"We won the league at White Hart Lane..." That Arsenal chant must gnaw away at Tottenham fans who have suffered the indignity of watching their local rivals clinch the title on their ground not once, but twice.
Older Spurs supporters will remember the header from Ray Kennedy in May 1971 which secured the first leg of the Double for Bertie Mee's side. Thirty-three years on, a new generation of Tottenham fans had to endure a similar experience.
When dawn broke on April 25, 2004, Arsenal had yet to lose after 33 games of what would be an historic Premiership campaign. The title would surely be heading to Highbury; it was just a matter of where Arsène Wenger's side completed the formalities.
White Hart Lane would have been the choice of most Arsenal fans and, after second-placed Chelsea were beaten by Newcastle in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal's task became clearer. They would need just one point in the North London derby to be crowned champions.
The visitors raced out of the blocks and took a third-minute lead. Thierry Henry carried the ball out of danger after a Tottenham corner and, having made inroads down the left, slid a perfect pass for Dennis Bergkamp to run on to. The Dutchman crossed low and Patrick Vieira slid in to open the scoring.
Bergkamp set up the second with a beautifully-weighted pass for Vieira as the skipper surged into the penalty area. The Arsenal captain cut the ball back for Robert Pires to provide a clinical finish. A little over half-an-hour had elapsed and Arsenal were cruising to the title.
To their credit, Spurs responded. Jamie Redknapp lashed in a long-range shot to reduce the deficit and, after Pires had struck the bar, Robbie Keane netted a late penalty to earn the hosts a point. Spurs had restored some pride but still had to look on as their rivals celebrated a thoroughly-deserved title.
The Arsenal fans have been reminding White Hart Lane regulars of it ever since.
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.