The five biggest Arsenal v Tottenham games ever

ARSENAL travel to Tottenham on Saturday for a huge north London derby - but where does it rank in the biggest ever?

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5) Arsenal 5 Tottenham 2, February 26 2012

In one of the most memorable clashes in Premier League history, Arsenal came from two goals down to smash Spurs at the Emirates.

Spurs started the game in third place, 10 points clear of The Gunners. Harry Redknapp’s side looked set to finish above Arsenal for the first time in 17 years and snatch a valuable Champions League spot.

However, after Spurs went 2-0 up within 34 minutes, Arsenal struck back with goals from Bacary Sagna, Robin van Persie, Tomas Rosicky and a double from Theo Walcott.

Spurs went on to finish fourth in the league, one point behind Arsenal.

To add insult to injury, Chelsea’s unexpected win in the Champions League final meant the Blues stole the final Champions League position.

4) Tottenham 0 Arsenal 1, May 3 1971

Arsenal went into the game knowing that victory against their bitter rivals, on the last day of the season, would clinch their first top division title in 18 years.

The Gunners started the game a point behind league leaders Leeds, who had done all they could by beating Nottingham Forest 2-1 in their final game.

The clash itself was tense but Ray Kennedy headed past Pat Jennings to give Arsenal the win.

Arsenal went on to take the double, beating Liverpool in the FA Cup final at Wembley. Notably, Arsenal were the first team to achieve this feat since Spurs in 1961.

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3) Tottenham 2 Arsenal 2, April 25 2004

In this, perhaps Arsenal’s most outstanding season in their history, the Gunners travelled to White Hart Lane knowing a draw or a win would seal the title.

For Spurs, it was a chance to stop Arsenal’s unbeaten record of 34 league games.

Arsenal took an early lead through captain Patrick Vieira, the scorer then turned provider as Vieira set up Robert Pires to double Arsenal’s advantage.

But Spurs hit back through a Jamie Redknapp effort and a late Robbie Keane equaliser.

Although Spurs had managed to salvage a point, Arsenal were still able to celebrate wining the title at White Hart Lane for the second time in their history.

Arsenal then went on to record their historic unbeaten ‘Invincible’ season. Spurs went on to finish 14th, level on points with the mighty Portsmouth.

2) Tottenham 3 Arsenal 1, April 14 1991

This tie was the first time the two teams from north London had met in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. This was also the first ever semi-final to be played at Wembley.

To reach the semis, Spurs had seen off Notts County 2-1 at the Lane and Arsenal had beaten Cambridge by the same score at Highbury.

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The game itself will always be remembered for one of the greatest goals ever scored at the old Wembley, a stunning 30-yard free-kick from Paul Gascoigne.

Gary Lineker extended their lead, before Alan Smith pulled one back for Arsenal. Lineker then scored a rare goal from outside the area to send Spurs into the final.

Spurs went on to claim FA Cup glory.

1) Tottenham ? Arsenal ?, March 5 2016
The biggest. A title duel. A huge clash at White Hart Lane.

It doesn’t get bigger than this.

Craig Gardner celebrates his equaliser for West Brom

BATTLING Leicester are learning fast that they’ll have to scrap until they drop to win the title.

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Their so-called ‘easy’ run-in is proving anything but as the Premier League’s smaller fry try to trip them up.

Norwich proved a tough nut on Saturday when Claudio Ranieri’s men had to wait until the death to nick all three points.

Tony Pulis’ Baggies were never going to hand them anything on a plate after notching back-to-back league wins either.

This promised to be a potentially tricky fixture for the leaders and Foxes boss Ranieri had stressed the need to be patient.

But he couldn’t have banked on them being behind so early on after they had made a confident start and dominated the opening 10 minutes.

They were stunned by a sucker punch in the 11th minute when Salomon Rondon muscled Albion into the lead.

Darren Fletcher split the Leicester back line with an incisive pass but Rondon still had a lot to do – not least shrug aside powerhouse Robert Huth.

But he brushed him off with sheer brute force before squeezing the ball home through the legs of advancing keeper Kasper Schmeichel.

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Leicester could have equalised but Shinji Okazaki guided two efforts over and Jamie Vardy headed straight into Ben Foster’s arms from eight yards out.

However, they were about to get a somewhat bizarre helping hand when poor Jonas Olsson deflected a Danny Drinkwater shot into his own net in the 30th minute.

Drinkwater chanced his arm from well outside the box and his shot hit the Swedish centre-back and ended up flying into the air and looping over Foster.

The Foxes should have taken the lead soon after when Drinkwater found Vardy in the six-yard box.

The England striker powered his header goalwards and gave Foster no chance but he was left stamping the floor in frustration as the ball crashed against the crossbar.

But right on half-time Leicester got their noses in front with a goal which was as much about the impressive buildup as Andy King’s stunning finish.

