It’s now Arsenal vs Tottenham for ten more games

Is it exciting? Is it nerve-wracking? Is it a bit of both for Arsenal?

Not kicking off until Monday means that Mikel Arteta‘s side will find themselves back in a position where they’re playing catch-up on the sides chasing Champions League football, with the dangerous ‘games in hand gap’ not going closing.

Parity in matches played is what we want. Having points on the board is always preferable as it is the only absolute certainty.

The battle for top four has been between Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United for a while now. West Ham and Wolves both slowly drifted away, leaving it as a three horse race for that elusive final spot.

It’s now Arsenal vs Tottenham for ten more games as Manchester United drop more points in hunt for Premier League top four

Chelsea’s hilarious collapse has opened an inviting door to try and sneak into third, although that mustn’t be delved into too deeply when Arsenal still have to manage their own fate. But matters at Old Trafford may have narrowed the pursuit.

A Cristiano Ronaldo-less Manchester United could only scrape a 1-1 draw at home to Leicester on Saturday, a scoreline they should be grateful to have with VAR bizarrely denying the visitors a winning goal for a ghost foul on Raphael Varane.

The result leaves the Red Devils three points behind of the trip to Selhurst Park, with Arsenal boasting a full two games in hand. Naturally, of course, this is now being perceived a a nine-point gap, which is dangerous to consider, although it’s the state of this United team that is a more important factor.

They are awful. Plain and simple.

Dejected and disjointed, their season appears to be over even if mathematically they remain in the hunt, especially if Arsenal go on to lose both their games in hand. The club is a mess and from a holistic point of view it’s hard to see them offer much competition to the north London sides.

Tottenham vs Arsenal has yet to be officially rearranged, but it is effectively on every week now. Two of England’s fiercest rivals will battle head-to-head in every game, and Arsenal’s remit is clear: match their results and the top four is theirs.

An ever improving side under Antonio Conte, the additions of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur proved to be smart pickups, while Harry Kane’s form is at its frustrating best and the weekly tactical blunders of the sides they face are handing them goals on a plate. They are the key threat.

St. Totteringham’s Day is almost secondary. While it’s always something to savour wildly, nothing will taste sweeter than elite European football to attract the best names and continue the evolution of this club, while Spurs feed of Europa League scraps and Europa League talent.

The rivalry between these two Premier League sides has rarely felt this significant.