With the 2016/17 English football season heading into its final stretch, cup finals are being scheduled while the top and the bottom of the league tables have been finalised. For Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, the rivalry has never been as evenly contested as Spurs just missed out on a first league title since 1961 and the Gunners have another FA Cup final to look forward to in May. With the latest North London derby favouring a 2-0 victory for Spurs, overall, we look at who’s had the better season.
Premier League: TOTTENHAM
In the top flight, Tottenham hadn’t finished above their neighbours for 21 years. On Sunday 30th April, that all changed. By full-time Spurs sat 17 points above Arsenal with five games to play – a second half strike from Dele Alli and Harry Kane’s spot kick meant Arsenal’s annual St. Totteringham’s day celebrations were cancelled. Instead, a torrid turn in form for the Gunners at the end of January saw them plunge drastically out of the title race and eventually miss out on a top four place.
On New Year’s Day, Olivier Giroud’s outrageous scorpion kick goal contributed to Arsenal moving into third place in the table and regain a spot ahead of Tottenham who’d won 4-1 at Watford earlier in the day. That all changed in mid-week. A chaotic evening at the Vitality Stadium saw Arsenal rescue a 3-3 draw at Bournemouth having been 3-0 down. That gave Spurs the chance to leapfrog their rivals and they did with a 2-0 win at home to Chelsea. After that, they didn’t look back.
They’ve been soaring away from Arsenal and were more so in with a serious chance of winning the league title this year – an impressive streak of nine league wins on the bounce had closed the gap on the once runaway leaders Chelsea to just four points. Harry Kane and Dele Alli’s 47 goals combined this season have been instrumental to Spurs’ success this season, whilst Alli picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year Award for a second successive season.
Meanwhile, for Arsenal and their manager Arsene Wenger, a frustrating second half of the season has fueled fan unrest with the team and Frenchman. In recent months it’s divided the fanbase with many supporters protesting for change at the club.
The 2-1 defeat at home to Watford triggered a dismal run of four defeats in seven which saw Arsenal rapidly tumble out of the top four. A recent win away at relegation-threatened Middlesbrough proved to be crucial in getting their league season back on track. Alexis Sanchez’ 24 league goals has arguably carried the Gunners at times this season, but having conceded eight goals more than the entire of the last campaign, recent defensive shockers have proved pivotal in their downfall.
Tottenham have exceeded Arsenal on all levels in the Premier League and put the icing on the cake with three points in the last ever North London derby at the Lane. A win for Spurs that confirmed their table toppling of Arsenal.
FA Cup: ARSENAL
The famous domestic competition has been Arsenal’s get out of jail card this season. After a thrilling semi-final victory over Manchester City at Wembley, the Gunners moved into May’s final against Chelsea. With all that’s going on in and around the club this season – with regards to form and uncertainty surrounding star players and Arsene Wenger’s contract – the FA Cup has maintained hope for Arsenal who will enter their third final in four seasons on May 27th.
It could be argued that their run-in to the semi-final has had some degree of good fortune. The Gunners faced just one Premier League side on their way to Wembley – though that came in a 5-0 hammering over Southampton in the fourth round. Instead, their advantage came in the latter stages of the competition – fifth and sixth round draws to non-league opposition opted heavily in their favour despite the poor league form at the time. A 2-0 win at National League side Sutton United, followed by a home demolition of the league’s leaders Lincoln City paved ground for Arsenal’s passage up Wembley Way.
Tottenham were the victims of Chelsea’s progression into the final after an entertaining contest was settled by a thunderous strike by Nemanja Matic. 4-2 it finished after Spurs had battled back twice to make it 2-2 early in the second half. Their run-in was full of comprehensive victories over the likes of Aston Villa, Fulham and Millwall, though they had to rescue two goals in stoppage time to overthrow League 2 Wycombe Wanderers in the fourth round.
Spurs striker Son Heung-Min leads the goalscoring charts this year in the grand old tournament (6) with Theo Walcott’s hat-trick at St Mary’s contributing heavily to his total of five goals.
The semi-final draw was set-up for a potential North London derby. But defeat for Tottenham and a confidence-boosting victory for Arsenal means a record-breaking 13th FA Cup really is on the cards for the Gunners in what’s been a topsy-turvy campaign.
The Verdict:
The North Londoners’ success boils down to who will be honoured come the end of May.
“Spurs are definitely having the better season – we’re still in the title race… I don’t care about finishing above Arsenal. Today, it was like playing against Everton or Swansea,” Tottenham season ticket holder Matthew Howe, 26, said after the North London derby victory.
Arsenal season ticket holder Scott Adams, 31, gave Spurs their credit during this campaign, but refuted claims of a shift in power across North London: “To hear Spurs fans sing how they want Wenger to stay; that’s laughable. The man has made them look ridiculous for 20 years,” he said.
For Spurs, a first league crowning in 56 years would have undoubtedly labelled them as the best team in England. With an abundance of young talent emerging out of White Hart Lane and a new stadium on the way, the foundations are really in place for Tottenham to excel as one of England’s top clubs.
Arsenal’s season could be decided come the full time whistle on May 27th. Ultimately, the club which is more successful will be warranted with honours. At the end of it all, it’s those with a trophy that are remembered. Not the near hitters.
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