In 1913, a decision was made in a boardroom that guaranteed over a century of hatred. When Woolwich Arsenal chairman Henry Norris decided to move his struggling South London club across the river to a patch of land leased from St. John’s College of Divinity in Highbury, he didn’t just move a football team; he invaded a territory.
Tottenham Hotspur, established in North London since 1882, viewed the move as an aggressive incursion into their catchment area. They appealed to the League, they protested, they claimed “their” fans were being stolen. But Norris was a man who understood power better than he understood popularity. He ignored them. The move went ahead. Arsenal stayed. And in doing so, they turned North London from a monopoly into a battleground.
That singular act of aggression defined the relationship forever. We are the “Interlopers” who came north and conquered. They are the “Originals” who have spent 112 years living in our shadow.
### The crime of 1919: Why do they hate us
If 1913 was the invasion, 1919 was the crime that Tottenham fans have never forgiven. It is the bedrock of the “Same Old Arsenal, Always Cheating” chant, and frankly, as Arsenal fans, we should wear it as a badge of honour. It is the ultimate reminder of who holds the political capital in this city.
When the First Division expanded after WWI, the League decided to add two teams to the top flight. Tottenham, having finished bottom of the First Division in the final pre-war season (1914-15), expected to be re-elected to the expanded league. It was the “gentlemanly” thing to do. Arsenal, meanwhile, had finished a lowly 6th in the _Second_ Division. By sporting rights, Barnsley or Wolves should have gone up.
But Henry Norris didn’t care about “rights.” He cared about Arsenal. Through a masterclass of backroom politicking and alleged collusion with League chairman John McKenna, Norris argued that Arsenal’s “long service to the League” merited promotion over sporting merit. When the vote was finally called in the smoke-filled rooms of the Football League, the result was a humiliation for our neighbours: **Arsenal received 18 votes. Tottenham received 8.**
Spurs were relegated to the Second Division. Arsenal were promoted to the First, and we have never been relegated since. That territorial dispute and political manoeuvring is the original sin of North London football. It is why, on Sunday, November 23, when the whistle blows at the Emirates, it won’t just be 1st vs 5th. It will be the Aristocracy reminding the neighbours exactly why we are the Kings of the Capital.
### The tale of the tape: NLD edition
Arguments in the pub are one thing; the cold, hard data is another. Here is the reality of the gap between the two clubs as we head into the weekend.
**Category**
**Arsenal (1st)**
**Tottenham (5th)**
**Premier League Form**
`D` `W` `W` `W` `W`
`D` `L` `W` `L` `W`
**Points**
**26**
18
**Goal Difference**
**+15**
+9
**Goals Scored**
20
19
**Goals Conceded**
**5** (League Best)
10
**Clean Sheets**
**7**
4
**Last NLD Result**
Won 2-1 (Jan 2025)
Lost 1-2
**Key Injury Blow**
**Gabriel Magalhães** (Thigh)
**James Maddison** (ACL)
**Managerial Tenure**
Arteta (6th Year)
Frank (5 months)
### The “Process” vs. The Panic
To truly understand the chasm between the two clubs this Sunday, you have to look at the dugouts. It has been five months since Thomas Frank crossed London to replace Ange Postecoglou, and the contrast in project maturity couldn’t be sharper.
We often hear rivals trying to compare their new managers to Mikel Arteta. _“Give him time,”_ they say. _“Look at where Arteta was after 50 games.”_ It is a flawed, lazy comparison that ignores the context of what Arteta actually achieved.
When Mikel Arteta took over in December 2019, he walked into a club that was culturally broken. He had to clear out deadwood on massive wages, dismantle a toxic dressing room hierarchy, and suffer through back-to-back 8th place finishes to install his “non-negotiable.” The club and the fans had to suffer to get better. We paid for our patience with two years of pain, but we bought ourselves a dynasty.
Tottenham, conversely, are in a state of perpetual panic. They chased the “Hollywood” appointment with Mourinho and Conte. They chased the “Vibes” appointment with Postecoglou. Now, they are chasing the “Pragmatic” appointment with Thomas Frank. They are trying to skip the “Process” part of the rebuild and jump straight to the “Winning” part. It doesn’t work like that.
Thomas Frank is a good manager, but he is inheriting a squad built for three different managers with three conflicting philosophies. He has “Ange-ball” wingers trying to play in a low block. He has technical midfielders being asked to bypass the play with long balls. They are a team in an identity crisis. Arsenal, in Year 6 of the Arteta Reign, are a team that could play blindfolded and still know exactly where the next pass is going.
### The Gabriel dilemma: Hincapié or Mosquera?
The narrative this week has been dominated by the injury to **Gabriel Magalhães**. The Brazilian’s absence is undeniable he is the heart of our defence, the aggression to Saliba’s calm. In previous years, losing Gabriel might have meant relying on a makeshift solution. But this is 2025. We don’t do “makeshift” anymore.
The question on every Arsenal fan’s lips isn’t _“Can we cope?”_ it is _“Which elite defender do we choose?”_ Mikel Arteta faces a luxury dilemma between two summer signings who were bought precisely for this moment: **Piero Hincapié** or **Cristhian Mosquera**.
