The Recent History of the North London Derby

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have met in 195 north London derbies over the last century.

Arsenal has dominated the north London derby in recent years. / IMAGO/Martin Dalton

Every year, Arsenal and Tottenham’s deep-rooted rivalry comes to a head in the north London Derby, and the 90 minutes that follow are full of goals, drama and big-picture title implications.

There are few clashes on the Premier League calendar that deliver the intensity of a north London derby. When it comes time for two of London’s biggest clubs to face off in front of a roaring Emirates crowd or an impassioned Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the story lines practically write themselves and the scintillating action on the pitch is often just a bonus.

Recently, though, the fixture’s results heavily favor Arsenal. In fact, since Mikel Arteta’s first full season in charge of the Gunners, Arsenal has won five of its last eight matches against Spurs, and suffered just two defeats.

Once Arteta bagged his first north London derby victory as manager on Mar. 14, 2021, off the back of goals from Martin Ødegaard and Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal would only miss out on points in one of its next six meetings with Tottenham. The sole defeat came on May 12, 2022, after Rob Holding was sent off in the 33rd minute, resulting in a 3–0 victory for Antonio Conte’s men.

Otherwise, the Gunners have dominated the once highly contested rivalry. In the 2022–23 season, Arsenal came away with a 3–1 triumph at the Emirates and then a comfortable 2–0 away win just three months later.

The Premier League runner-up had a much harder fight on their hands last season. Arsenal hosted Tottenham on Sept. 24, 2023, and got themselves on the scoresheet first thanks to a Cristian Romero own goal. Heung-min Son scored an equalizer just on the brink of halftime. Bukayo Saka put Arsenal back in front with a penalty, but a lapse in concentration from Jorginho saw Son score his second of the game just a minute later. The match finished 2–2, marking the first draw in a north London derby since 2019.

Spurs had to wait until Apr. 28, 2024, to welcome their rivals to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and much to the dismay of the home crowd, the match got off to a similar start as the last derby when Pierre-Emile Højbjerg scored an own goal to gift Arsenal the early lead. Saka and Kai Havertz then found the back of the net, giving Arteta’s side a three-goal cushion heading into halftime.

Romero and Son tried to mount the ultimate comeback for Tottenham in the second half, but their goals were not enough to collect any points from the affair. Arsenal walked away with a 3–2 victory and vital points in their efforts to usurp Manchester City atop the table.

The stakes for Arsenal’s Premier League title campaign are just as high this season as it prepares to face its rivals, who will undoubtedly be eager for their first north London derby victory in two years, on Sept. 15.