The North London derby has come to be recognised as one of the fiercest and most entertaining fixtures in the English football calendar.
While Tottenham Hotspur are rarely vying for the most lucrative honours with their bitter rivals, the two teams almost always combine to majestic effect on derby day. They’ve been going at it since 1887, although it was Arsenal’s move to Woolwich in 1913 which sparked the perpetual resentment from N17.
The Gunners have been the more successful of the two teams since their move north, but Tottenham were the most recent claimers of silverware, ending their 17-year wait for a trophy in May 2025. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are trending towards major honours, and they’ve dominated the recent tussle for north London supremacy, but the Gunners will continue to be known as the Premier League’s bridesmaids until they make the final leap.
Here’s how the previous ten north London derbies have played out.
Arsenal 2–1 Tottenham (15 January, 2025)
Okay, this probably ranks among the more forgettable derbies of recent memory. It was a midweek outing in January, with a depleted Tottenham rocking up at the Emirates on the cusp of beginning their Premier League tank.
The Gunners, meanwhile, were trailing Liverpool in the title race and moved to within four points of the league leaders courtesy of this 2–1 victory.
Son Heung-min opened the scoring for the unfancied visitors, but scoring first in this fixture seldom means too much, and Arsenal turned things around before half-time. "Set-piece again, ole, ole..." belted around the Emirates after Gabriel forced a Dominic Solanke own-goal, then Leandro Trossard fired a shot through Antonín Kinsky to hand the hosts the lead.
Not all that much happened after the restart, with Arsenal holding onto their lead with relative ease on what felt like a breakout game for Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Tottenham 0–1 Arsenal (September 15, 2024)
This may have turned out differently for Spurs had Solanke been more decisive with a golden opportunity off the back of a turnover early on.
Arsenal were without creative talisman Martin Ødegaard, and Arteta leaned on the physicality of his team to outgun their local rivals. This was a bitty game bereft of chances, especially after Gabriel Martinelli burst through and squandered a big moment in the opening period, but the Gunners’ ’Big Gab’ came to the fore once more.
The Brazilian’s emphatic header just after the hour mark felt like the winning moment as soon as he turned to the jubilant travelling fans. Gabriel then played a crucial role in seeing out Arsenal’s third-straight victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tottenham 2–3 Arsenal (April 28, 2024)
Spurs had the chance to scupper Arsenal’s title charge towards the backend of 2023–24, but the Gunners showed no signs of angst on hostile territory, as they raced into a 3–0 lead by half-time.
A brilliant Bukayo Saka goal was sandwiched between a pair of trademark set-piece strikes, and it looked like Arteta’s men would coast in N17 to fuel their title bid.
However, Postecoglou’s Lilywhites rallied late. Inspired by a David Raya blunder and Cristian Romero’s perseverance, Spurs found a route back into the contest. Son’s penalty made things really tense at the death, but the visitors held on for a victory that ultimately didn’t lead them to glory.
Arsenal 2–2 Tottenham (September 24, 2023)
Postecoglou’s Spurs were the rage when they travelled down Seven Sisters Road for the first North London Derby of the Australian’s tenure.
They entered the fixture off the back of a five-game winning run at the start of the season, but could’ve quite easily fallen 2–0 behind in N5. Ange’s all-or-nothing ideals were on full display here, for better and worse. The visitors were occasionally picked off on the edge of their box, and Gabriel Jesus missed a gilt-edge chance to double the home side’s lead in the first half.
However, James Maddison and Son combined to deadly effect, with the latter notching a brace in what was a back-and-forth contest for the first hour before a tame finale ensued.
Tottenham 0–2 Arsenal (January 15, 2023)
This was the Aaron Ramsdale Derby.
Arsenal were rolling at the summit, carrying a swagger into an N17 as they faced up against an Antonio Conte-led Lilywhites that were drifting towards apathy. Injuries didn’t help the home side’s cause, and they were distinctly second best for 45 minutes, falling two goals behind.