**Option A: The natural balance (Piero Hincapié)**
Hincapié is the favourite for a reason. Signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £45m, he is left-footed, aggressive, and offers the same passing angles as Gabriel. He is a “Rolls Royce” defender silky in possession and naturally comfortable driving the ball into midfield. If Arteta wants to maintain the rhythm of the build-up and keep the left-side dynamics identical to usual, Hincapié is the choice.
**Option B: The athletic wildcard (Cristhian Mosquera)**
However, don’t sleep on Mosquera. The 21-year-old Spaniard, signed from Valencia, has been a revelation in the cup games. While he is right-footed, his athleticism is freakish. Ian Wright and Sol Campbell have both praised his “old school” defending style he loves a duel and is arguably faster across the ground than Hincapié. Against a chaotic forward like Randal Kolo Muani, Arteta might prefer Mosquera’s raw recovery pace over Hincapié’s technical balance.
The fact that we are debating _which_ £40m+ defender starts is the ultimate flex. If Tottenham lost their best defender (Romero), they would be fielding a Championship-level replacement. We lose our best defender, and we bring in an international star. That is the difference.
### The new engine room: Zubimendi unlocks Rice
The biggest evolution in this Arsenal team since Thomas Partey’s departure in the summer has been the arrival of **Martin Zubimendi**.
For years, we relied on Partey’s physicality and vertical passing. But Zubimendi brings something different: total control. He is a metronome. His ability to receive the ball under pressure and circulate it allows **Declan Rice** to finally be the player he was born to be a box-to-box destroyer.
With Zubimendi sitting deep and dictating the tempo (acting as the “San Sebastian Busquets”), Rice has been unleashed further forward. We’ve seen it all season Rice crashing the box, winning the ball high up the pitch, and driving at defenses.
Against a Thomas Frank low block, this dynamic is critical. We don’t need two holders. We need Zubimendi to pin them back with his passing, allowing Rice to suffocate them physically in their own final third. It is a partnership that combines Spanish technicality with English power, and Tottenham’s depleted midfield has no answer for it.
### Key battles: Where Sunday will be won
With both sides decimated by injuries, this won’t be a game of “philosophy”—it will be a war of attrition.
1**. The “masked” threat vs. The new partner**
Spurs boss Thomas Frank confirmed Randal Kolo Muani will play with a protective mask after his facial fracture. This is their only real weapon. Without Gabriel to physically manhandle him, Spurs will target whoever partners Saliba be it Hincapié or Mosquera early. Frank will instruct his goalkeeper to bypass the midfield and hit long diagonals to Kolo Muani, hoping to isolate him. Hincapié must be smart not to get rolled, while Mosquera would need to avoid being rash.
**2\. Saka vs. The “frank” double-team**
Under previous Spurs managers, Bukayo Saka was often given the freedom of the park. Thomas Frank is too smart for that. He will likely instruct Destiny Udogie to sit deep, with a midfielder (likely Pape Matar Sarr) permanently doubling up on our Starboy.
This is where the chess match begins. If they commit two men to Saka, it leaves space centrally for Mikel Merino or Declan Rice to exploit. Saka has scored or assisted in his last four NLDs. He thrives on the pressure. If he wins his 1-on-1 duel just once, the Spurs game plan collapses.
**3\. The midfield stranglehold**
No Maddison. No Kulusevski. Spurs are missing their entire creative engine. This is massive. They will be frantic. Martin Zubimendi doesn’t just need to win tackles; he needs to kill their hope. If he can hoard possession and force Spurs to chase shadows for 60 minutes, the fatigue will set in. Zubimendi’s calm vs. Spurs’ chaos is the defining battle of the match.
### The Conclusion: Why North London remains red
When you strip away the noise the media panic over Gabriel’s thigh injury, the intrigue of Thomas Frank’s “controlled chaos,” and the protective masks you are left with a simple reality that has defined this fixture for over a century: **Hierarchy.**
In 1919, Arsenal were elevated to the top flight at Tottenham’s expense, and in the 106 years since, we have never looked back. Sunday is simply the latest chapter in that long story of divergence.
Tottenham arrive at the Emirates in a state of transition, confused by a new manager’s demands, decimated by injuries to their best players, and terrified of another humiliation. They are coming to N5 not to impose their will, but to stop us from imposing ours. They will park the bus, they will kick our wingers, and they will pray for a set-piece miracle. That is the admission of a rival who knows their place.
Arsenal, by contrast, are a machine. We are built to weather storms. Losing Gabriel is a blow, yes. But in Piero Hincapié and Cristhian Mosquera, we have replacements that most Champions League clubs would dream of starting. And in Martin Zubimendi, we have the controller who ensures we never lose our heads.
The Emirates will be a cauldron. The crowd knows the team needs that extra 1% to bridge the gap left by injuries. But make no mistake: form does not “go out the window” in this derby. Quality wins. Maturity wins. And on Sunday, the team that has spent six years building a dynasty will prove too much for the team that has spent five months trying to build a bunker.