Why Spurs can finish above Arsenal for the first time in the Wenger era if they win today

Arsenal's Per Mertesacker tackles Tottenham’s Harry Kane during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at the White Hart Lane stadium in London, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Spurs can finish above Arsenal for the first time in the Arsene Wenger era if they win today

St Totteringham’s Day has plagued Tottenham for two decades now, but today Spurs can ensure Arsenal fans do not get their annual celebration.

Arsene Wenger refuses to acknowledge any suggestion of a power shift in north London, and given he has three Premier League titles and six FA Cups in a period in which Spurs have a grand total of zero, he’s probably right.

But defeat in Sunday’s north London derby would mean Wenger ends a season below Spurs for the first time ever, and you can’t say that Mauricio Pochettino’s side don’t deserve it.

Here are six ways in which they have outshone their rivals this season.

Being proactive in their defending

Much has been made of the high press that forms the basis for Pochettino’s philosophy and how effective it is, particularly against teams that refuse to play direct.

The aggression with which Spurs play was their downfall when last season fell apart in the Battle of the Bridge, but it has made them a much more formidable opponent than in previous years.

They defend from the front, aiming to win possession high up the pitch, something that has resulted in them committing nearly 70 more fouls than Arsenal, who rank bottom of the league in this statistic. Fouls, of course, are far from inherently positive, but they do suggest a willingness to fight that Arsenal rarely exhibit.

Wenger doesn’t get nearly enough credit for maintaining Arsenal’s position in England’s top four throughout the years after the financially debilitating move to the Emirates, but his side should not have been caught by their significantly poorer (well, less rich) rivals across north London.

Pochettino has done a wonderful job with a wage budget a fraction of the size of Arsenal’s, and shouldn’t really have Spurs battling for the title while Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester sides United and City struggle to make the top four.

Wenger can’t be solely blamed for Mesut Ozil’s malaise, but the German has had a markedly poorer season than the likes of Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli.

Spurs fans sing that Alli “is better than Ozil”, a claim that seemed utterly ludicrous not long ago. Now, it is actually close to the truth. Wenger hasn’t got enough from his players, and not least his most expensive ever signing.

Protecting leads

Tottenham have gone ahead at some stage in 24 Premier League matches so far this season; they won 22 of those matches, failing to hold on to the lead at Chelsea and against Leicester, during an autumnal dip in form when Harry Kane was out injured. That equates to five points dropped from winning positions for Spurs - the fewest in the entire Premier League.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have lost more than twice as many points after having gone ahead. In games against Liverpool, Everton, Manchester City and, you guessed it, Spurs, they scored first but succumbed, throwing away a total of 11 points.

Spurs have developed a steeliness under Pochettino that doesn’t fit with their ‘Spursy’ stereotype, while the meekness with which Arsenal have crumbled has provided a worrying trend this season.

Making home a fortress

Away from home, both Arsenal and Spurs have struggled against the big teams: neither has won a single match at any side in the top eight all season.

At home, meanwhile, Arsenal’s only truly noteworthy win was a 3-0 victory over Chelsea back in September. Spurs, meanwhile have ended Chelsea’s 13-match winning streak, seen off Manchester City and have the best home record in the league. They won’t be looking forward to playing next season at Wembley.

Keeping it simple

Arsenal have often been derided for ‘trying to walk the ball in’ to the net under Wenger, and they could certainly be accused of over-elaborating at times this season.

A higher proportion of Arsenal’s shots have been from inside the penalty area than any other team in the Premier League this season. All of their rivals at the top of the table have had more attempts on goal than Arsenal.

Tottenham, on the other hand, have attempted the lowest proportion of their efforts from inside the box.

This isn’t to say that shooting from distance is a better idea than trying to get closer to goal: clearly, shots from close range are going to bring more chance of a goal.

That said, Arsenal’s players are patently discouraged from shooting from distance, despite the fact that they have the players, namely Alexis Sanchez, to score from distance as often as anyone else. Spurs’s players are told to express themselves and if that means potshots, they are free to go for it.

Strength of character

Only Liverpool have won more points from losing positions this season than Tottenham, who have fought back to gain 17. Arsenal have won just nine points after going behind.

Spurs have a team spirit that Eric Dier recently claimed has made them “unstoppable”. That might be a stretch, but there is a palpable confidence among the players that conceding an early goal is a minor obstacle.