For Spurs fans the last thirty years or so have seen them sit uncomfortably in the shadow of their holier than thou north London rivals.
Particularly galling for the Lilywhites must have been the last 15 years as Arsene Wenger guided their bitter rivals through a golden period of success on the pitch, whilst they made do with a solitary Carling Cup triumph. However, going into this weekend’s north London derby with Spurs sitting pretty in 3rd, 10 points ahead of the faltering Gunners, it’s time to ask, who really is the bigger club these days?
Interestingly, both managers have a Bantr fan approval rating of 90% that whilst strong, suggests that are some corners of support beginning to doubt their respective bosses.
Let’s start on the pitch by comparing results and the playing personnel. Spurs can now argue a superior team to Arsenal at the moment, probably more so than the league standings suggest. Their starting line up blends a handful of world class players in their prime, with a talented English spine and some of the most exciting youth prospects in the Premier League. It is the perfect mix of youth and experience that has gelled marvelously in the last couple of years.
Arsenal’s current squad however, can be considered their worst in recent memory. Their only world class performer, Robin van Persie, has elevated himself the absolute footballing elite in the last year, but finds himself surrounded by a questionable defence, and a midfield lacking in leadership. Compounding all this, the Arsenal injury list at any given point is longer than a Cesc Fabregas transfer saga. Why is Wenger now settling for mediocrity in the transfer market? Has his judgement of young talent will truly make the grade also slipped?
The current superiority of Spurs is also something reflected in the talents that they are bringing in and capable of bringing into the club. This week their punching power was made clear, when Eden Hazard, widely thought of as the most exciting young talent in Europe, shocked many who expected him to end up in the clutches of Barcelona or Real Madrid by stating that a deal with Spurs is close.
Compare that to Arsenal who resorted to the need for more creativity by signing Yossi Benayoun on loan – the perennial substitute has unsurprisingly looked on forlornly all season. It is also worth noting that the last few years have seen world class talent like Modric and Van der Vaart coming into White Hart Lane, where as down the road it’s all traffic in the other direction as the likes of Fabregas and Nasri tired of forever being the bridesmaids.
Away from the pitch, things are even looking peachier for the Lilywhites, despite Arsenal’s global appeal. Between 2010-11 Arsenals revenue grew 4%, whilst Spurs rocketed up 10% during the same period. They are packing out White Hart Lane week in week out and making plans to upgrade, whilst the downturn in form at the Emirates is seeing thousands of empty seats as the season wears on. As Spurs’ are virtually guaranteed Champions League football next year, the revenue this will bring will only close the financial gap with Arsenal further.
As Jermain Defoe nonchalantly noted this week, of the upcoming derby, Arsenal need this much more than Spurs. This is the status quo and Arsenal might have to get used to it.
HARRY REDKNAPP’S BANTR APPROVAL RATING
One does not simply beat The Arsenal. Goodbye.
‘arry pays tax when he wants, when he wants, when he wants, ‘arry pays tax when he wants, what a fat SHIT!
One thing to say! Ha ha ha ha ha ha fucking Ha, there’s a new tax dodging phone line to report cheats 0800 52 52 52
Nothing like taking the moneyshot right in your Spud faces! What time is it? 5 to 2?
A big game in a big stadium won by a big club. THIS is reality. Nuff said!
The tide is turning though. The proof is that Arsenal fans are in ecstasy over winning a game that puts them 7 points behind Spurs, (with an inferior goal difference) and gives them honour of battling it out with Newcastle for 4th place. not really a ‘big club’ mindset is it?
The difference is that Arsenal strive to be the best – invincibles, title winners etc – whereas all u Spuds want to do is finish above/beat us. Obviously this season the title looks beyond us barring a miracle. Its a bit of a joke to claim u r a bigger club than us; come back when u have qualified for the champions league consistenly for 14 campaigns, won a title, got a new stadium (which we always sell out by the way). Its hilarious that you claim above to have virtually guaranteed champions league football, there’s a long way to go as yet…nothing is certain, surely a spud fan should know that!
NO ARSENAL FAN HAS SAID THAT YOU FAGGOT.
A big club mindset is knowing that we’ve won the league 13 times. Twice at your shithole.
A small club mindset is saying that you’re a better club than another club because for ONE season in 16 years you are better than us.
’61, NEVER AGAIN!
here ur mum is a slut
sorry lad. i thought u wer a spurs fan.
ur mums a slut
What’s up doc? 7 points behind spurs, inferior goal difference and the honour of battling out for 4th.
Really? No, seriously?
Tide turning, yea it looked like it today geezer lol, I’d take a reality check mate, our worst team in 15 years smashed your best team in 50 years, tide turned my arse!
In fact I’d say us gooners are riding a high tide, and you spuds are at a definate low tide!
I want to give a high 5-2 a spurs fan, any takers?
Redknapp out,he’s a disgrace losing to this ‘gooner in crisis ‘lot.The sooner he fucks off to the engerland job the better and we can get back to being the biggest club in London that are tell from middlesex.
Your lot were never and will never be the biggest club in London.
You were relegation fodder when Hatchet ‘Arry took over and you reckon getting rid of him would be good for you? Have fun in your weird little dream world.
Brutal awakening! Gunners devoured the Spurs. This will hurt a long, long time.
St. Totteringham’s day :
Saturday, 14 April 2012
See you there !!
🙂
As a 3rd party viewer.. I have to laugh a little here. Is the writer here only 5 years old? Arsenal have been Champions League material for the past 15 years. Spurs have recently started to become make a resurgence, but only just recently can I call them contender material. As footballing elites go, Arsenal is still a top club, and Spurs are not.
