The North London derby is the name of the association football local derby between two north London based teams – Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Both Arsenal and Tottenham fans have recognised each other as one of their biggest rivals and the derby is one of the fiercest in English football. Although the two teams first played each other in 1887, the rivalry did not begin until 1913 when Arsenal moved their ground to north London. As of November 2017, 181 games have been played between the two teams since their first game in the Football League in 1909, with 76 wins for Arsenal, 56 wins for Tottenham and 49 games drawn. When games played before Football League are included, 194 games have been played, with Arsenal winning 81, Tottenham 62, and 51 draws.
Notable matches of the North London derby include the games where Arsenal won the league at White Hart Lane in 1971 and 2004,[4] Tottenham beating Arsenal 5–0 at home in 1983 and Arsenal winning by the same score away in 1978, and Tottenham beating Arsenal 3–1 at the semifinal of the 1990–91 FA Cup which they went on to win.[5] The highest-scoring game in the North London derby is the 5–4 win by Arsenal at White Hart Lane in November 2004.[6] Emmanuel Adebayor who played for both Tottenham and Arsenal is the top scorer of the North London derby with 10 goals scored (8 in the Premier League).