Few fixtures throw up as much drama, as many goals and more conflict than the North London derby; such is the talent and animosity on display whenever Arsenal take on Tottenham.
Not many meetings between these two sides have proven that to be the case more than the iconic 5-4 thriller played out at White Hart Lane on this day 18 years ago. It was a topsy-turvy affair that saw Noureddine Naybet put the hosts in front, before Gunners legend Thierry Henry levelled things up.
Arsenal right-back Lauren then put Arsene Wenger's men in the lead, with Patrick Vieira adding to the visitors advantage shortly after. Jermain Defoe pulled one back for Spurs to ensure those watching still had a hard-fought game on their hands.
Freddie Ljungberg then restored the Gunners two-goal lead, but Ledley King's header ensured Spurs were always within touching distance.
Robert Pires bagged Arsenal's fifth, with Freddie Kanoute notching the game's final goal to secure one of the Premier League's most unforgettable scorelines.
But, which Arsenal players took to the field that day? What are they up to nowadays? Mirror Football has taken a look.
Goalkeeper - Jens Lehmann
A certified Arsenal legend for his status as an 'invincible', Lehmann is likely to have been the most annoyed Gunners player on the day considering he shipped four goals.
Following his retirement, Lehmann briefly returned to Arsenal as a coach but swiftly left once Unai Emery's reign began. Unsavoury whatsapp messages meant the German lost his role on the board of Hertha Berlin back in May 2020.
He occasionally carries out punditry duties on German television nowadays.
Right-back - Lauren
Lauren spent seven years in north London and has two Premier Leagues and three FA Cups to show for it. The Cameroon international has often lined-up for Arsenal since he hung up his boots as part of their legends side that take part in charity matches.
The 45-year-old has also been a FIFA technical expert for talent development, tasked with raising the standards of competitive African football on the international stage.
A busy pundit, Lauren has featured on both LaLiga TV's English-language Viva LaLiga show and GOL TV's coverage of the biggest Arsenal fixtures.
Centre-back - Kolo Toure
The Ivorian international was a fan-favourite at Highbury from very early on in his Gunners career. Toure was one of the few Arsenal stars to make the move Manchester City in 2009 and not entirely burn his bridges back in north London.
Toure then went on to join Liverpool, before finishing his career at Celtic, where he was as a technical assistant to Brendan Rodgers. He has followed the Irishman to the King Power and remains part of the Leicester City backroom staff to this day.
Centre-back - Pascal Cygan
A much-maligned figure, Cygan was prone to the odd error when thrown into the line-up. The Frenchman has led a relatively quiet life since his retirement in 2009.
The last time any of the Arsenal faithful heard from Cygan was when he publicly backed Spotify owner Daniel Ek's proposed takeover bid for the Gunners, which in turn surely reveals his feelings about the current ownership.
He felt Ek, with the support of a trio of former Arsenal stars, would bring the club the 'new ambition' Cygan felt it needed.
Left-back - Ashley Cole
Though his name is now mud around the ref half of north London, there was once a time where Ashley Cole was adored by the Arsenal faithful as he burst onto the scene as England's best left-back for some time.
Making his debut during the 1999/00 campaign, Cole spent more time in the red and white of Arsenal than most people remember. He is now more closely associated with the blue of Chelsea after his controversial deadline day switch to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2006.
After winning just about every honour on offer with the Blues, Cole had spells with Roma, LA Galaxy and Derby County before his retirement in 2019. He is now part of Frank Lampard's coaching staff at Everton.
Right-midfield - Freddie Ljungberg
The Swedish star could have been given the man of the match award in this tie such was his influence, winning a penalty and getting a goal himself.
His Arsenal honours list includes two Premier League titles and three FA Cups in the nine years Ljungberg spent at the club before his eventual exit to West Ham in 2007.
Five years of underwhelming spells at clubs across the globe, including Scottish giants Celtic followed before he confirmed his retirement in 2012.
Ljungberg swiftly returned to Arsenal in a coaching capacity soon after and was briefly the interim boss for the first-team following Unai Emery's sacking in November 2019.
Central Midfield - Patrick Vieira
Arguably the greatest midfielder in Premier League history, Arsenal have been trying and failing to find an adequate replacement for the Frenchman since his departure in 2005.
His final kick of the ball handed the Gunners the FA Cup at the end of the same season as this Spurs clash, before joining Italian giants Juventus.
Vieira has since returned to the Premier League as manager of Crystal Palace, where he has done a stellar job at Selhurst Park.
Central midfield - Cesc Fabregas
The man who changed everything. Fabregas' emergence saw Arsenal move away from physically dominant midfielders to more technical, diminutive figures in the middle of the park.
The Spaniard's supreme passing ability was on display in this game when his reverse pass allowed Ljungberg the time and space to bag his goal against their north London neighbours.
Fabregas would later re-join boyhood club Barcelona in 2011, before returning to the English game to don the colours of Chelsea - burning some bridges with the Arsenal fanbase in the process.
He can now be found plying his trade for Serie B outfit Como.
Left-midfield - Jose Antonio Reyes
It came as a surprise to many that Reyes actually started over Robert Pires at White Hart Lane that day.
The Sevilla legend joined in the January of the previous season and after a fast start, Reyes form slowly deteriorated with the Gunners as he cited homesickness as one of the reasons for his struggles.
He returned to Spain to join Real Madrid on loan in 2006, before joining Atletico Madrid on a permanent deal a year later.
Tragically, Reyes was killed in a car accident in the summer of 2019 at just 35 years of age.
Forward - Dennis Bergkamp
This clash with Spurs marked one of the rare occasions where the non-flying Dutchman failed to register a goal or an assist.
Having joined Arsenal from Inter Milan in 1995, Bergkamp won three Premier Leaugue titles and four FA Cups before announcing his retirement in 2006.
Bergkamp was initially reluctant to go into coaching but did eventually become a youth coach at Ajax before being promoted up the ranks until his was at one point first-team assistant coach during Frank de Boer's reign.
Forward - Thierry Henry
In the eyes of many, the greatest player to ever pull on the Arsenal shirt - Henry made sure this game did not pass him by without him getting his customary goal.
One of his 228 in Gunners colours, Henry will forever be remembered incredibly fondly by the Arsenal faithful. He would leave the club three years on in 2007 for the bright lights of Barcelona.
His playing career ended at the New York Red Bulls, though not before another spell back at Arsenal on loan in 2012.
Henry's transition into management hasn't exactly been seamless, with tricky spells at the helm of both AS Monaco and Montreal Impact.
