It would have been a hard task towards the start of this topsy-turvy season to find someone seriously suggesting it would be Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur battling it out for the final Champions League spot.
With polar opposite starts in the first three games, it was a 3-1 scoreline in Arsenal's favour in the first north London derby of the season that sealed Nuno Espirito Santo's fate as Spurs manager, and set Arsenal and Arteta on a path of miraculous recovery. Since then, Antonio Conte has moved in to N17, and whilst things haven't been completely plain sailing, has made Spurs a genuine threat again with impressive results against Manchester City and most recently Liverpool in particular.
So as it happens, the first meeting between these two managers will be one of the most important north London derbies in recent memory, with Arsenal able to guarantee Champions League football with a victory, and Spurs realistically needing one of their own to keep the pressure on their rivals.
