Arsenal must beat Tottenham in Thursday’s north London derby

Arsenal have really done something quite impressive and special this season. Regardless of where they finish in the Premier League table, the team has got back to Europe in some manner, and even has the chance to finish in the top four for the first time since 2015/16.

That means high-level European football next year, greater financial resources and abilities, as well as a greater roster size to accommodate another serious competition. After defeating Leeds over the weekend, alongside the draw that Tottenham earned against Liverpool, it is all closer for Arsenal than it has been for over five years.

These are, to be sure, all huge innovations for Arsenal, and a victory against Tottenham on Thursday can seal the entire thing in as glorious a manner as might be imagined.

Beat Spurs at their place and the Gunners will have clinched a return to the Champions League, a double over their biggest rivals, and will have earned it all quite gloriously. It will not have been easy, and two separate, distinct losing streaks to start the season in August and later in April might have seen things go sour and stay sour. But this team did never surrender, did not stop fighting, and now, they sit upon the precipice of securing a return to the toughest European club competition.

Tottenham vs Arsenal: Gunners are here to win and can make a real statement with a Champions League sealing victory

Beating Spurs, however, will be no easy matter. Tottenham may have slipped up numerous times in the last month or two, but they always seem to come to play most viciously against the tougher teams in the Premier League, and Arsenal is certainly that today.

Tottenham took six points off Manchester City this season, and earned two draws against Liverpool – both of which are still seemingly unimaginable for Arsenal at this stage of their development. They are not to be taken lightly, and will be a difficult team to overcome.

Yet Arsenal can overcome them. They beat them earlier in the season 3-1 when Nuno Espirito Santo was still bossing the club, and although they are better under the legendary Antonio Conte, Arsenal remains a stronger team. While pundits will point to the names on the backs of the shirts that Spurs wear in awe, they forget that teams win matches, and while the names on the backs of the Arsenal players are not yet as famous or highly regarded as some on Spurs, that hardly matters at all.

Now, there are of course other ways for Arsenal to capture fourth place than to beat Spurs. They could draw with Spurs and beat Newcastle on Monday night – with a point on Thursday they could even draw with Newcastle and beat Everton on the final day of the season – yet the most direct route to the prize at this point is also the most attractive.

Leaving it for the final two matches of the season is an exercise in the tempting of fates, as injury or any number of things could occur to change the outcome for Arsenal.

They must simply beat Tottenham on their home pitch, declaring definitively in the process that north London is, in fact, red, and leave the final two matches to decide the order of the top four. Spurs play Burnley and Norwich to follow after, games they will be expected to take the spoils from. Furthermore, Chelsea could still trip up against Leicester City when they face them after Liverpool in the FA Cup final, and should the Gunners wish to, they might steal third from that club.

Is third even important, though?

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