The London rivals will clash against each other in the semifinal of the League Cup.
LONDON: As if trying to cope with a resurgent Arsenal wasn’t hard enough, Tottenham will also have to defy history if they are to reach a cup final for the first time in five years.
Martin Jol’s side clash with their north London rivals in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final on Wednesday knowing they face an uphill struggle to reach the final.
Arsenal will make the short journey to White Hart Lane buoyed by a dramatic victory against Manchester United on Sunday that extended their winning run to five matches.
In contrast, Tottenham, with just one win in six matches, needed a late goal to salvage a draw against 10-man Fulham.
As if that wasn’t disheartening enough for Tottenham, they also have to cope with the psychological scar of failing to win any of their last 15 meetings against their old enemies.
It is not the first time these feuding neighbours have met in a semi-final and Arsenal will take heart from their recurring habit of getting one over on Spurs when the stakes are highest.
The Gunners have triumphed against Spurs in the last four of the League Cup in 1968 and 1987, as well as the FA Cup in 1993 and 2001. Tottenham’s solitary semi-final success was a Paul Gascoigne-inspired 1991 victory.
While the history books point to a win for the red half of north London, Tottenham can at least draw comfort from their superb record in cup competitions this season. They are unbeaten in the FA, League and UEFA Cups, winning 10 of 11 matches.
Robin van Persie will be absent for Arsenal after the Dutch striker broke a bone in his foot while scoring his side’s equaliser on Sunday.
The metatarsal injury is likely to keep van Persie out of action for at least two months, leaving Thierry Henry and Emmanuel Adebayor to shoulder the burden of leading the Gunners’ attack.
Fortunately for Arsene Wenger both have proved adept at tormenting Tottenham. Adebayor netted the first goal and produced a man-of-the-match display in that 3-0 win last month, while Henry has scored five times against Spurs.
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