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Unquestionably one of the most famous North London derbies ever, Arsenal’s trip to Tottenham in November 2004 was a topsy-turvy thriller, eventually decided in the Gunners’ favour by the odd goal in nine.
It was the first game in charge for Spurs’ new manager Martin Jol and things began well for the Dutchman. In the 37th minute, a Michael Carrick free kick fell to an unmarked Noureddine Naybet who controlled with his chest and finished smartly past Jens Lehmann.
Arsenal’s response was emphatic. In first-half stoppage time, Thierry Henry deftly collected Lauren’s cross into the box, kept his composure, and brought the Gunners to parity. After the break, a defensive mishap involving Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson and captain Ledley King surrendered possession to Arsenal.
Probing the left-hand side, Freddie Ljungberg was obstructed by Noe Pamarot and Lauren converted the resulting penalty. Five minutes later, Patrick Vieira pressed Naybet to win the ball, galloped past the Spurs high line, and scored Arsenal’s third.
Scarcely two minutes later, however, Jermain Defoe received the ball on the left, broke into stride, and lashed a screamer high into the far corner to make it 3-2. Soon after, Ljungberg restored the Gunners’ two-goal cushion after Cesc Fabregas, alert to the Swede’s advanced position on his blind side and glimpsing a ray of light between three Spurs defenders, threaded an intelligent reverse pass.
But Spurs kept coming back. Five minutes later, King headed in another Carrick free kick although Robert Pires soon netted a fifth for Arsenal with nine minutes to go, deceiving Pamarot with coruscating footwork and beating Robinson at the near post.
With just two minutes left, Spurs threatened another twist after Henry gave away possession in his own half. Young Reto Ziegler measured the loose ball and dropped a beautiful chip in behind the Arsenal defence that was finished first time by Frederic Kanoute.
That, however, was the last of the pandemonium. With Arsenal 5-4 winners, the defending came in for much criticism; Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho famously derided the result as a “hockey score, not a football score.” However, it remains one of the Premier League’s greatest ever games.