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Tottenham v Arsenal: Classic meetings of the Premier League era

24 Nov 1996:  Ian Wright of Arsenal (left) tangles with Sol Campbell of Tottenham during the FA Carling premier league match between Arsenal and Tottenham

Ahead of the north London derby at the Emirates on Sunday, we pick out some classic encounters between Arsenal and Tottenham in the Premier League era.

Whether it's brilliance by David Bentley or heroics from Thierry Henry, there have been some magical moments over the years.

Read on to re-live some of the best - and then watch the latest installment of the rivalry live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 3.30pm on Sunday... 

Hendry is Highbury hero (Arsenal 1-3 Tottenham, May 11, 1993)

Spurs did the double over Arsenal in the very first Premier League season. In December 1992, midfielder Paul Allen netted the only goal of the meeting at White Hart Lane and the clubs then did battle again in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley in April, with Tony Adams sending George Graham's Gunners through to face Sheffield Wednesday.

Shortly before the final (and the subsequent replay, which Arsenal won 2-1 after extra-time), the reverse league fixture was rearranged for a Tuesday night - Arsenal were ninth, but only above 11th-placed Spurs on goal difference. Golden Boot winner Teddy Sheringham headed home a 39th-minute Darren Anderton cross to take his league tally for the season to 22 goals against what was virtually a Gunners reserve team.

Shortly after half-time, teenager Danny Hill seized upon an underhit Mark Flatts backpass and swept the ball across for young Scottish forward John Hendry to extend Spurs' lead. Paul Dickov soon reduced the deficit with a superb strike after a one-two with Alan Smith, but Hendry made sure of victory on 78 minutes after a lofted Hill pass. Tottenham climbed into an eighth-place finish; on only one other occasion (1994/95) have they ended a Premier League campaign above Arsenal in the table.

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Bergkamp's sublime finish (Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham, November 24, 1996)

Arsene Wenger had only been in charge of Arsenal for a month and a half at this stage, but was already demonstrating his managerial credentials - victory over Spurs here lifted the Gunners into second place, only a point behind leaders Newcastle.

Ian Wright scored his 160th Gunners goal with a first-half penalty, awarded after referee David Elleray had controversially decided that Clive Wilson had fouled Dennis Bergkamp in the box, but that was cancelled out after the break by Andy Sinton, whose shot on the turn hit John Lukic and rebounded in.

24 Nov 1996:  Dennis Bergkamp of Arsenal celebrates a goal during an FA Carling Premiership match against Tottenham Hotspur at Highbury Stadium in London.
Image: Dennis Bergkamp of Arsenal celebrates a goal against Tottenham in 1996

The match looked to be heading for a draw until the 88th minute when Tony Adams - given licence to get forward - was set up by Bergkamp for an outstanding left-foot volley that went in via a slight deflection off Stephen Carr. Bergkamp then applied the coup de grace two minutes later when he controlled Wright's deep cross with his left before exquisitely turning inside Carr to lash a shot home.

It was Arsenal's first league win over Spurs for almost five years. Gerry Francis' side finished 10th while Wenger guided Arsenal to third, behind Newcastle on goal difference, marking the only occasion on which the Frenchman has failed to qualify for the Champions League during his tenure in north London.

Henry's incredible solo goal (Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham, November 16, 2002)

Arsenal drew with Spurs home and away in the second Double-winning season in their history (1997/98) while in their third (200102), Lauren's late penalty secured a 2-1 win at Highbury in April after the White Hart Lane meeting had ended 1-1. Many felt Wenger's side were taking over from Manchester United as the dominant force in English football but they looked far from infallible late in 2002, losing five out of six games in all competitions.

Arsenal's Thierry Henry is congratulated by team-mates from left Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell and Rami Shaaban after scoring against Tottenham in Nov 2002
Image: Thierry Henry is congratulated after scoring against Spurs in 2002

The reigning champions rallied, however, and were attempting to return to the top of the table when Glenn Hoddle's eighth-placed Spurs came calling at Highbury once again. Only 13 minutes had elapsed when Thierry Henry scored one of the finest goals the north London derby has ever seen.

Picking up the ball deep inside his own half after Patrick Vieira had headed clear a Steffen Freund throw-in, the speedy France star dribbled towards the Spurs penalty area, leaving Matthew Etherington in his wake, before cutting inside Stephen Carr and Ledley King and firing into the bottom corner.

LONDON - NOVEMBER 16:  Fredrik Ljungberg (right) of Arsenal holds off Simon Davies of Tottenham Hotspur during a 2002 FA Barclaycard Premiership match
Image: Simon Davies and Fredrik Ljungberg had very different experiences in 2002

Simon Davies was harshly sent off for two first-half bookings, and Freddie Ljungberg and Sylvain Wiltord made the game safe in the second half. Arsenal retained the FA Cup that season but let slip an eight-point lead in the league and ended up five points behind champions United, while Spurs finished 10th.

