3 best North London Derby matches of the Mikel Arteta era

Arsenal travel to rivals Tottenham on Sunday for perhaps their most important encounter in years. Mikel Arteta will be hoping for a similar result to some of the past derbies he has managed.

Since he was appointed Gunners boss, Mikel Arteta has managed his side in eight North London derbies. Having lost the first two he oversaw, the Spaniard has since been victorious four times and only lost once more.

There are three matches that stand out as the best derby encounters during the Mikel Arteta era and here they are in no particular order.

1. Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham (September 2021)

Mikel Arteta secured his second managerial win over Tottenham with a 3-1 victory at Emirates Stadium in September 2021.

The Gunners raced into a three-goal lead inside the opening 35 minutes and held off late Spurs pressure to seal the three points. Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka grabbed their first NLD goals as part of the win.

Having lost their first three opening matches, the win against Spurs was a third on the bounce for Mikel Arteta and began to restore the fans' faith in him. There is no doubt this derby victory was a crucial stepping stone in his journey as Arsenal manager.

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