Dele Alli and Harry Kane slay the Gunners and St Totteringham
Tottenham will finish above Arsenal for the first time in 22 years after a dominant display in the north London derby
Spurs 2 Arsenal 0
Spurs emphasised the growing gulf in class between them and Arsenal with a dominant second-half performance that secured a 2-0 win and confirmed that they would finish above their local rivals in the league for the first time in 22 years.
After an underwhelming first 45 minutes Tottenham took the lead early in the second period after some intricate interplay in the box between Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen ended with Alli sweeping the ball home.
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If that was a hammer blow for the Gunners worse was to follow seconds later when Gabriel tripped Kane in the box and the England striker fired home a precision penalty to make it 2-0.
Arsenal tried to respond, but Tottenham weathered the storm and the Gunners soon seemed resigned to their fate. Indeed it was only the reactions of Petr Cech that kept the scoreline respectable, as the keeper pulled off a string of fine saves.
Not only does the result confirm that there will be no St Totterinhgham's Day in north London this year it also closes the gap to league-leaders Chelsea to four points, after the Blues beat Everton earlier on Sunday.
The match was the final north London derby at White Hart Lane before it is demolished and rebuilt and the Tottenham faithful enjoyed every second of it as the clock wound down.
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The only positive for Arsenal was that both Manchester City and Manchester United dropped points earlier in the day, and they are still in with a slim chance of making the top four, although on the evidence of this performance they are a long way from challenging the top teams in the Premier League.
94 mins: FINAL WHISTLESpurs have done it! A 2-0 win closes the gap to Chelsea to four points and Tottenham will finish above Arsenal for the first time in 22 years.
91 mins: Four minutes to goThere will be four minutes of added time as Alli is replaced by Sissoko.
90 mins: Arsenal limp towards the finsihThe wind appears to have finally gone out of the Arsenal players' sails. There is little urgencit in their attacks now and Spurs seem content to sit behind the ball.
When they do get the ball Kane heads for the corner flag to cheers from the fans.
88 mins: Walker onKyle Walker, whose omission for Spurs was something of a surprise, comes on for Kieran Trippier as the clock winds down.
86 mins: Walcott shootsArsenal finally string together some meaningful possession, but when Ramsey finds Walcott he shoots stright into the midriff of Hugo Lloris.
Meanwhile the party continues in the stands.
83 mins: Good news for ArsenalPerhaps the only positive for Arsenal in the last few minutes is that Hector Bellerin is no longer rocking his corn row haicut.
80 mins: Walcott onThe Arsenal flyer replaces Giroud, who has been anonymous all game. Too little too late surely?
78 mins: Dembele onThe midfielder comes on for striker Son. Pochettino obviously believes the game is won, but the move could pay off in an attacking sense as Arsenal are a man light in midfield and Dembele could cause havoc in the final ten minutes.
77 mins: Cech saveSpurs break again as another Arsenal move breaks down and there are only two at the back as Spurs pour forward. Wanyama finds Kane but Cech comes out to block his shot.
And the keeper produces a briliant stop to deny Alderweireld. He is keeping the Gunners in it at the moment.
76 mins: Another card!Yet another yellow card comes out as Monreal floors Kane. There is still a football match going on amid all the cards!
75 mins: Welbeck in troubleWelbeck and Alderweireld get a talking to as Welbeck goes in a little bit late on Lloris. The Spurs defender doesn't like it but the scuffle is soon averted.
Meanwhile Bellerin replaces Gabriel, who was in danger of seeing red as tempers fray.
73 mins: Giroud bookedThe Arsenal forward is next to be carded after a rather limp elbow on Tripper. It's getting a little fractious.
71 mins: Gabriel and Kane bookedThe Arsenal man sees yellow for a tackle on Alli. And then Kane is booked for jumping into the Arsenal defender.
67 mins: White Hart Lane is rockingThe old stadium is alive as Spurs look for a third and win a series of corners and Vertonghen forces a fine save from Cech with a brilliant strike from 25 yards.
The Gunners are lucky not to concede another penalty as Son's cross hits Sanchez on the arm. Arsenal are big, big trouble here and Spurs are all over them like Joshua on Klitschko in the 11th round at Wembley last night.
65 mins: Welbeck onWenger throws caution to the wind and brings on striker Welbeck for midfielder Xhaka.
61 mins: Arsenal respondThe Gunners are not done yet and they pour forward looking to get back into the game after a nightmare five minutes.
Giroud fires straight at Lloris and Spurs repell the next wave of attack. Looks like Tottenham have vanquished St Totteringham and will finish above the Gunners.
58 mins: GOAL! Spurs 2 Arsenal 0Kane scores with an inch perfect penalty! That was milimetres away from Cech's right hand post and he had no chance.
57 mins: PENALTY TO SPURS!
