Over one hundred years ago during 1910 a man by the name of Henry Norris purchased the southern London club ‘Woolwich Arsenal’. At the time this ‘Arsenal’ were a shadow of the reputation they now hold in world football. The clubs Manor Ground was inferior in all aspects to the more established clubs at the time and the clubs finances were in a sorry state. In 1913 Woolwich Arsenal were relegated with, at the time, the worst record in Division One (W:3 D:12 L:23). Change was needed and Norris was to do everything in his power to rejuvenate the club. With Division Two inevitably looming news had been leaked that Arsenal were to move to the other side of London, and by the time the Division Two season was underway the ‘Woolwich’ was dropped and a new stadium built. On the 6th September 1913, Arsenal played their first competitive fixture at Highbury against Leicester Fosse. Throughout this evolution of Arsenal, many opposed the move and had been angered by Norris’ tactics in his pursuit of sowing the seeds for the Arsenal of today. One team already residing in North London were obviously outraged by the new boys in town. Tottenham Hotspurs rivalry with Arsenal was born.

In 1919 after the First World War the English Football League reconvened and it was decided that Division One was to be expanded. This was news to Chelsea and Tottenham ears as they had been the divisions relegated clubs before the war and should have been favourites to be voted back in. Henry Norris had other ideas and so begun, what some would believe, his underhanded tactics. Arsenal had finished 5th in Division Two prior to the war with clubs such as Birmingham and Wolves occupying higher spots. Despite better placed Division Two clubs and the relegated Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal were voted into the new look Division One alongside Chelsea. If the rivalry was born six years earlier, it had now intensified!

Tottenham achieved promotion immediately from Division Two meaning the team's first official league meeting as North London clubs was a Division One match at White Hart Lane in 1921, a game that Tottenham won 2-1. Arsenal went on to dominate in the 1930’s, whilst Spurs occupied life mainly in Division Two resulting in the rivalry easing. It calmed further just after The Second World War as Tottenham allowed Arsenal to play their home games at White Hart Lane whilst Highbury was refurbished due to bombing from the war. Once The Gunners were back at Highbury though the rivalry reconvened and the intensity has grown and grown over the continuing years whilst either club has enjoyed periods of success. Arsenal and Tottenham both enjoyed title success in the early 1950’s and in either season the title winning club had the better of the other in the league matches. Their first FA Cup meeting in January 1949 saw The Gunners triumph 3-0 in a 3rd Round meet at Highbury. Arsenal were to then suffer a trophy drought throughout the 1960’s whereas Spurs tasted domestic and European success with; a League title, three FA Cups and a Uefa Cup title, and as such laying claim to have won a European trophy and a domestic double before The Gunners.

Moving into the 1970’s and Arsenal tasted trophy success again with the Fairs Cup, their first European title. A season later and 10 years after Spurs completed a domestic double; Arsenal did the same in tht 1970/71 campaign, but not to be outdone by their North London rivals earlier success, clinched the Division One title at White Hart Lane with a Ray Kennedy goal securing a fitting 1-0 victory. Both teams enjoyed varying success in the 1980’s with Spurs achieving domestic and European cup trophies but Arsenal, as well as FA cups, winning the Division One title in 1988/89 in dramatic fashion. On the final day and minute of the season Michael Thomas secured a famous and, what was believed, unlikely 2-0 win at Anfield. The red half of North London also secured a League Cup title in 1987, whilst eliminating Spurs on route. The two legged Semi-final had finished two a piece and without the away goals rule in force a decider was played back at White Hart Lane. Clive Allen gave Tottenham the lead but it was Arsenal who eventually took the spoils with goals from Ian Allison and David Rocastle giving The Gunners a 2-1 victory and passage through to take on, and beat, Liverpool in the final.

The beginning of the 1990’s saw the North London Derby hold trophy significance again as Tottenham defeated Arsenal in an FA Cup Semi Final at Wembley on their way to an FA Cup Triumph in 1991. The Gunners however were to return the favour in a 1993 FA Cup Semi-final, once again at Wembley. A Tony Adams goal was enough for a one goal victory and a place in the FA Cup Final against Sheffield Wednesday of whom they had already defeated in that season’s League Cup Final. Wednesday took The Gunners all the way to Extra Time in a replay but Andy Linighan headed in a decisive winner for an Arsenal cup double. Although the 1995 Uefa Cup Winners Cup Final was not directly played between the North London clubs, it was ultimately an ex-Tottenham player that infamously defeated the Gunners. A Nayim looped finish from the hallway line won the European title for Real Zaragoza, a year after Arsenal had won the same competition.

