The North London derby is always a big game in both team's calendars, but this season even more so. The first of the two fixtures between the two sides saw Arsenal win 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium and it was a poor performance produced by Spurs.
The second meeting was due to be played in January, but after a request from the Gunners camp, the game was postponed. The rescheduled clash is set to be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday and no doubt how big this game will be.
Arsenal are currently occupying fourth place in the Premier League, four points above the Lilywhites. Antonio Conte needs his team to secure three points in the Derby, to keep Tottenham's hopes of playing Champions League football, alive.
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If Spurs manage to beat their rivals, they will be just a point behind Mikel Arteta's side, with just a couple of games left to play. The Lilywhites arguably have the more favourable final two fixtures, but as this season has already shown, anything can happen in the Premier League.
There will be hope that with Tottenham playing at home, in the first North London derby in the new ground with a stadium full of fans, Spurs supporters can give their side a boost and be the '12th man'. For Harry Kane, this fixture is a consistent success for him individually, as he is the top goalscorer for it.
The England captain has gone through the Tottenham academy to get to where he is today but before that, he was playing for Arsenal. However, when he was just eight, the Gunners let him go and in 2018, he looked back at that moment.
"Me and my dad were walking to the park next to my house at the time and that was when he told me that Arsenal have released me. He kind of just put an arm round my shoulder and said, 'don't worry, we'll work harder, move on and find another club'," Kane admitted to the Players' Tribune Football, in 2018.
The 28-year-old did just that and has been improving ever since he made the move. With Arsenal releasing him, Kane explained that it left him with a "chip on my shoulder that 'ok they don't want me but I'll be back and I'll make sure I'm good enough'."
The striker explained that since he left, it was his aim to "prove them wrong" and with how far he has come since then, he can now look back and admit it was "one of the best things that happened". Kane explained that it gave him "drive" and that has helped him become the great success at Tottenham that he is.
The England international has scored a total of 179 Premier League goals, picking up three Golden Boot awards. He has also made almost 70 appearances for his nation, scoring 49 goals, highlighting his effectiveness for club and country.
Since Antonio Conte's arrival at Spurs, Kane seems to have improved even more. The 28-year-old has been dropping into deeper positions and producing more assists than usual, helping Son Heung-min improve his scoring record.
Looking ahead to Thursday's tie, the England captain spoke to Spurs TV about his thoughts on the game. "It's a massive fixture," he said.
"Obviously North London derby, playing against your rivals, it's a big game and I think this one's even more important [because] of where we both are in the league. A real tough game, it'll be a tough challenge for us for sure, but [I'm] looking forward to it."
Kane then looked back at the many derbies he has played in and picked out three that he has scored in, with his favourite being his first. "My favourite memory is my first North London derby," the striker admitted.
"Beating Arsenal 2-1, scoring a header, [86th] minute. Just a real special occasion to do that in my first one, it holds a close place in my heart."
He had also mentioned his North London derby debut in his 2018 interview and explained what it meant, with how far he had come up to that point. "When I was lacing my up boots for my first start in the North London derby back in 2015, I had a flashback to when I was 11, playing against Arsenal's youth team. It was like deja vu," Kane explained.
"We were in the tunnel, and I thought: 'OK. Took me 12 years. But we'll see who was right and who was wrong'.
"I scored two that day... It was a header - probably the best header I've ever scored - and that feeling when it hit the back of the net... I've never felt a rush like that in my whole career," he added.
"I remember walking round the pitch after the final whistle... and clapping to the fans... and it felt like: 'Well - I told you so'." Everyone in the Tottenham camp will be hoping Kane can do the same again on Thursday.
It is a crucial three points for both teams and it is now just a case of who can produce a good enough 90 minute performance to secure the win.
