Arsenal's Dominance Over Tottenham Continues
Arsenal have finished above Tottenham Hotspur in 25 of the last 33 Premier League seasons, maintaining a significant upper hand in the north London rivalry.
What is St Totteringham's Day?
St Totteringham's Day is a term cherished by Arsenal supporters, marking the day when it becomes mathematically impossible for Tottenham to finish above Arsenal in the Premier League standings. Although not widely recognized nationally, it holds great significance for Arsenal fans as a symbol of bragging rights over their local rivals.
This year, the day appears set to arrive earlier than ever before. If Tottenham, currently battling relegation, fail to secure a win against Fulham on Sunday at 14:00 GMT, Arsenal fans can celebrate St Totteringham's Day once again. Regardless of Tottenham's result, Arsenal can guarantee the occasion with a victory against Chelsea later that day at 16:30.
Origins and Significance
The phrase 'St Totteringham's Day' is a play on the words 'Tottenham' and 'tottering.' It was coined by the Arsenal fans website 'Arseweb' in the early 2000s and gained broader recognition around 2010. Arsenal supporters are still buoyed by their emphatic win in the north London derby a week ago and look forward to potentially celebrating the earliest St Totteringham's Day ever recorded—the previous earliest being 9 March 2008.
Highlighting the Rivalry Gap
This potential milestone underscores the current disparity between the two clubs. Arsenal are leading the Premier League, while Tottenham are struggling near the bottom of the table. Tottenham's interim manager Igor Tudor replaced Thomas Frank earlier this month in an attempt to reverse their fortunes.
Last season, Arsenal finished second for the third consecutive year, amassing 36 points more than Tottenham, who ended 17th. St Totteringham's Day was confirmed on 3 April that season.
With 10 matches remaining for Arsenal and 11 for Tottenham, the current points gap stands at 32. Historically, only five previous league seasons have seen a larger gap by the end of the campaign.
The largest gap recorded between the two sides was 45 points during Arsenal's 2003-04 Invincibles season when they won the league with 90 points.
Recent History of the Rivalry
The six consecutive seasons in which Tottenham finished above Arsenal, a period that ended in 2022, now seem distant to fans of both clubs. Since then, Tottenham have dismissed three permanent managers, whereas Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who has been in charge for six years, has developed a team consistently challenging for the title.
The highest margin by which Tottenham have finished above Arsenal was 14 points in the 2017-18 season, just before reaching the Champions League final.
Current Season Projections
Based on current points-per-game rates, Arsenal are projected to finish the season with 83 points, while Tottenham are expected to reach 41 points. This would create a 42-point gap, the second-largest in Premier League history after the Invincibles season.
If Arsenal finish on 83 points, it would be six fewer than the 89 points they earned when finishing second in the 2023-24 season behind Manchester City. However, Pep Guardiola's current Manchester City side is not as dominant as in previous campaigns.
Tottenham's current points-per-game rate suggests they will improve on last season's 38 points, but this would still represent their second-worst Premier League performance. Their previous low was 44 points in the 1997-98 season.
Longstanding Arsenal Superiority
Arsenal have finished above Tottenham in 25 of the past 33 Premier League seasons and are set to extend this to 26 times this campaign.
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