Kane burst into the box and wins a penalty from Gabriel seconds after the restart. It's all falling apart for Arsenal.
There was minimal contact with Gabriel but Michael Oliver was in no doubt and pointed straight to the spot.
56 mins: GOAL! Spurs 1 Arsenal 0Dele Alli atones for his first half mss with the opening goal! Kane controlled a long ball in the box, passed to Alli and he exchangesfeeds Eriksen. The Dane shoots from a tight angle, but it's blocked before Alli latches onto the rebound to slot the ball home from six yards. Intricate work in the box and a fine goal tpo put Tottenham in front.
55 mins: Where's Ozil?The Arsenal playmaker had 16 touches in the first half and has hardly imposed himself on the game in the second. Sanchez has not been much of an influence either.
51 mins: Kane shootsGabriel gives the ball away to Kane in midfield and the Spurs striker runs at the Gunners back four and gets a shot away, but it is straight at Cech.
49 mins: Spurs attackCech is forced to tip a shot from Wanyama over the bar, and Son is unmarked in the box from the resulting corner,. But he hits the side netting.
Chances at both ends early in the second half.
48 mins: Arsenal pressSanchez leads an Arsenal press early in the second half and it yields results as he, Giroud and Ozil win the ball back. But they can't find a way through.
46 mins: We're off againWe are back underway at White Hart Lane. No changes by either manager so far.
HALF TIME
Moussa Dembele, who was not deemed fit enough to start the match, is warming up and could be the man to help Spurs impose themselves on the match in the second half.
Spurs should be in front and will be determined tio break the deadlock in the second period.
48 mins: HALF TIME: Spurs 0 Arsenal 0The half ends with Arsenal repelling another Spurs corner.
It's been a hard fought opening 45 with Spurs squandering two clear cut chances to take the lead, first through Dele Alli and then Christian Eriksen.
Arsenal have had their moments though, with Kieran Gibbs and Aaron Ramsey the visitors' best players.
Neither manager will be overjoyed with what they have seen, and both will be hoping they can take control of midfield in the second half, where neither side has been dominant.
46 mins: Arsenal chanceWe'll have three minutes of added time at the end of the first half, and Sanchez almost gives Arsenal the lead as he wriggles free in the box but his shot is blocked.
Spurs react with pressure of their own and Vertonghen forces a low save from Cech as he tries his luck from the edge of the box.
It's an exciting end to a cagey first half.
44 mins: Sanchez shootsArsenal win another corner which ends up at the feet of Sanchez and his shot from the ledt hand side of the box has Lloris scrambling across his goal, but it flies wide.
38 mins: Lloris save!Against the run of play Ramsey almost puts the Gunners ahead with a shot from 20 yards that Lloris does well to push round the post.
Next up Gibbs bursts into the box but his shot is well over the bar. Signs of life from the Gunners all of a sudden.
34 mins: Vertonhen down.That foul by Xhaka appears to have taken its toll on bth players. There didn't seem to be much in it, but now Vertonghen needs treatment.
But both men are fit to continue.
31 mins: A lecture for XhakaThe Swiss midfielder who has had disiplinary problems this season gets a long talking to from the referee after another foul on Vertonghen.
But he may not be on the field for much longer after huring himself while tackling Vertonghen. It looks like he has hurt his hip or thigh and is off for treatment.
28 mins: Spurs on topThe home side are on top now as they break at speed when an Arsenal corner comes to nothing. They cannot fashion a clear-cut chance, but the swiftness of the counter attack had Arsenal rocking.
25 mins: And another one!An Arsenal attack breaks down and Son skins Oxlade Chamberlain down the left. His cross is deflected and falls invitingly for Eriksen abotut eight yards out. But he fires over! Another gilt-edged chance goes begging!
22 mins: What a miss by Alli!What a miss by Dele Alli! Harry Kane got goalside of the Arsenal defence and his deflected shot ballooned across the face of the goal. With Cech stranded Alli was there at the far post with the goal gaping but somehow headed wide from three yards under pressure from Oxlade Chamberlain.
That was a golden opportunity!
18 mins: Xhaka angryThere are some tackles flying about and Xhaka is angry at being penalised after coming together with Son. Can he keep his cool this afternoon?
A Spurs corner comes to nothing and Tripper fires a cross into the crowd.
15 mins: Cagey startNeither side has been able to impose themselves on the game so far, with plenty of passing around the midfield but few chances for either set of forwards.
Spurs have had most of the possession so far, but have yet to find a killer ball. Arsenal will probably be content with the way things are going so far.
11 mins: Penalty shoutArsenal attack and a ball into the box from Sanchez is almost collected by Gibbs, but Lloris is out quickly and gets a hand to the ball. Gibbs goes down under his challenge but there's no penalty.
