Tottenham Terrace Talk: a derby date with Arsenal's destiny

Given all that is happening in football at the moment, it’s something of a relief to eagerly anticipate a match for purely sporting reasons. Although use of the words 'eagerly' and 'sporting' may raise eyebrows given the tension and heat of the rivalry between the teams competing in Sunday's North London Derby.

This is a game that has been on the minds of both sets of supporters for some weeks, and not just because of all the normal derby rivalry detail. Arsenal are in the running for the Premier League title, and putting an almighty dent in their ambitions will add to the delight any positive result brings Spurs fans.

The game comes just days after the tumultuous scenes at Goodison Park in the Merseyside derby that all but ended Liverpool’s title hopes, setting things up nicely for another twist on Sunday. It’s football drama of the most intense kind – and something the game sorely needs in a season dominated by off-field controversy. Although these days you can never rule out VAR serving up a doozy to take the edge off.

Spurs have made progress this season. Manager Ange Postecoglou has achieved remarkable things not just by keeping the team in the mix for European places, but by restoring hope, unity and basic joy to a fanbase that was fractured and discontent after years of poor decisions at the top, and dour football. Ever reliable, the club’s board has done its best to undermine that with some crass decisions around ticket pricing and its own pay, but in the days running up to a derby the focus narrows. It’s all about winning the football match.

Spurs will be up for it, and so will a capacity crowd that has shown it can reproduce a real old-school atmosphere in this most modern of settings. Form makes Arsenal the