With Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal both level on points and in hunt for the Premier League title, arguments in the Transfer Tavern debating which north London club is the biggest have been rife.
Spurs currently have the edge in the title race, via goal difference, and we’re set for a massive clash in a few weeks time between the two rivals- as they face off at White Hart Lane in a Premier League fixture that could be decisive in the title push.
However, our landlord disagrees with the Spurs fans who now claim their the best in north London as he feels he’s heard it all before- with Tottenham leading the Gunners in numerous times in recent years, only to fall away in the last few months of the season.
Usually it’s a top-four finish on the line and despite the bigger goal of a Premier League title on the cards, our landlord still feels the situation will be exactly the same this season.
Hit the image below to see FIVE reasons Arsenal will always be better than Spurs!
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History
Whilst Arsenal managed to go nine years without a trophy, the Gunners have still won more in the past two years than Spurs have managed in the past decade. Looking at the successes this millennia, and throughout history, Tottenham have a long way to go before they can claim to be better.
It would take a massive power shift to see Tottenham become the better side and it’s not something that can happen over one season, even if Spurs were to win their first league title in half a century this year.
On the face of it, the fact they’ve gone 55 years without winning a league title says it all and it makes Arsenal’s 12-year wait look like nothing.
Star players
Tottenham may boast the likes of Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen but Arsenal’s star players are of a different calibre and can be regarded as amongst the best in world football. They’ve seen and done it all, whereas Spurs’ stars are yet to prove themselves.
Even the big-name internationals in Tottenham’s squad like Hugo Lloris have not proved themselves on the European stage and have no major honours to their name in English football. Arsenal’s squad, meanwhile, boasts two World Cup winners in Mesut Ozil and Per Mertesacker.
Add Alexis Sanchez, who’s enjoyed success with Barcelona in the past, and Petr Cech, who’s got his hands on everything with Chelsea, and it’s clear Tottenham’s contingent is lacking significantly.
European pedigree
As mentioned above, Tottenham’s players haven’t yet proved themselves on the European stage. Whilst Arsenal are yet to crack the hard nut of the Champions League, they have managed to reach the knock-out stages of the competition in every year since the format was altered over a decade ago.
Whilst Arsenal are regular names in the latter stages of the competition, Tottenham have appeared in European’s elite competition just once. In order to be regarded as better than Arsenal, Spurs need to consistently better the Gunners’ results in Europe.
Stadium
Arsenal’s home is the Emirates Stadium, the second biggest club stadium in English football, and until West Ham move to the Olympic Stadium next summer, it will remain as the newest build for a top-flight club. Marking ten years this year, the Emirates is amongst the best grounds in Europe.
White Hart Lane, on the other hand, isn’t. Tottenham are continuing with their plans to build a new home in the coming years but that’s still a few seasons away. Spurs will also face difficult times whilst it’s being built financially, which leads us onto our next point.
Financial comfort
Arsene Wenger demands great appreciation for the work he did in the years after Arsenal moved from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium, as the Gunners quickly wrote off their debt whilst also remaining competitive in the process.
That’s no easy feat and Tottenham, who lack the same allure as Arsenal, may find it difficult to balance the books after they move. Arsenal had to sell star players and Spurs will likely have to do the same- and they’ll find it more difficult to attract bigger names to replace them.
In the modern game, finance is the most important aspect in football and Arsenal are in a far more comfortable position.