Invincibles seal title at the Lane (Tottenham 2-2 Arsenal, April 25, 2004)

The Gunners famously went through the 2003/04 season without losing a single Premier League game, but they will have taken almost as much pleasure from clinching the title at the home of their fiercest foes on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Relegation-threatened Spurs were fired up for the clash, as a victory would have ended Arsenal's run and delayed their party. The task proved beyond them, however.

Arsenal's L to R Jose Antonio Reyes, Robert Pires ,Ashley Cole, Edu and Thierry Henry  celebrates winning the 2003/2004 title at White Hart Lane
Image: Arsenal celebrate winning the title at White Hart Lane in 2004

Skipper Patrick Vieira turned home Dennis Bergkamp's third-minute left-wing cross after a lightning-quick Arsenal counter-attack, and then the same two players combined to set up Robert Pires for another first-half goal. Although Jamie Redknapp's low shot and Robbie Keane's 90th-minute penalty pulled it back to 2-2, the draw would still have felt like a defeat to Tottenham.

Caretaker boss David Pleat, his players and the home supporters tried to avoid looking at the joyous celebrations going on in one corner of White Hart Lane; Spurs ended up surviving comfortably in 14th spot, 12 points clear of the drop zone.

Bentley's brilliant 35-yard volley (Arsenal 4-4 Tottenham, October 29, 2008)

Spurs were struggling when Harry Redknapp took charge and needed something to spark them back into life. But nobody could have scripted a more exciting tale than what actually transpired on an autumn night at Emirates Stadium. David Bentley's incredible 13th-minute long-range looping opener was certainly the pick of the goals, but it was cancelled out by Mikael Silvestre before half-time.

Tottenham Hotspur's David Bentley volleys the opening goal, Arsenal 4 Spurs 4, Premier League, 29 October 2008
Image: David Bentley volleys in the opening goal for Tottenham in a 4-4 draw

Arsenal took firm control with further goals from William Gallas and Emmanuel Adebayor. Darren Bent reduced Tottenham's arrears, only for Robin van Persie to almost immediately restore the Gunners' two-goal advantage.

Trailing 4-2 with just one minute remaining, the outlook appeared bleak for Spurs. But Jermaine Jenas curled home a neat finish to give them hope and Aaron Lennon then dramatically struck to salvage a breath-taking point. Arsenal finished fourth in the table, with League Cup runners-up Spurs ending up in eighth.

Kaboul stuns Emirates Stadium (Arsenal 2-3 Tottenham, November 20, 2010)

There was no shortage of north London derby goals in the 2010/11 campaign - the league game at White Hart Lane in April ended 3-3, and there was also a 4-1 Carling Cup win for Arsenal away to Spurs in September. But it is Tottenham's victory at Emirates Stadium - their first on Arsenal territory since John Hendry's 1993 brace - that is the most memorable from that season.

Tottenham's French defender Younes Kaboul (3rd R) scores late winning goal during Premier League match at Arsenal, 20 November 2010
Image: Younes Kaboul scores a late winning goal against Arsenal in 2010

At half-time, Arsene Wenger's team were two goals in front courtesy of Samir Nasri and Marouane Chamakh and on course to leapfrog Chelsea at the top of the table. But Gareth Bale's fine finish on 50 minutes was supplemented by a Rafael van der Vaart penalty midway through the second half to restore parity.

A remarkable second-half turnaround was completed when Younes Kaboul headed Van der Vaart's free-kick low past Lukasz Fabianski. However, once again, the Gunners managed to beat Harry Redknapp's Spurs to fourth place in the league - six points separated the teams in the final reckoning.

Red card for Adebayor (Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham, November 17, 2012)

This scoreline was a repeat from the same fixture nine months earlier. Arsenal were below Andre Villas-Boas' Tottenham in the table, and it was the visitors who raced into the lead at Emirates Stadium courtesy of former Gunners striker Emmanuel Adebayor. But the forward then went from hero to villain as he was sent off for a lunge on Santi Cazorla, who was the star of the match.

Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor (3rd R) is shown red card by referee Howard Webb (L) during Premier League match at Arsenal, 17 November 2012
Image: Tottenham's Emmanuel Adebayor is shown a red card at Arsenal in 2012

Arsenal roared back and punished Spurs through Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud before half-time. Cazorla added another after the break and, although Gareth Bale pulled one back in trademark style, Theo Walcott scored a late fifth. Again Arsenal were fourth and Spurs fifth - but there was only one point in it.

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