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Football London
Football London
Sport
Lee Wilmot

Five reasons why Arsenal vs Tottenham is bigger than Manchester United vs Liverpool

It's Manchester United versus Liverpool at Old Trafford this weekend - a match-up between England's two most successful teams.

It is a fixture that is always heralded as one of the biggest games in the football calendar.

And there is a little more on it this weekend as Liverpool can equal the record for the most consecutive wins if they pick up all three points against their big rivals.

They are rivals in terms of success, but it it a derby match?

The contest is often over-hyped and labelled the biggest rivalry in English football. I'm not having it.

North London is where the proper derby is at, here's why...

It's an actual local derby

There are just five miles between Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It is a proper local derby, and that's what all football fans immediately think of when they talk about rivalries isn't it? The lot down the road?

Arsenal and Tottenham's rivalry is founded on geography - noisy neighbours and all that. Manchester United vs Liverpool, that's based mainly on the 'my dad's better than your dad' argument isn't it?

This was a rivalry that really became big because of the success of both sides. Who's won more trophies, who's the best team out there. Pish, leave off, I want my football rivalry to be local. Call me a traditionalist.

Pochettino on his future at Spurs

It's more exciting - just look at recent results

There have been three 0-0 draws between Manchester United and Liverpool in the last six Premier League meetings between the sides.

Finding three 0-0 draws between the two north London rivals would take you back to 1997.

There have been a total of 49 goals in the Manchester United vs Liverpool games in the last ten seasons - so across 20 games. In the same timeframe the north London derby has provided 79 goals, with both teams scoring in all but five of those games.

Definitely the more entertaining derby then.

It still means something

It may not mean something at the very top of the table, but it certainly means something to all Arsenal and Spurs fans.

The two teams have been pretty close in ability and finishing position in the Premier League table in the last five years, meaning there is always something riding on the matches between the two teams.

Manchester United have not won the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson left, nor looked likely to and in the last two season particularly Liverpool have been far and away the  better of the two sides, with United nowhere near. Does anything actually ride on these games, or are City becoming Liverpool's new Manchester rivals?

It has proper history

We've spoken about Arsenal vs Spurs being a proper local derby, but it wasn't always so.

And the fact that it became a local derby just added to the animosity between the fans, stoking up the rivalry.

Arsenal were originally based in south London and called Woolwich Arsenal in the early 1900s. But they moved into Tottenham's patch in 1913 - a move that did not go down well with the Lilywhites.

And the hatred got stronger when Arsenal were handed a place in the old First Division in 1919, via a vote, having finished sixth in Division Two, at the expense of Spurs who were relegated, rather than keeping their place in the top flight.

The fight and passion

When Arsenal came from behind to beat Tottenham last season, there were some scenes on the pitch you would not ordinarily see in another game, and celebrations off the pitch that are not regular occurrences.

As Tottenham took the lead at the Emirates, one-season wonder (perhaps not the best terminology) Stephan Lichtsteiner sparked a confrontation between players by trying to stop the Spurs fans from scoring.

And after Arsenal completed the win, Matteo Guendouzi was videoed celebrating with fans out of the window of his car.

Any player, wherever they are from, gets told what it means to be part of this derby.

Gunners legend Ian Wright once said: "I remember when I signed for Arsenal, I stayed up talking to David Rocastle until four or five in the morning talking about the derby and what it means to the fans. As soon as any players joined the first thing you teach them is how big the game is. This is Tottenham, these are our main rivals."

Do you really get that with Man United and Liverpool?

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