English Premier League: Top Five Historic Matches Between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal, the reigning champions, travel to Tottenham, their fierce rivals, across Seven Sisters Road, in what promises to be a dramatic North London Derby. Spurs want to finish in the top four, too, but their main goal this Sunday is to undermine the Gunners' title challenge. Arsenal defeated Chelsea on Tuesday, moving them to the top of the standings going into the derby.

When Arsenal visits Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the home crowd is eager for their team to win. The stadium will be packed. Let's look back at some of the best English Premier League games between the teams from the past before this historic matchup takes shape in North London.

Here are the top 5 most epic encounters between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal

5. Arsenal 2 - Tottenham Hotspur 3 (2010/11 season)

Samir Nasri and Marouane Chamakh gave Arsenal a 2-0 lead over Tottenham at halftime, and the Gunners seemed poised to momentarily overtake table-toppers Chelsea. Five minutes after the half, Spurs, who had been utterly outclassed up to that moment, began an incredible comeback thanks to a superb finish from Gareth Bale. 

Cesc Fabregas of Arsenal handled Rafael van der Vaart's free kick inside the box, allowing van der Vaart to equalise from the penalty spot. Five minutes remained when Younes Kaboul, a defender for Tottenham, headed a free kick past Lukasz Fabianski, the custodian for Arsenal, to quiet the Emirates fans and seal Tottenham's first victory at Arsenal for 17 years.

4. Tottenham Hotspurs 2 - Arsenal 0 (2016/17 season)

The last game the two teams ever played at White Hart Lane prior to it being demolished was the North London Derby in 2017. At the time, Tottenham was winning, while Wenger's team was losing hope. Spurs' strong play and boisterous atmosphere were evident in their 2-0 triumph, which was secured by goals from teenage prodigy Dele Alli and Harry Kane. 

It ensured they would finish ahead of their fierce enemies, putting a stop to the feared 'St Totteringham's Day'. Spurs went on to have their best Premier League season, coming in second.

3. Arsenal 5 - Tottenham Hotspur 2 (2012/13 season)

After their defensive weaknesses were revealed early on, Arsenal scored five goals without answering to move up to fourth place in the Premier League standings. Spurs dominated the game, with Emmanuel Adebayor's penalty coming after fellow attacker Louis Saha's deflected strike. 

However, the Gunners equalised with Robin van Persie and Bacary Sagna before changing course in the second half. Tomas Rosicky, the midfielder, scored from close range, and Theo Walcott clinched the victory with two excellent goals in a three-minute span. After receiving his second yellow card, midfielder Scott Parker was sent off for Spurs, capping an awful day.

2. Tottenham Hotspurs 2 - Arsenal 2 (2003/04 season)

One of the most memorable titles won by Arsenal during the 2003–04 season was their undefeated run under the "Invincibles" team. Tottenham Hotspurs, their adversaries, made every effort to break their winning streak. One of the hardest things to do at the time was to defeat the Arsenal side.

Arsenal had a two-goal lead and was controlling the game when they finally gave it away. Spurs scored two goals in the encounter, but the result was a tie. But they were unable to break their winning streak, and Arsenal celebrated at White Hart Lane after winning the Premier League.

1. Tottenham Hotspurs 4 - Arsenal 5 (2004/05 season)

An exciting north London Derby between Tottenham and Arsenal took place in November 2004 and ended up being one among the highest-scoring matches in Premier League history. The first half of the match was somewhat uneventful, with goals from Thierry Henry and Noureddine Naybet sending the teams into halftime with a 1-1 score. 

However, the second half saw a surprising upsurge in action. Spurs never gave up trying to tie the score, with goals from Jermain Defoe and Robert Pires for their respective teams, but ultimately the Gunners prevailed 5–4, leaving it as one of the most iconic north London derbies ever.