It is a fixture that requires no promotion, even if Antonio Conte has sought to fan the flames by questioning whether the initial date in January should have been postponed. The stakes are high, the awareness it is about far more than three points and bragging rights is clear.
The outcome of this North London derby - the first at Tottenham with a sold out crowd since April 2017 - could shape both clubs’ medium-term futures.
A win for Arsenal would see them confirm Champions League football, a defeat would ramp the pressure up on Mikel Arteta's squad with two games to go, the deficit a single point.