Marc Albrighton spotted Riyad Mahrez over on the far side of the box and when the winger whipped the ball over, the Algerian laid the ball into the path of King with a wonderful ‘kill’ with the outside of his foot.

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The Wales midfielder took it as it dropped and curled a halfvolley into the far corner of the net with pinpoint precision.

Ranieri threw his arms into the air jubilantly but the Italian’s joy was short-lived as Albion equalised five minutes after the interval.

What a cracker it was too – Craig Gardner sweeping a 25-yard free-kick over the Foxes wall to leave Schmeichel rooted to the spot as the ball flew into the top corner of the Dane’s net.

Leicester were again denied by the woodwork in the 58th minute when Okazaki met Albrighton’s cross with a powerful header only to see it crash against the bar.

CLAUDIO RANIERI has cranked up the pressure on Spurs

CLAUDIO RANIERI has cranked up the pressure on Spurs by insisting the title is theirs to lose.

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Mauricio Pochettino’s side trail leaders Leicester by two points but the King Power boss says their London rivals will finish as champions.

The Italian says even Arsenal and Manchester City have more of a chance than his side, who entertain West Brom tonight.

Ranieri said: “Tottenham are now the favourites to win it. I’m not playing games.

“Mauricio would agree with me. I’m telling the truth. I say what I think. Tottenham are strong in every department. They know what they want.

“Everybody is speaking about us and nobody is speaking about Tottenham.

“But they are the favourites, then Arsenal, then Manchester City.”

“We are not Bayern Munich; we are Leicester. I understand why everyone is so surprised we are up there because it is unbelievable, but we don’t even think about winning the league.

“But if you want the real contenders, then it’s Tottenham, Arsenal and City.

“We have done our job because we are safe. Now we can look to do something new.”

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Ranieri says he’s so unconcerned about what the others are doing he went to a restaurant with his wife rather than watch Arsenal’s defeat at Old Trafford.

West Brom try to put a dent in Leicester ambitions tonight with boss Tony Pulis saying that if they do emerge as champions it would eclipse the achievement of Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest in 1978.

Pulis said: “I really do think it’s that big. But the divide then wasn’t as great as it is now between those who’ve got it and those who haven’t.

“The Premier League wasn’t in place, so you’d most probably put what they are doing in front of that.”

“They don’t over complicate things and they play to their strengths. They’re an exciting team, with great legs and they push and pull together.

“It doesn’t half make a difference when those people are in their right slots and know what they’re doing.”

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“It’s no coincidence they’re up at the top with 11 games to go.

“They’ve not fluked it. Sometimes you need to be a lucky general rather than a good general.”

Leicester will be without midfield star N’Golo Kante who has been ruled out for two games with a hamstring injury.

The FA have risked a UEFA fine by arranging Arsenal’s Cup

THE FA have risked a UEFA fine by arranging Arsenal’s Cup replay at Hull on a Champions League night.

But in an attempt to minimize the impact on the European action, the match on March 8 will start at 7pm after the FA rejected the prospect of a 5.45pm kick off.

The FA consulted with UEFA over arranging the clash for Tuesday week, with the game deciding who faces Watford in the quarter-finals the following weekend, before Arsene Wenger’s side travel to Barcelona for the second leg of their Champions League last 16 clash.

Despite the talks, it is understood UEFA may still punish the FA for breaking the rules with Wolfsburg playing Gent and Real Madrid facing Roma on the same night.

FA chief executive Martin Glenn appeared to call for leniency from UEFA today, with the difficulty finding a date for the replay caused largely by Arsenal’s involvement in the Champions League.

The Gunners play their second-leg against Barcelona eight days after the trip to Hull.

They also have to face north London rivalsTottenham at White Hart Lane three days before the Cup game in clash which could have a major impact on the destiny of the title.

The FA also took into account Hull’s promotion push from the Championship when ruling out playing the tie on the Monday night.

Glenn, aware that such calendar clashes remain a major issue as football’s power brokers under the abolition of FA Cup replays, also appealed to UEFA to help address the issue of fixture congestion.

He said: “We want all of our clubs to be part of strong, vibrant domestic competitions, to perform well on the European stage and for the England team to be challenging for international honours.

“To have a better chance of achieving these aims more effectively, it is imperative we resolve the on-going problem of match scheduling together.

“Fixture scheduling is an issue for the whole game so let’s build upon the productive conversations we have held with the Premier League and Football League and call upon UEFA to join the discussion to create clear, workable guidelines for the benefit of all.”

But the FA have still not managed to fix dates for the four quarter-finals to be played over the weekend of March 11-14.

Meanwhile, scans have confirmed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain suffered knee and ankle ligament damage against Barcelona on Tuesday.

Oxlade-Chamberlain now looks set to be out for at least two months, which will cast doubt over his chances of making Roy Hodgson’s squad for Euro 2016.

Louis van Gaal would not allow Guillermo Varela to leave

The Uruguayan full-back was being tracked by Italian side Genoa after being given limited playing time during the first half of the season.

