19 November 1887 - Before The London Derby Moved North

On 19 November 1887, Tottenham and Arsenal met for the first time, starting a rivalry that continues to the present day.

Although currently known as the North London derby, the first meeting took place while Arsenal were still based in South London. They traveled north for the match, a friendly, played at Tottenham Marshes. Spurs were leading 2-1 before darkness forced a halt to the match with fifteen minutes remaining.

The two teams continued to meet, including their first league match in December 1909 that Arsenal won 1-0, but they did not become true rivals until 1913, when Arsenal left South London for Highbury, separated from Tottenham's White Hart Lane by only four miles. Since then, the teams have increased the total number of meetings to 176, with Arsenal winning 75 and Spurs winning 54.