Gunners mauling of Spurs could prove significant:
Losing to your bitter local rivals is always a galling experience – it’s even more so when they cost you a shot at the title.
Going into this weekend, the talk was all about how a vibrant Spurs side would dispatch a beleaguered Arsenal outfit and the latest odds reflected this.
The papers reported how the balance of power had shifted to the white half of north London while Gunners fans had been openly questioning whether manager Arsene Wenger was the right man for the job. The consensus was that Spurs are now stronger than Arsenal – a fact borne out by their respective positions in the Premier League table.
Since Fabio Capello resigned from the England role, Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has been elevated to an almost superhuman status. But the live scores results which have followed have been anything but.
Spurs were made to look ordinary by a hard-working Stevenage side in the FA Cup before Sunday’s embarrassment at the Emirates. Only their 5-0 demolition of Newcastle in the days immediately after Capello leaving showed any sign of Spurs being a title contending side.
Both sides needed the points for different reasons in north London. Spurs had embarked on their first meaningful title tilt in years while Arsenal were no longer guaranteed to finish in the top four. Manchester City and Spurs have usurped their right to play in the Champions League and, along with Andre Villas-Boas at Chelsea, Wenger was feeling the heat from the fans. After all, the Gunners’ 15-year run in the Champions League was looking threatened. It still is.
At 2-0 down, the Arsenal anger only intensified, with Theo Walcott bearing the brunt of the fans’ opprobrium. But then Spurs uncharacteristically collapsed and five goals in 28 minutes turned the tie on its head. Walcott got a brace, Wenger got his win and Spurs were unceremoniously dumped out of the race for the title.
Ten points is now the difference between Tottenham and top, and with only 12 games to go, you feel this is an insurmountable lead. Meanwhile, Arsenal sit in fourth, the position they want to be in come mid-May, buoyed from the confidence of their derby success.
Only the future will tell how significant this result will be, but suffice to say the power may have shifted in north London once again.
· Bodog