Tottenham head into the final day of the Premier League season in the driving seat for fourth spot, and the final Champions League place, thanks to Arsenal’s lacklustre defeat at Newcastle.
The Gunners missed the chance to secure fourth place with defeat at Spurs last week and have now handed the impetus to their fierce rivals with another loss on the road, again in front of raucous home support.
It leaves Spurs needing just a point away at already relegated, and bottom of the table, Norwich City while Arsenal must beat Everton, who at the time of writing, are yet to secure their Premier League status for another season, and hope for a favour at Carrow Road.
But, if recent history is anything to go by, Arsenal may have hope. The Gunners have won their last 10 games on the final day, and 14 of the last 16 with zero defeats.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have not had it as straightforward. Over the same period, Spurs have won nine of 16, and suffered five defeats.
Spurs have been in this situation before, of course. Back at the end of the 2005/06 season, Spurs were at West Ham and only needed to match Arsenal’s result at Wigan to qualify for the Champions League for the final time. A dodgy lasagna and a Thierry Henry hat-trick later and it was the Gunners who bid farewell to Highbury buy leapfrogging their rivals into fourth.
Seven years later and it was roles reversed. Tottenham hosted Sunderland needing Arsenal to slip up at Newcastle. Despite a Gareth Bale rocket, Spurs were left in fifth place as Laurent Koscielny earned a narrow win at St James’ Park.
Three years on from that, in 2016, Leicester had won the title and, this time, both Spurs and Arsenal had already qualified for the Champions League but the former were looking to finish above the Gunners for the first time in 21 years. All they had to do was win a point at an already relegated team - sound familiar?
Spurs collapsed at Newcastle and lost 5-1 as Arsenal put four past Aston Villa to confirm St Totteringham’s Day once again - though it turned out to be the last of those on record as it stands.
As Arsenal hope history can repeat itself on Sunday, here are the final-day records for both teams...
Season |
Arsenal results |
Tottenham results |
1992/93 |
Arsenal 1-3 Tottenham |
Arsenal 1-3 Tottenham |
1993/94 |
Newcastle 2-0 Arsenal |
Tottenham 1-2 QPR |
1994/95 |
Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal |
Tottenham 1-1 Leeds |
1995/96 |
Arsenal 2-1 Bolton |
Newcastle 1-1 Tottenham |
1996/97 |
Derby 1-3 Arsenal |
Tottenham 1-2 Coventry |
1997/98 |
Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal |
Tottenham 1-1 Southampton |
1998/99 |
Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa |
Man United 2-1 Tottenham |
1999/00 |
Newcastle 4-2 Arsenal |
Sunderland 3-1 Tottenham |
2000/01 |
Southampton 3-0 Arsenal |
Tottenham 3-1 Man United |
2001/02 |
Arsenal 4-3 Everton |
Leicester 2-1 Tottenham |
2002/03 |
Sunderland 0-4 Arsenal |
Totteham 0-4 Blackburn |
2003/04 |
Arsenal 2-1 Leicester |
Wolves 0-2 Tottenham |
2004/05 |
Birmingham 2-1 Arsenal |
Tottenham 0-0 Blackburn |
2005/06 |
Arsenal 4-2 Wigan |
West Ham 2-1 Tottenham |
2006/07 |
Portsmouth 0-0 Arsenal |
Tottenham 2-1 Man City |
2007/08 |
Sunderland 0-1 Arsenal |
Tottenham 0-2 Liverpool |
2008/09 |
Arsenal 4-1 Stoke |
Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham |
2009/10 |
Arsenal 4-0 Fulham |
Burnley 4-2 Tottenham |
2010/11 |
Fulham 2-2 Arsenal |
Tottenham 2-1 Birmingham |
2011/12 |
West Brom 2-3 Arsenal |
Tottenham 2-0 Fulham |
2012/13 |
Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal |
Tottenham 1-0 Sunderland |
2013/14 |
Norwich 0-2 Arsenal |
Tottenham 3-0 Aston Villa |
2014/15 |
Arsenal 4-1 West Brom |
Everton 0-1 Tottenham |
2015/16 |
Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa |
Newcastle 5-1 Tottenham |
2016/17 |
Arsenal 3-1 Everton |
Hull 1-7 Tottenham |
2017/18 |
Huddersfield 0-1 Arsenal |
Tottenham 5-4 Leicester |
2018/19 |
Burnley 1-3 Arsenal |
Tottenham 2-2 Everton |
2019/20 |
Arsenal 3-2 Watford |
Crystal Palace 1-1 Tottenham |
2020/21 |
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton |
Leicester 2-4 Tottenham |
Follow all the action on the final day with Standard Sport.
