The north London derby is always a fiery affair, and Arsenal’s rivalry with Tottenham has been dramatic both on and off the field
Bacary Sagna receiving treatment during the north London derby in October 2011(Image: IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)
The north London Derby always promises to be a hard-fought affair, with tensions rising. This is true regardless of any other stakes based on the league table.
That can lead to a fantastic atmosphere and high drama, but it can also see emotions boil over. That was certainly the case in the 2011-12 season. Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna suffered a broken leg in a freak accident in the derby in October.
When the same injury befell the Frenchman later in the same season, the initial incident against Tottenham was raised by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger. However, by the season’s end, his team had taken the sweetest revenge.
“It is a broken fibula, the same leg,” Wenger said after Sagna suffered an injury against Norwich, which would end up ruling him out of Euro 2012. “He was kicked on it, it has not happened alone.
“When he was kicked, he has broken the leg. The guy closed him down and walked on him. I don’t know if it was deliberate or not.”
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The first leg break summed up a day to forget for Wenger’s side. Not only did they lose Sagna after he fell awkwardly following a challenge with Spurs left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto, but they also suffered a painful loss on the pitch.
Rafael van der Vaart put Spurs ahead at the half-time break, only for Aaron Ramsey to level things up five minutes after the restart. Sagna was replaced by Carl Jenkinson when he suffered his injury, but it was the other right-back on the pitch – Tottenham’s Kyle Walker – who scored the winner with his first-ever Premier League goal.
Sagna suffered another broken leg against Norwich in May(Image: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
That October victory had left Spurs within touching distance of the top four while Arsenal languished in 15th after a nightmare start. By the time Sagna broke his leg again in May, though, things were much closer between the sides.
Arsenal’s draw with Norwich had left the door open to Spurs, who could leapfrog their rivals into third place with victory at Aston Villa. Harry Redknapp’s side could only draw, though, and victories for both sides on the final day meant Arsenal finished third and Spurs fourth.
Normally, that would have been enough for both clubs to secure Champions League football. However, sixth-place Chelsea won the Champions League final the following week and the rules at the time meant they took Spurs’ European place. Revenge will have felt very sweet for Arsenal after that pain – both physical and emotional – of their October meeting.
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