5 mins: Spurs cornersSpurs are keen to test Arsenal's wing backs, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain in particular. They win a corner off Laurent Koscielny, which is headed behind by Gabriel for another. Toby Alderweireld gets his head to the second cross, but its just over. Early pressure from Spurs.
1 min: Kane shoots!Spurs are onto the front foot straight away, and Harry Kane finds space in the box and tests Petr Cech after just 30 seconds with a cross/shot.
Arsenal's new formation will get a good test this afternoon, Spurs are playing a back four with Eric Dier pushed into midfield.
1 min: We are underway in the last-ever north London derby at White Hart Lane in its current form.
16.27: The teams are out and we are minutes away from kick off at White Hart Lane. How will Spurs be affected by the news that Chelsea have won, and how will Arsenal react to draws for Man City and Man Utd, which gives them a sniff of the top four?
Spurs vs Arsenal LIVE: Team news
A 3-0 victory for Chelsea over Everton has increased the pressure on Spurs ahead of the north London derby against Arsenal. Anything other than victory for Tottenham against their local rivals will surely hand the Premier League title to the Blues, who are seven points clear at the top.
But the title isn't the only thing at stake at White Hart Lane, as victory would confirm that Tottenham will finish above the Gunners in the league for the first time since 1995.
For Arsenal victory is also vital as defeat would surely kill off their chances of finishing in the top four, but a win would leave them within striking distance of the two Manchester clubs in third and fourth place, after they both drew earlier today.
Kieran Trippier is preferred to Kyle Walker at the back by Mauricio Pochettino, while Jan Vertonghen makes his 200th appearance for the Lilywhites.
Arsene Wenger continues with three at the back for Arsenal and chooses a front three of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud.
Tottenham: Lloris, Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Dier, Wanyama, Eriksen, Alli, Son, Kane.Subs: Walker, Janssen, Vorm, Nkoudou, Sissoko, Dembele, Wimmer.
Arsenal: Cech, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Xhaka, Ramsey, Gibbs, Ozil, Sanchez, Giroud.Subs: Ospina, Walcott, Holding, Iwobi, Welbeck, Bellerin, Coquelin.
Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
Spurs vs Arsenal: North London power shift kills off St Totteringham
28 April
It's been a long time coming for Spurs fans, but victory over Arsenal in the north London derby on Sunday would lay to rest a 22-year hoodoo in the most satisfying way possible.
Not since 1995 have Tottenham finished above their local rivals in the league. But they will establish superiority for the first time in a generation with three points at White Hart Lane. Victory would propel Mauricio Pochettino's team up to 77 points, with Arsenal languishing several places behind them on 60 points with only 15 left to play for.
It would be a significant milestone, particularly after the horror of last season, when defeat on the final day of the season allowed Arsenal to finish above them yet again.
"Since 1995, Spurs have finished above every single team to play in the Premier League – apart from Arsenal," says Ben Cleminson of City AM, but this year will be different. "The balance of power has certainly shifted in north London, and coming into Sunday’s derby at White Hart Lane, Spurs finally have the chance to end 22 years of hurt."
But the fact Spurs are in a position to look down on the Gunners is partly because their focus is now on bigger prizes, writes Alex Dunn of Bleacher Report.
The cancellation of St Totteringham's Day – the date on which Arsenal are confirmed to finish above Spurs in the league – "is neither a distraction nor motivation" for Spurs under Pochettino.
"Spurs need to win Sunday's derby to give themselves a fighting chance of catching [league-leaders] Chelsea. Anything else is secondary," says Dunn. "While it's true they would benefit from ridding themselves of a monkey that has been on their back for over two decades, it's no longer the great ape it once was. Arsenal today are more like those friendly chimps that used to brew up in the PG Tips ads."
Spurs are nowadays demonstrably better than Arsenal, says Harry Sherlock of Goal.com. They have the best defence in the league, a goal difference of 47 and are challenging for the title. Arsenal are sixth in the table and have scored fewer goals and conceded more.
"Spurs are no longer consumed by merely finishing above Arsenal," says Sherlock. "This is a checkbox to be ticked. Spurs are fighting for the Premier League title and, while Arsenal may still win the FA Cup, it feels as though there is something bigger at play at White Hart Lane."
Arsenal fans will not agree, and neither does their manager, which means at least there is one thing the warring factions at the Emirates can agree on.
Arsene Wenger appears to be untroubled by the prospect of finishing below Spurs for the first time in his 21-year reign at Arsenal ahead of a derby that his team cannot afford to lose if they are to qualify for the Champions League.
"This will be Wenger's 50th north London derby. Of the previous 49, the Frenchman has won 22 and lost only seven, and does not see one season below Tottenham as a sign that things are changing," says The Guardian.
The Frenchman summed up his view, commenting: "You cannot say that the weight of one year has the weight of 20."