THE NORTH LONDON DERBY

 

Below detail based on the Arsenal history (i.e. we, us etc)

Sunday sees The Gunners host Tottenham Hotspur in the latest instalment of the north London derby - a fixture rich with historic moments and drama. Arsenal head into this fixture having won five of our last six league games against Spurs, including the last three in a row, which is our longest winning run against them since a five-game stretch between January 1987 and January 1989. There are a host of other niche facts surrounding our recent clashes with our rivals, so we’ve delved into the record books to bring you some of the more obscure statistics, and give you all the trivia you need to impress your mates wherever you’re watching this iconic clash. When it comes to recent clashes, the home side has tended to prevail. We have lost just two of our 33 Premier League home games against Spurs who haven't triumphed at Emirates Stadium since 2010, meaning we boast an unbeaten run of 14 in N5. However on the other side of north London, Tottenham have lost just four of their last 17 home Premier League games against us, but three of those have come in the last three meetings - that's as many as we'd achieved in our previous 23 visits. Gabriel's goal back in September 2024 saw us win three consecutive away derbies for the first time since September 1988.  

Arsenal v Tottenham is the fifth highest-scoring fixture in Premier League history (190), behind Liverpool v Tottenham (206), ourselves v Liverpool (199), Liverpool v Newcastle (193) and Newcastle v Tottenham (192). That equates to an average of 2.9 goals per game across our 66 meetings, and the 44 occasions both teams have scored is another Premier League record for a single fixture. On four occasions there have been games that have seen seven or more goals: successive 5-2 home wins for us in 2012, a 4-4 draw at Emirates Stadium in 2008, and the 5-4 win at White Hart Lane back in 2004 where Robert Pires grabbed what proved to be the winner. The first Premier League North London Derby without either for the first time since 2014.

No fixture in Premier League history has seen more penalties awarded than in the north London derby, with 24 of the 26 spot-kicks being awarded all netted - another league record. Robbie Keane in December 2007 and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in March 2019 were the two players to miss from 12 yards. Meanwhile, Tottenham have scored an own goal in four of their last five Premier League games against us, while they’ve put through their own net more often against us (6) than they have against any other club in the competition. Only Liverpool have accidentally scored more often for an opponent in Premier League history, with Spurs benefiting from the Reds' mishaps on seven occasions. Cockerels v Field Guns!!