Top Ten Tottenham vs Arsenal Clashes in Premier League History
The North London derby in the Premier League is rarely calm. It is colour, chaos and questionable decision making in both penalty areas, often in the same five minute spell. Since 1992 the fixture has produced title twists, top four shootouts and some of the wildest games the division has seen. Arsenal have usually had the broader success, but Tottenham have had their moments of pure catharsis too, especially in recent years.
So here it is. Ten of the greatest Premier League meetings between Tottenham and Arsenal, counting down from the merely ridiculous to the truly unhinged.
Tottenham and Arsenal’s greatest hits
10. Arsenal 4-2 Tottenham, December 2018 – Auba, Torreira and touchline theatre
Unai Emery’s Arsenal were still in their optimistic early days when Spurs arrived at the Emirates in late 2018. What followed felt like an entire season squeezed into ninety minutes.
Arsenal flew out of the blocks, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang scoring from the spot before Spurs hit back through Eric Dier and a Harry Kane penalty. Then came the second half surge. Aubameyang curled in a gorgeous equaliser, before Alexandre Lacazette and Lucas Torreira finished a breathless comeback in front of a frothing home crowd.
The football was frantic, the celebrations theatrical and the rivalry absolutely alive. It was also a statement that Emery’s Arsenal could match peak Pochettino Spurs for energy and tempo, even if that version of Arsenal proved fleeting.
9. Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal, March 2013 – Bale, Lennon and the power of the through ball
By spring 2013 the dynamic of the derby felt like it was shifting. Andre Villas Boas had Spurs dreaming of finishing above Arsenal and this win at White Hart Lane was a key part of that belief.
Two almost identical first half goals settled it. First Gareth Bale, then Aaron Lennon, sprinted through the same chasm in Arsenal’s back line to score, each timing their run onto a simple ball slid in behind a too high defence. Per Mertesacker’s header gave Arsenal hope but Spurs clung on.
It was a tactical win as much as an emotional one, the moment when Spurs started to look consistently upward rather than nervously over their shoulder.
8. Tottenham 3-0 Arsenal, May 2022 – Conte, chaos and the Champions League chase
If you want a derby that felt like a playoff, this was it. Late in the 2021-22 season, Arsenal travelled across north London four points ahead of Spurs with a Champions League place in sight. Antonio Conte’s side responded with a ruthless dismantling.
Harry Kane scored twice, once from the spot after a clumsy Cedric foul and once at the back post, before Son Heung min killed the game early in the second half. Rob Holding’s red card for two fouls on Son left Arsenal chasing shadows and Spurs fans bouncing in their new stadium.
Tottenham did not ultimately catch Arsenal for the title that never arrived, but they did hunt them down for fourth place. For once, the psychological scar was on the red half.
If the two managers end of arriving in North London, we’re set for some cracking derbies 🍿#Tottenham #Arsenal #Allegri #Conte pic.twitter.com/qEXiASLRr5
— 365Scores (@365Scores) May 7, 2021
7. Tottenham 2-0 Arsenal, April 2017 – Farewell to the Lane
White Hart Lane’s last ever North London derby was always going to carry extra weight. Spurs were in a title race with Chelsea, Arsenal were scrapping to keep their top four streak alive. The old ground got the goodbye it wanted.
In the second half Dele Alli stabbed in from close range, then Harry Kane won and converted a penalty within three minutes. The noise was classic Lane, the scoreboard less familiar.
The win not only kept Spurs in the title hunt. It mathematically guaranteed they would finish above Arsenal in the league for the first time since 1995, ending decades of St Totteringham’s Day jokes in one go.
6. Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal, February 2015 – The Kane derby
If one game marked Harry Kane’s permanent arrival as a derby villain, it was this. Arsenal actually went ahead early, Mesut Özil finishing neatly, but from there the afternoon belonged to the Spurs academy striker who grew up posing in Arsenal kits as a child.
Kane levelled from a rebound after David Ospina’s save, then with four minutes left peeled away at the back post to loop a superb header into the far corner. White Hart Lane shook.
For Spurs fans it was a dream storyline. For Arsenal it was the chilling realisation that they were going to have to deal with this lad for a very long time.
Thiery Henry’s and Harry Kane’s numbers for Arsenal & Tottenham as their leading scorers of all-time.
