St. Totteringham’s Day is a day that all Arsenal fans love to celebrate. It is the day where mathematically Tottenham cannot finish above Arsenal in the English Premier League table. This day has been a small victory for Arsenal fans for 20 consecutive years so far, but it is in danger of not happening this year.
Since becoming an Arsenal fan in 2000, I have been blessed to live through the “Invincibles” 2004 championship run, a previous league title in 2002, five FA Cup titles, four Community Shield wins and I even got to see Arsenal play in the Champions League final in 2006. Besides the recent FA Cup conquests, the Gunner trophy case has not grown significantly so finishing on top of Tottenham has been a significant accomplishment as of late.
Honestly, St. Totteringham’s Day is a day I, as an Arsenal fan, look forward too because, let’s face it, Arsenal hasn’t had too much to celebrate lately. As petty as it sounds, to know that your most fierce rival is finishing below your team is a pretty satisfying feeling and, as long as I have been an Arsenal fan, I’ve been spoiled by not knowing what it is like to see “Tottenham Hotspur” above Arsenal.
Not that Spurs hasn’t been close to finishing above Arsenal. Who could forget the races for Champions League positions in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013? Where St. Totteringham’s Day came on the last game of the season, but even then Arsenal managed to brighten up every Gunner fan’s season by pulling it off in the final game. Or in 2007 when Arsenal managed to celebrate St. T at White Hart Lane after a 2-2 draw against Spurs?
Those moments will forever live in my memory as big accomplishments over Arsenal’s fiercest rival. But now, that is being threatened by this season with Arsenal dropping points meanwhile Tottenham continues to tear it up this season. With only six games left in the Premier League season, Arsenal is in real danger of finishing below Spurs for the first time in two decades.
Although Arsenal has a game on Spurs, their recent play has been dreadful as just a month ago they were in potential title race talks and now they are struggling and battling for a Champions League birth. And with both teams facing relatively easy schedules at the end of the season, it will most likely go down to the wire (much like the 2012 and 2013 seasons) to see who will end up on top.
The future of this season looks grim for Gunner fans as, barring a massive Spurs collapse these final five games, it seems like there will be no St. Totteringham’s Day to celebrate this year. But, the Arsenal faithful will try and keep the faith alive and hope for that Spurs breakdown and hope that Arsenal can finish off the season in style.
However, any misstep for the rest of the season will most likely seal Arsenal’s fate and I will have to see for the first time as a Gunner fan “Tottenham Hotspur” above the name “Arsenal” when looking at the Premier League table.
