The Evolution of Arsenal vs Tottenham Rivalry - The Infamous North London Rivalry

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are two of the most prominent football clubs in English football history. Up till 2023, the two teams have gone head to head 205 times, in which Arsenal has gotten the better of Tottenham on 84 occasions whereas Tottenham managed 64 wins. The remaining matches ended in draws but mind you, the draws weren’t less entertaining either.
The emergence of this rivalry dates back to over 100 years, when Arsenal entered Highbury, North London, which was Tottenham’s territory. This move from Arsenal caused resentment among the Tottenham fans and they were not ready to show any welcoming attitude towards the Gunners (Arsenal).
A group of boys studying in grammar school, came up with the idea of creating the Hotspur club in 1882. Soon after, the name was changed to Tottenham Hotspur in order to avoid confusion with another club with a similar name called Hotspur F.C. The team initially played matches among themselves or some informal matches with nearby local clubs. In the same year, Tottenham Hotspur played their first competitive match against St Albans. The match was part of the London Association Cup, and it also brought immediate success to Tottenham Hotspur as they won the match 5-2.
Tottenham started climbing the stairs towards becoming a professional club as they hired their first official manager, Frank Brettell, and also became a limited company in 1898. The team got their hands on the first big trophy in 1901, when they won the FA Cup. It was a significant title victory because Tottenham Hotspur was not considered a league team at that time.
Up till 2023, Tottenham Hotspur has managed to win 26 titles which include 8 FA cups and 2 UEFA cups. One disappointing thing for the club and their fans is the lack of a premier league trophy in their cabinet. It’s been 140 years since the club has been formed, but they are yet to win their first Premier League. There have been seasons like 2015/16 and 2016/17 where they came so close to winning it but ran out of gas. The Lilywhites would be hoping to win the title this season under Ange Postecoglou.
If you compare Arsenal’s origin with Tottenham's origin, you would not find the privileges. Arsenal was founded by a working class group of residents who used to do shifts at the Arsenal Munitions Factory, Woolwich in 1886. It was originally called Dial Square, which was a reference to a prominent sundial located at the entrance of the Arsenal Munitions Factory.
The club played their first-ever formal match against Eastern Wanderers and got a convincing win of 6-0. It was after this match at the Royal Oak pub that the team members decided a new name for the club - Royal Arsenal. The new name also had apparent references from the place where they were sitting and their place of employment.
Arsenal got promoted to the first division of English professional football in 1919. The promotion was a fruit of the efforts of Henry Norris, who was the major shareholder of Arsenal. Arsenal has never dropped down to the second division of English football since their promotion, which reflects their status as one of the toughest clubs in the English Premier League.
The rivalry stems from the early 20th century, where two key events took place which formed the basis of an official Arsenal and Tottenham rivalry. Arsenal found themselves in serious problems before 1913. The club was facing financial issues and even went into voluntary liquidation in 1910. The higher-ups of the club, particularly Henry Norris, who was the majority shareholder of Arsenal at the time, knew that it was time to make some well-thought-out decisions in order to save the club.
Norris started his fight to save the club from a dire situation by moving the stadium to Highbury, North London. The change of stadium was done in order to attract more spectators to watch the matches. This move was expected to work because it was easier for the spectators to attend the matches at the new stadium because of the nearby underground station. Tottenham, other football clubs and residents of Islington recorded their protests and appealed to the league authorities against this new entry. All of the appeals were played down by the league management committee, and the start of World War 1 meant that football wasn’t an important topic at the time.
It did not take long for Arsenal to be back in the spotlight of professional football. Soon after the World War, the first division was expanding and 2 teams were going to be added to the first division. It was an ideal opportunity for second division teams to make their case and join the top ranks of English league football. Henry Norris played a wildcard and put forward the case of Arsenal’s entry in the first division owing to the legacy they had formed. This was an unexpected proposition because Arsenal was at the 5th spot of the second division, and Henry Norris wanted to place Arsenal in the first division solely on his conviction. Because Arsenal’s performance on the field was not guaranteeing them the first division slot,
Henry Norris kept on pressing his case, and his speech at the Annual General Meeting was so tremendous that it gave him 10 key votes, which earned Arsenal entry in the first division. It is evident from Arsenal’s performance throughout the 20th century that the team was special and worthy of playing in the first division, but the way with which they entered and the vote was controversial to say the least. It was obviously not going to be taken kindly by Tottenham Hotspur.
We are nearing the end of 2023 and have witnessed numerous Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur clashes. With both the sides a permanent feature of the Premier League, so the fans get to witness at least one match every year of high intensity and passion. The two sides meet every year in a North London Derby to determine who holds the true power in North London. The competition level can be gauged from their most recent clash on the 24th September, 2023 where the two sides could not be separated with the score line finishing at 2-2. The fans were in full attendance at the Emirates Stadium, and a similar attendance is expected at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 27th April 2024. So make your plans at the earliest and get your tickets before there are sold-out Tottenham tickets.
With the current form of Arsenal and Tottenham, who do you think will emerge victorious when the two sides take the field to write another chapter in the infamous North London Derby. Who will you be rooting for? The question is for the neutrals because for the two clubs’ supporters, changing sides is the deepest betrayal.