Arsenal set for earliest St Totteringham’s Day over struggling Tottenham
Arsenal could secure local supremacy over Tottenham Hotspur earlier than ever this Sunday with the confirmation of St Totteringham’s Day looming large.
The term is used by Gunners supporters to mark the date when it becomes mathematically impossible for their north London rivals to finish above them in the Premier League table.
That moment appears destined to arrive in record-breaking time this season.
Should relegation-threatened Tottenham fail to beat Fulham on Sunday (14:00 GMT), Mikel Arteta’s side will officially have the bragging rights once again.
Even if the Lilywhites secure a victory, the league leaders can guarantee the milestone with a win against Chelsea later that afternoon (16:30 GMT).
A historic gulf in class
The potential confirmation highlights the massive disparity currently separating the two capital clubs.
While Arsenal sit at the summit of the Premier League, their neighbours are fighting for their top-flight status.
Spurs are currently navigating a turbulent period under interim boss Igor Tudor, who replaced Thomas Frank earlier this month.
With 10 matches remaining for the Gunners and 11 for Tottenham, the gap stands at a staggering 32 points.
Only in five previous campaigns has the deficit been wider by the season’s conclusion.
Rewriting the record books
Supporters of the league leaders are already buoyed by an emphatic north London derby victory last week.
They will now look to eclipse the previous earliest St Totteringham’s Day, which occurred on 9 March 2008.
The phrase itself, a play on ‘Tottenham’ and ‘tottering’, gained national prominence around 2010 after originating on fan websites in the early 2000s.
It marks a stark turnaround from recent history.
Tottenham finished above Arsenal for six successive seasons until the trend was finally snapped in 2022.
Projecting a record finish
Since that shift in power, the trajectory of the two clubs has diverged significantly.
Spurs have parted ways with three permanent managers in that time, while Arteta has moulded his squad into perennial title contenders over his six-year tenure.
Current points-per-game projections suggest Arsenal will finish on 83 points, compared to just 41 for their rivals.
This would result in a 42-point gap, the second-biggest in Premier League history between the sides.
The current record remains the 45-point margin set during Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ title-winning season of 2003-04.