Arsenal vs Tottenham: Sunday, November 6th at Emirates Stadium, London

The History

Universally accepted as one of the biggest derbies in English football, the North London Derby holds a special place in the hearts of both Arsenal and Spurs fans and is, without a doubt, one of the first fixtures they look for when the season schedule is released. On November 6^TH we’ll see the latest chapter in a rivalry that dates back over 100 years, and that will undoubtedly play a significant role in determining the prospects of two sides who will be challenging for a top four position come the end of the season. Both games last season between the sides saw a share of the spoils, with Spurs pulling in front at the Emirates through Harry Kane, only for Kieran Gibbs to snatch a point for the home side with a little over ten minutes remaining in a game that finished 1-1. In March the two sides battled to another draw as the match finished 2-2 in a highly entertaining match at White Hart Lane that saw Arsenal take the lead shortly before half-time through Aaron Ramsey, only for Spurs to take the lead with two goals in as many minutes from Toby Alderweireld and that man again, Harry Kane. There will be more than a few Spurs fans who will look on last season as somewhat of a failure, as their side spent much of the season chasing surprise package Leicester City only to falter as the season drew to a close, and to add insult to injury lose out on 2^nd place to their North London rivals by a mere point.

Key additions

As the summer transfer window drew to a close, Arsenal fans could have been forgiven for feeling as though they’d been down this road before. Despite the squad crying out for reinforcements, once again manager Arsene Wenger had been reluctant to spend any real money, with 23-year-old Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka, who was brought in from Borussia Monchengladbach of the German Bundesliga back in May for a fee rumoured to be in the region of £30 million, being the only signing worthy of note.                 That all changed on transfer deadline day, as the Gunners splashed out a rumoured £52 million on Spanish forward Lucas Perez, as well as German defender Shkodran Mustafi. A 27-year-old Spanish forward, Perez has taken up the mantle of the famous number 9 shirt at Arsenal, and having scored 17 goals in 37 games for La Liga side Deportivo it seems pretty clear that he knows the way to goal. Having never played his football in England though, how he adapts to the high-energy and tempo of the English game remains to be seen. German-born 24-year-old centre-back Mustafi comes to the club with a stellar reputation, having starred for the German national side at the summer's European Championships and been a mainstay of the Valencia defence for the past two years. He looks to bring the qualities that Arsenal simply haven’t had lately, which is a solid, stable defender who can take control of things at the back. His price tag will ensure that all eyes are on him this season, but having spent three years in England with Everton during his formative years, he’ll not be overawed by the switch to England on a professional nor a personal level. Across the city, the vibe from their North London rivals has been almost the exact opposite. Tottenham very rarely make the headlines during the summer transfer window, choosing to take care of their business both quietly and efficiently. Master negotiator Daniel Levy is well-known for going about his business in an efficient manner, and very rarely do you see Spurs making what could be termed as “panic-buys.” This season has been no different. Two excellent pieces of business were completed by mid-July, as the club brought in Southampton’s Kenyan international midfielder Victor Wanyama and Dutch striker Vincent Janssen from AZ Alkmaar. Wanyama is a real powerhouse of a midfielder who first made his name on the British football scene with Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic, where he performed well on the Champions League stage against sides such as Barcelona. His performances attracted the interest of clubs down south, and it wasn’t long before he was on his way to the south coast and Southampton. After three stellar seasons where he was a vital cog in the midfield of an overachieving Southampton side, he’s made the step up to Tottenham, where he’ll hope to help the club to go one better this season and at the very least outdo their North London rivals in the league. 22-year-old Janssen is somewhat of an unproven commodity, having spent the past three seasons plying his trade in Dutch football, with his final season being with AZ in the top flight. His goalscoring ratio in Dutch football, especially last season, has been nothing short of phenomenal. 27 goals in 34 league games suggests that this young recipient of the Johan Cruyff trophy is one to watch this season. On transfer deadline day Spurs were making headlines when they pipped Everton at the very last second for highly-rated French midfielder Moussa Sissoko from newly-relegated Newcastle United. An important part of France’s squad at the European Championships in the summer, Sissoko could be a vital cog in the Spurs midfield this season despite his somewhat lukewarm performances for what was already a failing Newcastle side last year. At this point, it could be said that Spurs have gone about their summer business in a better fashion, but it’s always worth remembering that football is played on the field, not on paper. When both sides take to the field on November 6^th for the first of two North London league derbies this season form and transfer fees will go out the window. At that point, all bets are off. [su_button url="https://www.ticketgum.com/arsenal-tickets" background="#F00107" size="12" wide="yes" radius="0"]Get Arsenal Tickets[/su_button] [su_button url="https://www.ticketgum.com/tottenham-hotspur-tickets" background="#28356A" size="12" wide="yes" radius="0"]Get Tottenham Tickets[/su_button]