Bale’s a diving cunt
5-2!
5-2!
5-2!
5-2!
5-2!
5-2!
Peter McCormack is a total cnut who knows nothing about football. Clearly.
It’s always surprising how many Arsenal fans follow a Spurs blog. I can’t imagine spending time following a team I don’t like…
Spurs are the dirtiest pile of scumbags about and their mothers are the best rides in north london because of that fuckin monkey lookin bastard bale and because his mum is a looney tune
Lol. Good one.
Thanks Alex Benjamin,
I don’t actually support Spurs or Arsenal and was at the game. I thought Spurs owned Arsenal for 40 minutes and Arsenal there after. I also saw the league table after and noticed they are still 7 points ahead of you.
The subject of the article was meant to provoke a debate which it seems to have. If you read the content though what I am really focusing on are some fundamental challenges of the Arsenal business, things which one game won’t change.
Happy to discuss this anytime.
Peter
You thought Sp*rs owned Arsenal for 40 minutes? What were you watching, the scoreboard? He was right, you are a cunt who knows nothing about football. Your article is pathetic
Hi there,
Obviously you are entitled to your opinion but I was at the game and Spurs dominated the game for 40 minutes and then Arsenal thereafter. I think it is a pretty accurate reflection of the game most people will agree with.
Thanks
Peter
i think u spuds r crazy if you think you are better than the Arsenal the only thing that has hindered Arsenal from showing you spuds up this season is the fact that their board hasnt reinvested in experience but they have out it into youth and to be honest that might change this year n when that happens you spuds would never finish above us
cause Arsenal’s b squad beat you spuds first 11 n you wanna claim your better than us Arsenal will always b a better club n the football we play will always beat you
so spuds jog off
Lots of angry Arsenal fans here. It’s a cracking result for you lot but it doesn’t really paper over the cracks. Out of both domestic cups… again. Out of the Champions League… again. Out of contention for the league… again. It’ll be seven years since your last piece of silverware by the end of the season.
It’s far too early to say whether Spurs are becoming a genuinely big club – the signs are promising and it’s been a great season so far, but you can’t make that claim yet. And we’re definitely not a bigger club than Arsenal yet (‘better’ is a different question, though…). We’ll see where we’re at in five years.
But it’s definitely been long enough to make the claim that Arsenal are at risk of not being a big club any more. Nothing to show for the last 7 years of competition. Van Persie is your one genuine superstar player and he couldn’t be blamed for leaving at the end of the season – it’s only fair for one of the best strikers in the world to want trophies to show for it. You sold out the heart of your creative midfield and didn’t sign replacements. There’s about as much depth in your squad as there is in ours – that is, not a lot. Your league form seems to veer between stirring victories and embarrassing losses. Looking at your squad, I’m impressed you’re still in contention for Europe next year. Every Arsenal fan I know in real life is worried about your current situation, and every Spurs fan I know is optimistic.
Perhaps all this has something to do with why Gooners are coming out to sh*t all over Spurs with such vehemence after the 5-2 – not like you’ve got much else to celebrate.
You’ve got Liverpool syndrome – fans of a once-top club who still have a top club mentality but don’t have the talent or results to back it up.
Waaaaaaaaaaaah what gap?
haha mind the gap spuds… spurs are the most laughed at club in england fact! north london is red fact. harrys a tax rat fact.
This blog is a little silly. I just happened across this post, how did I miss it? lol.
Well, lets not discuss this topic, because it’s not even a debate. We may have as good a squad or better at the moment, but until we win 10 Premier League titles and another 5-6 FA Cups this year alone, we don’t have the right to even sniff equal status to our friends. Lets say the goons win back to back titles, they would sit at 15 and immediately get back in the running of top English club of all time. They are almost certainly 3rd best club all time in england. posts like this just make us and our supporters ever more smaller. dumb.
for once u posted some sense here BIG SAM! and mind that gap now would ya! HHAHAHAHAHAAHAH
HAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA LOOK THE SPUDS NOW 2 POINTS OF THE GUNNERS FIGHTING FOR 4TH HAHAHAHAHAHA HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED HAHAHAHAHAH
I admit, there is a bit of humility here. It’s been a torturous run lately, and I am more pissed off than anything at the team’s result than their form. We have a good squad, but they have been proven vulnerable to say the least in the past month and a half.
You deluded little spuds. Half a good season and you think you’re the shit. Try 15 years of CL, 13 titles, 10 FA Cups… etc, etc. yawn.
Truly an insightful article now, don’t you think?
Classic premature gloating from the scum, how was St Totteringham’s day for you lot? (:
This makes my day every time I read it COYG
I used to support arsenal but today completed my change by kissing spurs badge as I feel they are better and bought I spurs shirt coys
(looks at blog title) (looks at history of the 2 clubs) (looks at final league standings) hahahahhahahahhahahahhahahahha…..hahahhahahhahah…..hahahhahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahha
“As Spurs’ are virtually guaranteed Champions League football next year” paaaaaaa ahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
I the almight spurs who I support will win a trophy before arsenal the team I used to support coys
I was just googling for “spurs bigger than arsenal” article in telegraph, to have some laugh, and I found this article from 2012. I dont know how the author must have felt after spurs throwed away that 10 point lead and finished below arsenal that season and the seasons after..:P
London is red… spurs are ****… enjoy uefa cup matches on spursdays..:)