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The North London Derby is nothing to be taken lightly. Beating down the Spuds is a tradition unlike any other. With 19 more career wins than losses, Arsenal is clearly the big brother of North London while Tottenham continue to struggle with establishing relevance. Arsene Wenger has never taken this rivalry for granted and he is doing all he can to build on it now.
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“Once a player is at Spurs you don’t even consider him any more” Arsene Wenger said, as quoted by the Telegraph. The statement was in response to a question over whether or not Arsene Wenger would ever consider making a bid for Harry Kane. Seems like Wenger’s mind is made up.
I hope I am not the only one who drew tremendous enjoyment out of Arsene Wenger’s comments. Le Prof is usually a straight shooter and answers similar questions with a generic “we want to buy players that improve the squad”. But to see the boss engaging in a little subdued banter prior to the North London Derby reminds us that he is human and he has the capability of joking around a bit. If you recall, this is not the first time he has casually trolled Tottenham. Have a memory:
Oh, the sound of the subtle giggle of a 65 year old gaffer. Nothing is more humorous. Little things like this actually add to the rivalry and make it that much more fun when the Spuds get turned into mashed potatoes (that joke had to happen).
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Naturally, this transfer embargo has not always applied though. Sol Campbell came over in a free transfer back in 2001. This move made the rivalry even more salty from a Spud perspective. Tottenham were powerless to stop him and he went on to become an Invincible.
And then of course, there is the infamous Jack Wilshere spat. After winning the FA Cup yet again, young Mr. Wilshere found it lucrative to compare the Spuds to fecal matter. Nothing like comparing apples with apples. Wilshere was later fined by the FA for his comments and warned that should he do this again, they would be very angry. They may even write him a letter telling him how angry they are.
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The point is that you know it is okay to make fun of a team when Arsene Wenger is doing it. He is like the enviable cool kid at school. Nothing is funny until he makes it funny. Well, Arsene Wenger continues to make Arsenal’s dominance over the Spuds much more enjoyable.