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Tottenham teach Gunners lesson in last derby at the Lane

By Gary Pearson

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 30: Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his sides first goal with Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at White Hart Lane on April 30, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 30: Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his sides first goal with Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at White Hart Lane on April 30, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images) /
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Spurs dominated the last North London derby at White Hart Lane, ensuring Tottenham finishes above Arsenal for the first time in 22 years.

Tottenham taught Arsenal a masterclass footballing lesson on a day that will forever be embedded in Spurs folklore. Tottenham not only won the final edition of North London derby at the Lane, but inflicted heavy damage on Arsenal’s top-four aspirations.

The balance of power in North London has markedly shifted and this emphatic result further magnifies the giant chasm that currently exists between Spurs and Arsenal. A stroll in the park at the Lane, Spurs supporters will revel in the moment.

Forget, for the time being, that Chelsea maintained their four-point lead atop the table by beating Everton earlier. Forget the fact that Spurs will probably have to wait another season for a trophy. And try to disregard the fact that Arsenal may still win the FA Cup.

This is Spurs day. It’s a day to remember and celebrate in reverie. Spurs supporters have been waiting a long time to conquer their North London adversaries.

The wait is officially over.

Let’s enjoy the moment as a collective and then move on to bigger and better things.

There were other milestone moments in the headline-filled afternoon. Alli scored his first North London derby goal while Kane bagged a club-record sixth against Arsenal, separating himself in the process from Gareth Bale, who has five North London derby goals.

https://twitter.com/10Meastro/status/858725089097003008

Spurs talisman scored his 21st Premier League goal in 26 appearances. His 0.81 goal per match ratio is one of the best all-time Premier League outputs.

He’s also scored in five consecutive North London derbies.

Spurs players knew about the Chelsea result prior to kickoff, making their unblemished performance all the more impressive. The solidarity this team consistently displays in the face of adversity is staggering.

Tottenham have won nine straight Premier League games and 14 on the trot at the Lane. Today’s clean sheet was their fourth in a row and 17th overall. That’s a clean sheet every second game.

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The changing of the guard is complete.

Now on to the London Stadium on Friday for another London derby. A win against West Ham will temporarily close the gap atop the table to a single point, which would force Chelsea to answer the bell yet again.

By now the west Londoners must know that Tottenham will keep knocking on the door until the very end.