on in the hope he'll be desperate to stick a boot in to the Gooners and prove a point to us in the mean time.
This is my one and only post before the game, I have my thoughts about it obviously, but this season I've had an uncanny knack of the opposite happening if I write it out. Not that I'm superstitious at all! COYS!
That's amazing when you consider our run of 10 wins from 11 games in the last campaign. We've made up 6 points in the last two fixtures, so we've past the point at which it all started to go wrong. Let's hope that we don't have a similar stumble this time. Villas-Boas was sacked after 27 league games last season. This time he goes above Chelsea after the same number of games.
Its not just the points gap, last year even with the goons beating us we should have took 3rd, but the confidence factor from that result made a big difference. If we manage to win this and in style, then I can't see us dropping out the top four, as we would have won the mental battle with the goons.
I'm optimistic too Boss, but anything can happen and we've got a tough run in. Slip once, and others can pounce.
I'm hoping for a big score in our favour, my missus broke my '5:1' mug so I'm hoping for another run of memorial mugs.
