Arsenal have finished above Tottenham in 25 of the past 33 Premier League seasons
Published March 1, 2026 • Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cwygre5geq2o
By Alex Howell (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/topics/cp99zjx9mv1t)
Arsenal reporter
By Chris Collinson BBC Sport statistician
St Totteringham's Day might not be that well known nationally - but for Arsenal fans it is an opportunity for more north London bragging rights.
It is the name given to the day on which it becomes mathematically impossible for Tottenham Hotspur to finish above Arsenal in the Premier League.
And, look away Spurs fans, because that day looks set to arrive earlier than ever.
If relegation-threatened Tottenham fail to win at Fulham on Sunday (14:00 GMT), Gunners fans can celebrate St Totteringham's Day once more. Whatever the Spurs result, Arsenal would guarantee it with a win against Chelsea later in the day (16:30).
A play on the words 'Tottenham' and 'tottering', the phrase was introduced by Arsenal fans website 'Arseweb' in the early 2000s but gained more national prominence about 2010.
Gunners fans are still celebrating their emphatic win in the north London derby a week ago and will revel in the idea of some early St Totteringham's Day celebrations - the previous earliest was on 9 March in 2008.
The moment - if it happens - just highlights the current gap between the bitter rivals.
Arsenal top the Premier League, while Tottenham are fighting for their top-flight lives with interim boss Igor Tudor having replaced Thomas Frank this month.
The Gunners finished second last season for the third successive campaign, 36 points ahead of 17th-placed Spurs. St Totteringham's Day was confirmed on 3 April.
With 10 matches remaining for Arsenal and 11 for Tottenham, the gap between the two is already at 32 points. Only in five previous league seasons has it been bigger by the end of a campaign.
The biggest gap between the two sides was 45 points in the 2003-04 Invincibles season when Arsenal won the league with 90 points.
The run of six successive seasons in which Tottenham finished above Arsenal must seem a lifetime ago to both sets of fans. It actually only came to an end in 2022.
Since then, Spurs have sacked three permanent managers, while Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta - in charge for the past six years - has developed his side into consistent title contenders.
The most points Spurs have ever finished above Arsenal is 14 in 2017-18 - the season before they went on to reach the Champions League final.
Based on the current points-per-game rate of both sides, Arsenal are projected to finish on 83 and Spurs 41, which would be a 42-point gap, making it the second-biggest in Premier League history after the Invincibles season.
If Arsenal were to finish on 83 points, it would be six fewer than the 89 they amassed when finishing second in 2023-24 to Manchester City, but Pep Guardiola's current side are not as dominant as they were during that campaign.
While Spurs' current points-per-game rate means they should better their 38 of last season, this is still on course to be their second-worst in the Premier League. Their worst before last season was 44 points in 1997-98.
Arsenal have finished above Tottenham in 25 of the past 33 Premier League seasons - and will certainly do so for a 26th time this campaign.