Paul Gascoigne magic and North London history – Tottenham’s greatest wins vs Arsenal
Thomas Frank will be looking forward to his first taste of a competitive North London derby as Tottenham boss.
It has been a difficult few years for Tottenham supporters when it comes to North London derbies.
The Lilywhites are winless in their last six competitive games against their neighbours, last tasting victory more than three years ago when a side then led by Antonio Conte put three past Mikel Arteta’s men at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without reply.
Since then, the Gunners have dominated, winning five of the last six meetings between the two North London clubs, and that is something Frank will be looking to change this season.
Tottenham did beat Arsenal 1-0 in Hong Kong in a pre-season friendly this summer, but fans will want to see a competitive win.
Ahead of the first North London derby of the season at the Emirates Stadium next Sunday, Tottenham News takes a look back at Spurs’ greatest wins against the Gunners.
Tottenham 3 – 1 Arsenal (14 April 1991)
Winning against your greatest rivals is always a fantastic feeling. However, beating them to reach an FA Cup final makes it that bit sweeter.
In 1991, that is exactly what Tottenham did with their 3-1 victory over Arsenal at Wembley Stadium.
However, while the win and the importance of that win, of course, speak for themselves, the reason this game is forever etched in Spurs history is because of a 30-yard free-kick scored by Tottenham legend Paul Gascoigne.
It is one of the greatest and most famous goals in Tottenham history, and was followed by a Gary Lineker brace to secure Spurs’ place in the 1991 FA Cup final.
Spurs would beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 in the final to record a then-record eighth FA Cup victory, making the win against Arsenal and Gascoigne’s magic strike all the more important for the Lilywhites.
Tottenham 5 – 1 Arsenal (22 January 2008)
Another victory which saw Tottenham book a place in a final at the expense of their North London rivals, this time the League Cup, which was then known as the Carling Cup.
After a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the semi-final at the Emirates Stadium, goals from Jermaine Jenas, an own goal by Nicklas Bendtner, Robbie Keane, Aaron Lennon, and Steed Malbranque secured an emphatic victory at White Hart Lane.
It is one of Spurs’ heaviest ever wins against Arsenal, and once again, just like in 1991, Tottenham would go on to win the final, this time beating Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley Stadium.
Tottenham 2 – 0 Arsenal (30 April 2017)
The last North London derby and one of the last games ever at White Hart Lane was played toward the end of the 2016-17 season, and it was a match Tottenham simply could not lose.
Had they tasted defeat to the Gunners before knocking down their old ground, their fierce rivals would have never let them hear the end of it.
Arsenal have already won two leagues at White Hart Lane, which is bad enough, and the Tottenham players on the day needed to ensure they at least ended the contests between Spurs and the Gunners at the old ground with a win.
The pressure was high, but Mauricio Pochettino’s side delivered on a highly emotional day, as goals from Harry Kane and Dele Alli secured the win, which also guaranteed that Tottenham would finish above Arsenal for the first time in 22 seasons.
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