North London is Home to the Premier League’s Best Derby

North London is Home to the Premier League’s Best Derby

James Caughlin

Football is a sport built on rivalries, they are the first games you search for when the league fixtures are released and always hold a special place in the minds of the fans.

This past weekend we saw the 196th edition of the North London Derby, a fixture that has ascended up the charts in the last few years as one of, if not the marquee derby in top flight English football.

In a typically heated encounter, it was Arsenal coming away with a tense 1-0 win at the home of Tottenham, helping keep the Gunners unbeaten start to the season intact.

While it wasn’t Arsenal’s biggest or most important win away to Spurs in the club’s history, it’s one the players were more than happy to enjoy.

Just look at their Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes after the full time whistle.

We have no shortage of local derbies in the Premier League coming from all over England, but right now, in this moment, the North London one just seems to hold a little bit more weight than some of the others.

Perhaps it is because we have two teams pointing in a seemingly upwards direction with desires on silverware.

The Gunners want to push on from a couple of near misses and lift the Premier League title, while Tottenham just wants to win a trophy to put an end to those jokes.

It began properly in 1913 when Arsenal moved north to settle in Highbury and Spurs were not keen to welcome their new neighbours with open arms and really took off a few years later when Arsenal won a vote to get promoted to the First Division ahead of their new neighbours.

Since then there have been numerous classic clashes and memorable moments when these teams have faced off, although recent history certainly favours the red half of North London.

Despite the rivalry lasting for over a century, only 15 players have played for both clubs.

Compare that to some of the other derbies in England, some of which are on the back burner because clubs sit in different leagues.

There is no shortage of hatred in Manchester between United and City, but at the moment just like pretty much everything else with City, there is a certain sense of inevitability about it which does lower the stakes somewhat.

If Middlesborough or Sunderland make it back into the Premier League, their rivalry with Newcastle would make that worthy of mention in the conversation.

But in terms of nearest competition, it’s hard to go past the Merseyside Derby between Liverpool and Everton.

No matter what the scenario, there is always a level of fire that cannot be matched in most other fixtures for both of these clubs.

And you have to give the graphics department credit for their work on the goal graphics for this one.

For how long it will remain as the best local derby in English football remains to be seen, but while both clubs are forging their own fascinating paths, let’s just enjoy it for the spectacle it provides.

And North London is red (again).