Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, two clubs that have fought tooth and nail to gain supremacy in English football and North London. The North London derby has been a fierce and closely fought derby in English football for over a century, and the rivalry between the two is as passionate as it was in the 1900s.
But, for a long time, the Gunners have reigned supreme in head-to-head encounters – winning 78 games in all competitions to Spurs’ 55 wins, and they have also been successful of the two in trophies won.
Arsenal have won 13 league titles and are the third successful club in England, while their neighbours have a paltry two English league titles, who have forever lived in the shadow of the Gunners.
But, the tide looks to be changing in favour of Tottenham in the past few years after a few encouraging seasons. Could Spurs topple the mighty Arsenal as the best club of North London? Here are a few reasons why they might:
#5 Bigger and better new stadium
White Hart Lane, which has been the home of Tottenham for over a century is soon to be replaced with a new stadium that is under construction. In 2007, the Spurs board announced plans of upgrading their current stadium or moving to a new stadium with the Lane accommodating only 36,000 spectators which pales in comparison to the stadium capacity of Arsenal’s Emirates stadium and Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium.
Spurs were in intense negotiations to take over the Olympic Stadium which was built for the 2012 London Olympics, but eventually became the home ground of Premier League rivals, West Ham United.
The new Tottenham stadium being built near White Hart Lane boasts of several facilities which will put even the best stadiums in the world to shame. The 61,000-seater stadium which will be operational in 2018 will include a hotel, supermarkets, housing, and even a school and a college! One of the standout features of the new stadium is the 17,000-seater single tier stand which takes inspiration from Borussia Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park and Liverpool’s Anfield stadium.
The designers have gone down to the minutest of details to make the new home the best atmosphere in England by designing it like a concert hall. In an interview to GQ, the designers of the stadium spoke of the research that they have put into designing the stadium: “The studies we’ve done with them shows when you start breaking up acoustics everyone gets out of sync, singing 'C’mon you Spurs' or whatever the song is, and so they stop singing.
“So once they create acoustics where they don’t break down, the reverberation times are quicker, they last longer, they get louder, and the louder people get, the louder people around them get, and so the atmosphere and the noise builds.”
#4 Fans support
Spurs fans for a very long time have not tasted success in English football and time and again, year after year have been second best in North London. The Arsenal faithful have also mockingly created St Totteringham's day, a day to commemorate their city rivals no longer able to catch them in the league.
The last time the Lilywhites finished above Arsenal was in the 1994–95 Premier League season, when they finished 7th and the Gunners finished a lowly 12th.
But, it is now the Spurs’ fans who can pile on the misery on the Gunners’ fans; Tottenham fans seem to be the happier of the two as they have an exciting team with a very good manager and are on the up, while Arsenal fans have vociferously voiced their concern over their manager’s future and have floundered in the league and in Europe.
The tables seem to have well and truly turned and Arsenal’s current situation mirrors that of the Spurs. It is ironic that the Gunners’ current predicament is similar to the Tottenham of yesteryear – manager under pressure, fans’ displeasure and the unlikeliness of winning anything.
#3 Platform to mould young players
The arrival of Tottenham manager, Mauricio Pochettino, in 2014, was a shrewd bit of business by the Spurs board. The Argentine had focussed on bringing in youth players into the first-team in his previous jobs at Espanyol and Southampton, and he has done the same at Spurs.
Tottenham have the youngest average age of any starting lineup in the Premier League at 25.7 years of age, compared to Arsene Wenger’s side’s which is at 27.3 years of age. Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Eric Dier – three important players in the Spurs side, are all under 23 years of age, and have already set the league on fire.
Under the tutelage of the Argentinian manager, the trio, along with other key players like Christian Eriksen and Victor Wanyama are destined for even greater things.
Wenger, who was known for shaping promising youngsters into world-class players, has not brought through players into the first-team in the last 3-4 years who have had a major impact on the club, with the exception being right-back Hector Bellerin.
The latest player to come through the Spurs academy’s conveyor belt is Harry Winks, a gifted midfielder who is tidy in passing and keeps possession well. With a world-class training facility and a manager willing to afford opportunities to youngsters, the Spurs academy could produce more star players in the very near future.
Also Read: EPL 2016/17: 5 reasons Harry Kane is the best English striker
#2 One of the best managers in the league
Mauricio Pochettino has transformed Spurs from the proverbial chokers to serious title contenders after taking over the manager’s role in 2014. He took over an ageing side which had finished in 6th place, 10 points behind rivals, Arsenal and guided them to 5th in his first season in charge, but still finished 11 points behind Arsenal in 3rd.
A step in the right direction for Spurs, he also sold several players who did not fit in his system and gave an opportunity to young players in the first team. The 2015-16 season was when his side showed their true potential and ran Arsenal close, finishing just a point behind the Gunners in 3rd and should have finished ahead of their arch rivals considering the lead that they had.
Pochettino has shown his fearlessness in providing youth a chance and also playing a brand of high-pressing football which has proven to be very effective in England, previously at Southampton, and now, at Spurs.
The interest from Barcelona for his signature shows how highly rated the Argentine manager is. For Spurs fans, success may turn out to be a bittersweet feeling – they could usurp Arsenal’s dominance in North London and also mount a challenge for the Premier League title, but that could also mean that their manager may be wooed by the likes of Barcelona.
#1 World class players
For long, Arsenal had the aura to attract some of the best footballers on the planet, who had a profound impact on the English league as well the club’s success. Now, there is a dearth of world class players in the Arsenal ranks with foreign players choosing to sign for Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United over the Gunners; the London club can no longer lure the best footballers.
Arsenal are short on quality players across the pitch with the only exceptions being Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, but even they are rumoured to be looking for pastures anew at the end of this season.
Their North London rivals, on the other hand, have bought players on the cheap and developed them to become stars that would get into most teams in the world. Harry Kane, a product of the Spurs youth academy and a former Arsenal fan, has taken the league by storm since becoming an important player for the club in the 2014–15 season.
The English striker’s deadly form in front of goal – scoring more than 25 goals in the previous two seasons and set to cross that mark this season as well – has drawn praise from all corners and interest from several top clubs.
Dele Alli, another player who was bought for a paltry sum of £5 million, has become one of the best young midfielders in the world, and at the age of 20, is destined for a bright future. The young midfielder has scored over 25 goals in the last two seasons which has made him not only one of Spurs’ most important players but also of the English national team.
The Spurs backline has also impressed over their North London counterparts, conceding just 20 goals in the Premier League (joint lowest with Chelsea). Led by goalkeeper and captain, Hugo Lloris, and central defender, Jan Vertonghen, they are the kind of players the Gunners would love to have in their team.
With several quality players in the first-team and many more future talents coming through the ranks, Tottenham’s future looks bright and is set to outshine that of their North London rivals.