— 365Scores (@365Scores) September 15, 2024
Both sides could do with a bit of their magic in todays North London Derby. pic.twitter.com/ii16zM8Z1f
5. Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal, April 2010 – The night of the Rose rocket
Some goals are so outrageous that they bend the memory of an entire match around them. Danny Rose’s debut volley in April 2010 is one of those. A clearance from a corner dropped out of the sky, Rose swung his left foot and the ball screamed over Manuel Almunia from thirty yards. The shot was hit from such height that it felt like it had time to gather resentment on the way down.
Gareth Bale added a second, Nicklas Bendtner’s late response set up a nervy finish and Spurs clung on for their first league win over Arsenal in nearly eleven years. In a tight race for the Champions League places, it was enormous.
For Rose it was an instant cult hero moment. For Arsenal, another painful entry in the book of spectacular goals conceded.
4. Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham, 2012 – The twin comebacks
Technically this is cheating because it folds two games into one slot, but the 2012 twin 5-2s live as a paired memory.
In February, Spurs raced into a 2-0 lead at the Emirates through Louis Saha and an Emmanuel Adebayor penalty. Arsenal responded with a furious five goal comeback powered by Robin van Persie, Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott.
Nine months later, Adebayor was sent off for a wild lunge when Spurs were already 1-0 up. Arsenal again scored five, with Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla among the goals, turning a tense derby into a carnival.
For Arsène Wenger these matches were late period reminders of his team’s attacking power. For Spurs they were two painful chapters in the chase for supremacy.
3. Tottenham 3-3 Arsenal, April 2011 – End to end and no one happy
If you enjoy control and structure this is not the derby for you. The 3-3 draw at White Hart Lane in April 2011 was the rivalry at its most open, two teams playing at full throttle with almost no sense of moderation.
Arsenal led three times on the night, Spurs kept hauling themselves back. Rafael van der Vaart’s late penalty finally levelled it, but both sides left feeling they could have taken more.
For Arsenal the dropped points damaged a fading title challenge. For Spurs it was proof they could go toe to toe with a top level team in a high stakes situation. For neutrals it was ninety minutes of pure entertainment.
2. Arsenal 4-4 Tottenham, October 2008 – Lennon at the death
Some scorelines feel mythic the moment the whistle goes. Arsenal 4-4 Tottenham at the Emirates in 2008 is one of those. Spurs were struggling near the bottom under newly appointed Harry Redknapp, Arsenal were chasing the pack at the top and no one expected what unfolded.
David Bentley opened the scoring with one from miles out, Arsenal roared back to lead 3-1 and then 4-2, only for Spurs to mount a ridiculous late surge. Jermaine Jenas’s curler gave them hope in the 89th minute, then Aaron Lennon slid in a stoppage time equaliser to stun the stadium.
It did not transform Spurs’ season overnight, but it did inject belief and provided one of the defining scenes of the Premier League era, red and white frozen in disbelief as Lennon sprinted to the away end.
1. Tottenham 4-5 Arsenal, November 2004 – Nine goals, no brakes
At the top of the pile sits the most gloriously unhinged derby of them all. November 2004, peak Wenger Arsenal, early Martin Jol Spurs, White Hart Lane. Nine goals, no clean sheets and absolutely no restraint.
Arsenal went 3-1 and then 4-2 up with Thierry Henry, Lauren and Patrick Vieira among the scorers, only for Spurs to keep dragging themselves back into range. Freddie Ljungberg made it 5-3, Freddie Kanouté replied and the game finally staggered to a 5-4 away victory.
It was football as a rollercoaster, reflective of Arsenal’s Invincibles afterglow and Spurs’ desire to close the gap by simply attacking harder. Neither side defended well, both sides entertained completely. As a single one off event, it remains the derby benchmark.
FAQs
Why are Tottenham vs Arsenal games called the North London derby?
Because both clubs are based in the north of London, only a few miles apart. Arsenal’s move to Highbury in 1913 brought them into Tottenham’s neighbourhood and the rivalry intensified.
Which club has the better overall record in the derby?
Across all competitions Arsenal have the superior record with more wins and goals, although the gap has narrowed in the Premier League era.
What is the highest scoring Premier League meeting between the sides?
Tottenham 4-5 Arsenal in November 2004, with nine goals.
Has the derby ever decided a title or top four race?
It has not been a straight final day decider, but it has heavily shaped races. The 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2022 clashes all had major implications for Champions League qualification or title momentum.
What makes this rivalry different from other Premier League derbies?
The combination of geography, shared history and the fact that both teams have regularly competed in similar tiers of the table. The balance of power has swung back and forth for decades, keeping each new chapter tense and meaningful.
By Nicky Helfgott – NickyHelfgott1 on X (Twitter)
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