Arsenal prepare to meet their North London rivals Spurs on Sunday amid a turgid time for the club and manager Mikel Arteta. Having won only two of their last five games, the club sit seven points behind Tottenham Hotspur following a disappointing 1-1 draw with Burnley, which featured VAR controversy and a costly error from Granit Xhaka. To pile yet more misery on a difficult season at the Emirates, this week the club released its financial results for last year. Arsenal lost £48m, due largely to the coronavirus pandemic.
Premier League clubs have suffered financially amid the fallout from Covid-19. While the eight clubs that have released their financial performance for the 2019/20 season lost a total of £623.33 million, these figures represent a particular problem for Arsenal. Although the club’s business will likely recover as the world economy bounces back from the pandemic, their once-assured status as the dominant club in North London seems to be slipping away.
The loss comes despite Arsenal saving £19m through cutting costs on player wages and, briefly, the redundancy of club mascot Gunnersaurus. They also raised £60m through player sales.
Meanwhile, Tottenham surpassed the Gunners in funds raised by match broadcasts, ticket sales and commercial endeavours for the first time. Champions League football in consecutive seasons and a glittering new stadium – packed pre-pandemic – will not have completely removed the financial sting of Covid-19 for Tottenham, but these things have propelled the club’s inexorable rise while Arsenal have struggled on and off the pitch.
Heading into this weekend’s derby, there is a tangible shift in the North London power struggle. Jose Mourinho’s team are enjoying something of a resurgence, having won their last three matches with Harry Kane and Gareth Bale on form.
Though Tottenham have lacked consistency this season, Bale has proved himself to be a crucial asset. After a slow start following his loan move from Real Madrid, the Welshman has four goals and two assists in his last four matches. The ever-dangerous Kane remains the all-time leading goalscorer in the North London derby with 11 goals.
Tottenham sat top of the table at the start of December before their title bid, perhaps too predictably, crumbled. Now they sit seventh in the Premier League and are battling West Ham, Everton and Liverpool for a top-four place to seal Champions League football next season. Arsenal, meanwhile, are languishing in 10th and seem unlikely to make a serious bid for a European football place.
A lack of consistency has not only plagued Mourinho’s men. Arteta’s side have also struggled to hit form since he took over as manager in December 2019. On Sunday, he will be looking to avoid becoming the first Arsenal manager to lose his first three North London derbies, whereas Mourinho could become the first Tottenham manager to win his. A loss also means that Arsenal would be winless in six against Tottenham for the first time, having drawn two and lost three of the previous five. The Liliywhites have never beaten Arsenal three times in a row and are looking to beat them twice in a league season for the first time since 1992/93.
It is fair to say that both clubs have performed below their fans’ expectations this season, but Tottenham have the momentum heading into this weekend. A victory for Arteta’s men would be a massive boost for their campaign, making the ever-anticipated derby one of the biggest matches of their season.
A win to claim North London bragging rights is always a coveted prize, but the power dynamic between two of football’s greatest rivals seems to be taking a decisive turn in Tottenham’s favour. They have finished above Arsenal for four consecutive seasons and will do so again unless the Gunners can find some consistency and pull off a win on Sunday.
