please log in to view this image Arsenal host Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium in the 26th round of 2011-12 Premier League matches on Sunday 26th February 2012. Arsenal come into the North London Derby in 4th place on 43 points, while Spurs are in 3rd place on 53 points. This will be the 249th 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 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 140 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 20 seasons of the competition. Arsenal went two goals ahead by halftime in the reverse fixture last season at the Emirates in November 2010 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 reverse fixture at White Hart Lane earlier this 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. As far as Football League / Premier League matches go, two player have both scored nine goals for Spurs against Arsenal - Billy Minter and Bobby Smith. Three Arsenal players have each scored eight goals against Spurs - Robert Pires, Emmanuel Adebayor and Alan Smith. There have been three hat-tricks scored during North London Derbies - Terry Dyson for Spurs and Ted Drake & Alan Sunderland for Arsenal. Jimmy Robertson is the only player to score for both Spurs & Arsenal in a North London Derby. Arsenal's David O'Leary has played in the most North London Derbies (35) while both Gary Mabbutt & Steve Perryman played 31 games with Spurs. During the 2011 summer transfer window, Spurs signed former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor on loan from Manchester City. Overall, Arsenal have won 99 of the 248 matches played against Tottenham with Spurs winning 90 and 59 matches drawn. please log in to view this image Full History of Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal Matches 1887-2012 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, Spurs manager) 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, Spurs manager) 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 2011-12 Arsenal Premier League Player's Squad Numbers 1993-94 to 2011-12 please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
The next two matches are massive for us. If we can win them both then we've got a good chance of second or even first if City melt down. If we lose them both then the pack will be hot on our heels for third. Our team is much better than Arsenal's now but anything can happen in football. Keep fingers and everything else crossed! COYS!
You're not allowed to do one again because you clearly cursed our performance! I'm not allowed to do one again because of popular demand Can't wait for the game, should be another good one but I'm still not sure that I like us being favourites. Is anyone here going, out of interest?
Quality bit of research there. I didn't realise that many players turned out for both clubs. Hard one to call though, I expect the goons to raise their game for it, after all it is their cup final !!
I must admit I am a little nervous about this one, I think form can pretty much go out of the window in the NLD. They will raise their game and havent been too shabby at home to some of the other big teams. My heart say Spurs to sneak a 2-1 but my head says draw.
To be honest, I'm expecting it to be a tight game. The goons do seem to play well at home against other top 6/7 sides. I'll take a draw over there, anything else would be a massive bonus. Got my ticket for it, can't wait to get over there!
I think it will be a draw, but may well change my mind when I see the teamsheets. We haven't won at any of the big teams so far this season, and that's probably a key reason why Arsenal are seen as more likely to win than us, according to the betting odds.
I've already said elsewhere if the Goons can't get their act together effortwise for this one I will be amazed. Usual tight game me thinks, but its a good time to play them you have to say. Unlike the Chavs away later on, although a good time to play them now, I feel they'll have a new manager and a new zip about them by then, but we'll see.
I'm not sure how the 'top teams' are being measured tbh... We have lost 3 out of 3 to the Manchester pair but have beaten 4th place Arsenal, 5th place Liverpool and 6th place Newcastle and apart from the Manchester loses we've only lost to Stoke. but that said I honestly don't see us winning on Sunday...I think they'll be up for it big time and I am not sure we will be to the same level as them.
I've said it before and I'll say it again (District Line disagrees with me but wtv) - the NLD is a tough one to predict, especially at the moment. Will Arsenal continue their downward spiral or will they pick themselves up because it's us playing them? Will we continue our recent good form against Arsenal or will we (as we have done against other clubs) respect them too much and allow Arsenal into the game? If you go on form, there's only 1 winner and it's us. However, I think it'll be very tight - our better midfield should help us though and I reckon a 2-1 victory or (if things don't go to plan) a draw. Let's hope VdV is back - his record against Arsenal is awesome!
Goonercymraeg I'll be making the seasonly visit to your place. We always end up having a beer in the bar opposite the town hall on upper street. Never any drama or idiots in there!!
Hi Colin, I said 'at the big teams', but to make my meaning clearer I meant away from home. So far it's two losses and two draws. The highest placed team we've won away to is Norwich, and no disrespect to them, but they're not a 'big team'.