In the final week of the January transfer window, Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb claimedGenoa had agreed a deal to sign Varela on loan for the remainder of the season but Van Gaal blocked the switch.

And Varela has now revealed more about his talks with the Dutchman about an exit.

He told Uruguayan radio station Sport 890: "Because I saw I wouldn't play, I would have few chances, I spoke to the manager and he told me that no, I couldn't go, because I was going to play.

"Everything happened so quickly that you don't believe that you're playing in the most important league in the world. I take it calmly, train and look forward."

Varela was signed by former United boss David Moyes in 2013 but he did not make his debut for the Red Devils until last December.

He has gone on to make five appearances under Van Gaal, the last being Monday night's 3-0 win over Shrewsbury in the FA Cup fifth round.

He spent last season on loan at Real Madrid's Castilla side.

Pellegrini is the latest big name linked to the Chelsea job

MANUEL PELLEGRINI has emerged as the main rival to Antonio Conte as Chelsea search for their next manager.

Italy boss Conte became the hot favourite for the job yesterday, following reports in his homeland that he has agreed a deal in principle to join the Blues in the summer.

But Starsport can reveal Pellegrini, 62, who is being replaced by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in the summer, remains a serious candidate for owner Roman Abramovich.

The club’s technical technical director, Michael Emenalo, has been championing the Chilean coach’s cause as a safe pair of hands to follow the controversial second coming of Jose Mourinho.

Unlike Conte, Pellegrini also knows the Premier League well having coached City for three seasons, winning the title and League Cup in 2014.

Emenalo is understood to have travelled to Italy for Juventus’ Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich, with the Turin side’s former boss Conte also due to attend.

It has been claimed Conte, who is out of contract with the Azzurri after Euro 2016, agreed a two-year deal in principle to become the permanent successor to Mourinho, after interim boss Guus Hiddink’s tenure ends in the summer.

The 46-year-old wants to return to club management and has been learning English, but Abramovich does not appear to be in a rush to seal an appointment.

Conte is due to meet the FIGC – the Italian football federation – next month to discuss his future.

Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri was another contender for the Chelsea job but is set to stay with the Italian champions as they prepare to offer him a new contract, with his current one just having one more season on it.

The club’s sporting director, Giuseppe Marotta, said this week: “The conditions for Allegri’s contract renewal are all there. The cycle has just started with him and I believe we can continue with him.

“On top of that, finding a club better than Juventus isn’t easy. I think that he can still get great pleasure from this team, thus there is no Allegri problem.”

Conte is understood to want to bring Walter Sabatini, Roma’s director of football, with him to Stamford Bridge if he gets the nod.

Man United straight forward FA Cup win

STAND-IN skipper Chris Smalling led by example as Manchester United got some FA Cup cheer.

The big defender put his side ahead with a 37th-minute goal and then watched Juan Mata take over.

The Spaniard added a second direct from a free-kick before Jesse Lingard grabbed a third in the 61st minute.

United boss Louis van Gaal could afford a big smile at long last as his side kept disaster at arm’s length.

Defeat to the League One strugglers was the last thing Van Gaal needed dumping on him.

STAND-IN skipper Chris Smalling led by example as Manchester United got some FA Cup cheer. 

The big defender put his side ahead with a 37th-minute goal and then watched Juan Mata take over.

The Spaniard added a second direct from a free-kick before Jesse Lingard grabbed a third in the 61st minute.

United boss Louis van Gaal could afford a big smile at long last as his side kept disaster at arm’s length.

Defeat to the League One strugglers was the last thing Van Gaal needed dumping on him.

Right on the stroke of half-time United increased their lead when Mata left Leutwiler rooted to his line direct from a free-kick.

Shrewsbury found themselves horribly exposed and Abu Ogogo ended up getting booked for hacking down Anthony Martial on the edge of the box.

Mata and Memphis stood over the ball but it was the former Chelsea man who took control.

And what a cracker he produced – his kick by-passing the wall and leaving the keeper helpless as it flew past him.

It was no more than United deserved after stamping their authority on the game from the start.

The humiliating Europa League defeat at Danish minnows Midtjylland on Thursday was still stinging.

And anything but victory here would have cranked up the pressure on LVG.

In fairness, United did their best to put his mind at ease from the off and could have been a couple of goals in front in the opening few minutes.

They outplayed the home side from the start but ended up having to wait until the 37th minute to get their noses in front.

Even that was a scuffed shot from Smalling – but Van Gaal will take anything right now.

Cracker Smalling fired United into the lead after Shrewsbury gave up on the ball way too easily out on their left-hand side.

Morgan Schneiderlin looped a header back into the box to where Smalling was waiting.

He took it first time, thumping his shot into the ground – but that was enough to fox keeper Jayson Leutwiler.

The ball took a wicked bounce and when the keeper looked around, it was in his net.