By November 1996 Arsenal still hadn’t recorded a Highbury win over Tottenham since the Premier League’s inception. It took goals from Ian Wright and Dennis Bergkamp to secure a 3-1 victory in the final few minutes of the game, and The Gunners went on to win another six of the nine home Premier League ties at Highbury before their 2006 move to the Emirates Stadium. Within those years North London once again represented an FA Cup Semi-final, this time at Old Trafford. Gary Doherty gave Spurs the lead, only for a Patrick Vieira equaliser and Robert Pires strike to turn the game around and give Arsenal a place in the FA Cup Final with Liverpool after a 2-1 win. Another tie at White Hart Lane in 2004 will live long in the memory for Arsenal supporters too. For the second time in the clubs history The Gunners secured a league title at White Hart Lane. Like their 1970/71 counterparts, the ‘Invincibles’ of 2003/04, only needing a point, drew 2-2 after Tottenham fought back late from two goals down. But a draw was enough for Arsenal celebrations once again at the home of their bitter rivals.

The most recent history in which Arsenal and Tottenham have faced off in cup competitions has been League Cup Semi-finals and the Third Round of the FA Cup last season. The first of those two League Cup encounters came in 2007’s Semi Final, and after a 2-2 draw in the first leg at White Hart Lane, Arsenal eventually triumphed in extra time of the second leg at the Emirates. A Jeremie Aliadiere strike and Pascal Chimbonda own goal gave Arsenal a 3-1 win on the night and a 5-3 aggregate score to progress to the Final. A year later in 2008 and it was North London again to face off for a place in the League Cup Final. Although the first leg was similar to the year before with a draw, the second leg was roles reversed as White Hart Lane hosted a humbling for The Gunners as they went down 5-1 to the joy of the home contingent. Last season Arsenal enjoyed winning success over their rivals thrice, with 1-0 wins in the league at The Emirates and White Hart Lane and a 2-0 FA Cup 3rd Round win, again at The Emirates, in which Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky scored.

Saturday evenings clash between North London’s fierce rivals will be the 9th league meeting at The Emirates with The Gunners having won six of the last eight. The two games in which Spurs have picked up points however will live long in Tottenham’s Premier League history.  In October 2008, Harry Redknapp had been brought into the Spurs hotseat to turn around the clubs fortunes, and in what had already been a pulsating 88 minutes Arsenal led 4-2. Cue a collapse and a remarkable comeback from Tottenham with two goals in the remaining minutes and a demoralising 4-4 draw for The Gunners. 2010 brought Tottenham’s first league win away at Arsenal since 1993, and even that looked a longshot when they fell two goals down after half an hour with strikes from Samir Nasri and Marouane Chamakh. Three second half goals from Gareth Bale, Rafael Van Der Vaart and Younes Kaboul resulted in an unlikely turnaround and a famous win for the White half of North London.

Barring last season’s defeat, Tottenham have been fairly dominant at White Hart Lane since they have been regularly challenging for a Champions League spot, but since their first league win at Arsenal in over 15 years, The Gunners have made a 5-2 scoreline their own. Two 5-2 victories in two seasons have given the Arsenal contingent local bragging rights when the two clash on the red side of North London. It’s become a recurring theme that the North London Derby will serve up entertaining goal fests, and Saturday evening promises to live up to that billing. The Emirates Stadium, although still in its infancy, has provided historic encounters between North London’s premier clubs. The stadium is additionally steeped in North London Derby folklore as Thierry Henry’s statue kneels outside in a famous celebratory pose. During the 2002/03 season Henry scored a superb solo effort at Highbury, which led to him running the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of infuriated Spurs fans.

However the goals and celebrations come this weekend, Arsenal and Tottenham continue their feud in one of Britain’s most fierce and entertaining local derbies. This fixture has written many famous stories and both teams will be looking to add another successful chapter to their own North London Derby history.

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