However, the hosts did rally after the restart and may well have found a way back into the game if it wasn’t for Ramsdale between the Gunners’ posts. The Englishman produced a stellar performance to ensure Arsenal’s margin of victory was comfortable, and the post-match shenanigans were sparked by a Spurs supporter jumping the barriers to kick Ramsdale.
It would prove to be his last appearance in the fixture for the Gunners.
Arsenal 3–1 Tottenham (October 1, 2022)
It was Tottenham who were expected to compete for the Premier League title in 2022–23, not Arsenal.
In hindsight, Spurs’ summer transfer window left them horrifically ill-equipped, but their business at the time was regarded as game-changing. The Gunners, meanwhile, went under the radar, but quickly sailed beyond their north London rivals.
While Conte’s visitors were stodgy, dull and hindered by a man disadvantage in the second half, Arteta’s Gunners performed with verve, intent and clarity.
It felt like the beginning of a prosperous dawn, with star signing Gabriel Jesus continuing his excellent start to the season with a tap-in before a resurgent Granit Xhaka made sure of Arsenal’s victory with an emphatic strike after Emerson Royal was sent off.
Tottenham 3–0 Arsenal (May 12, 2022)
The high expectations for Tottenham in 2022–23 primarily emerged because of this result. The Spurs faithful made life hell for their fiercest rivals in a midweek affair that was regarded as a shootout for the final Champions League spot.
The Lilywhites rallied under Conte during the second half of the season, while Arsenal were battered and bruised after this 3–0 defeat. Nothing went right for the away team, with Cédric Soares giving away an early penalty before Rob Holding was sent off.
After Harry Kane scored twice, Son added a third just after the restart on what remains one of the most memorable nights at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Arsenal 3–1 Tottenham (September 26, 2021)
It didn’t take long for the tide to turn against Nuno Espírito Santo, and the first half of this early-season North London Derby in 2021 set the wheels in motion for his hasty departure.
Arsenal had endured a wretched start to the season, and Arteta may well have been out of the job had the Gunners failed to beat Norwich City at the Emirates just two weeks prior. Here, though, they capitalised on a pitiful Tottenham team and put on a show in front of a buoyant crowd.
They were led by emerging young guns Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, who tore the visitors apart in transition and wreaked enough had inside the opening 35 minutes to ensure that Lucas Moura’s tidy finish was merely a consolation.
Arsenal 2–1 Tottenham (March 14, 2021)
We enjoyed the full Erik Lamela experience in this North London derby.
Before seeing red in the second half, Tottenham's Argentinian playmaker opened the scoring with an outrageous ’rabona’ finish that caught Bernd Leno completely off guard.
This felt like the time for Spurs to enjoy their first Premier League success at the Emirates since 2010, but they instead produced an abject showing that had José Mourinho’s ageing fingers all over it.
They’d struggled before Lamela’s stunning opener, and failed to assert a semblance of authority in the aftermath. An Arsenal team that’d eventually finish eighth were inspired by Ødegaard before he was an established Premier League star, and an Alexandre Lacazette penalty just after the hour mark to deservedly overturn their deficit.
Tottenham 2–0 Arsenal (December 6, 2020)
Sometimes, you’re just undone by moments of brilliance from otherworldly players. As we’ve learned, Son Heung-min and Harry Kane were so often the stars who delivered for Spurs in this fixture, and there’s no better example than the roles they played in a 2–0 win towards the end of 2020.
Covid regulations meant only a few Tottenham fans were in attendance for one of the great North London derby goals, with Son curling an effort beyond Leno from 30 yards to break the game open. Mourinho’s Lilywhites were comfortable sitting on a lead, and the killer blow was landed by the Son and Kane combination on the stroke of half-time.
The club’s all-time record goalscorer finished ruthlessly at Leno’s near post to tame Arsenal’s chances of a second-half resurgence.
Arsenal vs. Tottenham: Last 10 Results
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal vs. Tottenham: Last 10 North London Derby Results.
