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Why the Arsenal and Tottenham rivalry is still so strong

standup

It’s been 102 years since Arsenal moved to North London from their very own Royal Arsenal ground that was based in Plumstead and thus began one of the fiercest rivalries that football has ever had-Arsenal v Tottenham.

Arsenal moved just 4 miles away from White Hart Lane in North London and in the first year of being there they made a bid to get into Division One which led to Spurs being relegated for the next season as two teams from the same part of London couldn’t play in the same league. Spurs returned to the top flight a year later but by that time a rivalry had been established between the two clubs which has never ceased.

Over 101 years there have been 173 games and over 500 goals between the two teams, we have  lost 1 in the last 10 games played and won eight which has been our best run against them. Each and every one of those games has produced some of the best football we’ve seen, more so from Arsenal of course but I’m biased.

Winning the league at White hart lane in 71 is something I wish I had been alive for, when I hear some of the fans who were present at that infamous game I wish I could’ve experienced that.

But I was alive for 2004 and that was amazing.

Over the years Arsenal and Spurs have given us many a great game, these are my personal 3 favourites.

Tottenham 4-5 Arsenal 2004.

I loved this game, it was thrilling from beginning to end and one of the most exciting derbies I’ve ever watched! Henry and Vieira literally ran the show that day!

Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham 2011

I think this is a huge fans favourite and it was one of the games that was mental from beginning to end, when Adebayor’s goal went in my heart sunk but nothing prepared me for what would happen after that.

Tottenham 2-2 Arsenal

I think this tops it for me, what an amazing season that was and what a way to end it, we clinched the title by a point after a brilliant game at White Hart Lane and it also won us the league. One of my greatest rival memories is this one.

Game build up

At every Arsenal game without fail you will still hear “stand up if you hate Tottenham sung throughout the ground, as you can see from the photo above my mate even has that written on his shirt.

 

spurscrap

Over the years the fighting at games has been replaced with online banter and trolling in the form of mind the gap, and forever in our shadow. There is no better build up to a game then the one between Arsenal and Spurs, some of the tweets and statuses shared between both teams has been hilarious and it’s one of the most talked about derbies on social media every year.

Mind the gap was one of the funniest moments in our history with Spurs, it went on for almost a whole season after Spurs went 10 points clear of Arsenal and we managed to overcome those 10 points and go above them in the league. There were pictures, memes, videos, songs and various other ways of bantering but nobody could deny that was fun.

We love to hate each other and that makes it all the more fun when we see our teams play and we experience the lead up to the game. We might be the fiercest of rivals but I think there is one thing both fans can agree on-ours is the best rivalry in the league.

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