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King of the north
With Arsenal and Tottenham preparing to do battle once more, we look back over some of the thrilling encounters the two sides have produced over the years. From Gazza greatness to stunning comebacks and humiliating hammerings, there's been no shortage of drama in the north London derbies of years gone by.
If their next meeting can reproduce even some of the drama of these matches, we're in for a treat...
Tottenham 4-5 Arsenal, 2004
The highest-scoring north London derby ever wasn’t one for defensive purists, but it provided plenty of thrills.
Goals from Noureddine Naybet and Thierry Henry sent the teams in level at half time, before a Lauren penalty gave Arsenal the lead. Jermain Defoe and Ledley King responded to strikes from Patrick Vieira and Freddie Ljungberg before Robert Pires gave the Gunners a two-goal cushion.
It wasn’t over there though, as Freddie Kanoute found the net to set up a frantic, nerve-wracking finish for Arsenal fans.
Tottenham 2-3 Arsenal, 1988
This was a bad day to choose the wrong time to go for a pie, with all five goals coming within a 12-minute period in the first half.
Nigel Winterburn, of all people, opened the scoring with an outside-of-the-boot finish (really) and Chris Waddle equalised before Brian Marwood and Alan Smith scored to give Arsenal a two-goal cushion.
Enter Paul Gascoigne, who lost a boot but continued regardless to tuck in the rebound from his own shot and reduce the deficit – the first goal in Spurs colours for a player who would become an icon of English football.
Tottenham 2-2 Arsenal, 2004
After a season of domestic dominance, Arsenal’s Invincibles needed only a point to seal the league title at White Hart Lane – like they had in 1971.
They got there in the end, but not without sweat. Patrick Vieira put Arsene Wenger’s side in the lead within three minutes, before supplying the assist for Robert Pires to double their advantage – but Jamie Redknapp’s goal restored Spurs’ belief before a Robbie Keane penalty completed the comeback.
The home fans were desperate for a late winner that would make them the first team to beat their rivals all season, but it never arrived and the men in red could celebrate the sweet taste of title success in their incredible campaign.
Tottenham 5-0 Arsenal, 1983
Nothing beats getting sweet revenge against your rivals, as Spurs found out in April 1983.
Five years earlier, the Gunners had smashed five into the Tottenham net, with Alan Sunderland and Liam Brady leading the way. But Spurs were a different animal by this point and strikes from Alan Brazil and Chris Hughton helped them go 3-0 up within 20 minutes.
Two delicious volleys from Mark Falco and some deplorable Arsenal defending later, Spurs had stormed to a 5-0 win and the margin of victory could’ve been even bigger.
Tottenham 5-1 Arsenal, 2008
Spurs reached the League Cup final in style with a superb win that ended a 21-match winless run against their North London rivals.
Jermaine Jenas put them in front early on, opening the floodgates as Nicklas Bendtner headed into his own net before Robbie Keane, Aaron Lennon and Steed Malbranque scored. Emmanuel Adebayor’s strike for the Gunners was a sorry consolation.
Spurs went on lift the trophy under someone called Juande Ramos. Whatever happened to him?
Tottenham 3-1 Arsenal, 1991
With Wembley being used to host an FA Cup semi-final for the first time, the national stadium proved to be a worthy venue for a game that’s gone down in history as Gazza’s semi-final.
The mercurial midfielder had played just 60 minutes of football going into the clash after a hernia operation, but exploded back onto the scene by smashing a 30-yard free-kick past David Seaman within five minutes.
Gary Lineker added two more for Spurs to send them through to the final where they would defeat Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest, but at a cost – Gazza suffered a career-threatening knee injury.
Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham, 1995
Strikers Jurgen Klinsmann and Ian Wright went head-to-head in their bid to hit the 30-goal landmark, with Spurs’ German marksman on 27 strikes and the Gunners forward on 29.
Both goalkeepers produced superb performances in an open game, but couldn’t keep out the goal-hungry pair as Wright netted a penalty before Klinsmann nodded a header past David Seaman.
The Germany international went on to be named Football Writers' Footballer of the Year that season, which was the last time Tottenham finished ahead of their rivals before breaking their dismal run last year.
Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal, 1971
Thirty-three years before Arsene Wenger & Co. repeated the feat, Arsenal secured the league crown on Tottenham turf. The Gunners required a win or goalless draw to beat Leeds to their first title in 18 years, so you can imagine the scenes when Ray Kennedy headed in the winning goal two minutes from time.
Bertie Mee’s side then went on to defeat Liverpool in the FA Cup final just five days later, becoming just the fourth team to win the Double – equalling the feat of Spurs in 1961.
Arsenal 4-4 Tottenham, 2008
Few Premier League matches have matched this one for pure entertainment.
David Bentley’s outstanding early volley set the tone, before Arsenal took advantage of Heurelho Gomes flaps to head in twice from set-pieces and Darren Bent tapped in a poor parry from Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia.
The final moments were the most staggering. The Gunners led 4-2, but Jermaine Jenas netted what looked to be a consolation before Aaron Lennon poked in a 95th-minute equaliser to leave millions of viewers open-mouthed.
Tottenham 1-2 Arsenal, 1987
The League Cup semi-final third leg. What now? Well, Tottenham won the first leg at Highbury and were leading in the second when, legend has it, there was an announcement for home fans about tickets for the final.
It sparked Arsenal into life, with two goals levelling the score. With no goals in extra time and penalty shoot-outs still a thing of the future, a coin was tossed to confirm a play-off would be held at White Hart Lane.
Spurs took the lead, but the Gunners again mounted a comeback with substitute Ian Allinson finding the net before setting up David Rocastle for a winner that sent Arsenal to the final – in which they again came from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1.
