Football Daily | The north London derby: fun for everyone … except Arsenal and Spurs fans

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Last season was the first time since the 2013-14 campaign that one side has done the double over the other in the north London derby. That last decade or so stands in stark contrast to the lopsided rivalry of the 2000s, when Arsenal went unbeaten against Tottenham for almost eight years. Ever since the inconsistent sparkle of the ‘Arry Redknapp era, when Spurs famously came from 2-0 down to claim their first victory at the Emirates thanks to two gleeful pantomime villains in Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart, along with a big, daft bouncing header from Younes Kaboul, it has been one of the most competitive derbies going. For the neutral, it’s great entertainment. For fans of the two clubs, it’s euphoria and misery; fear and loathing; a match to watch between the gaps in white-knuckled fingers.

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, etc, Brighton lost in Europe. Mind you, the demonic benefactors of that Goldstone injustice, York, lost to Oldham in the National League on Tuesday, so that’s karma. Also, this week, Chester beat Tadcaster, Maidstone beat Steyning Town, Bury are riding high in the (checks Rothmans) North West Counties League and, of all teams, Hereford battered Anstey Nomads. So it’s actually all now going well for anyone who was ever in the position of losing their club. Must be all that equally distributed supportive media coverage emanating from London that saved us all, eh? Mind you, Bradford (Park Avenue) lost again, but all that happened in the 70s and so doesn’t count” – Jon Millard.

Regarding Brighton’s foray into Europe and being the ‘blueprint for how a football club should be run’ (yesterday’s Football Daily). Make sure you enjoy it, Seagulls fans. Ten years ago this week a team with a similar blueprint, Swansea City, were applauded off the pitch at the Mestalla after tonking Valencia 3-0 in Big Vase. On Saturday we are heading into our eighth match of the Championship season playing dross football and on two points. Michael Laudrup, Michu et al seems like a dream” – Gareth Rogers.

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