It's official, Tottenham will never finish above Arsenal

Tottenham spurned the opportunity to end Arsenal’s dominance of North London with a heavy defeat on the final day of the season. Mauricio Pochettino’s men battled Leicester City for the Premier League title, only to fall short with their draw at the hands of Chelsea. Their second-half capitulation at Stamford Bridge handed the Foxes their first top-flight crown, capping a miraculous triumph for Claudio Ranieri’s men. Spurs lost their composure in their next outing as Pochettino lost 2-1 to his former team, Southampton, at White Hart Lane. However, following the Gunners’ 2-2 draw against Manchester City, Tottenham still had the opportunity to secure second place and finish as top dogs in North London by taking a point from their final-day clash with already-relegated Newcastle United. The match at St James’ Park proved to be an unmitigated disaster for Spurs as they collapsed to a 5-1 defeat, despite playing against 10 men for the final 30 minutes of the contest. Arsenal seized the initiative by crushing Aston Villa 4-0 at the Emirates to extend their run of finishing above their bitter rivals for 21 seasons. The collapse was almost as painful for Tottenham supporters as the infamous bout of food poisoning their squad suffered on the final day of the 2005/06 campaign. Martin Jol’s men only needed to match Arsenal’s result to beat their rivals to the final Champions League place, only for the majority of their team to be struck down with a sickness bug the day before their clash against West Ham due to a dodgy lasagne. As a result, Jol was forced to field a half-fit starting line-up against the Hammers and, although they battled well, Spurs were to succumb to a 2-1 defeat, while Arsene Wenger’s men triumphed over Wigan to snatch fourth place from under their rivals’ noses. Spurs suffered the bitter taste of being surpassed by their great adversaries once again, although their place in the Champions League is secured this time around. However, Arsenal supporters are beginning to lose faith in Wenger, which could prompt the Frenchman into action over the summer to have one last surge towards Premier League glory. Pochettino and Tottenham will have to match their rivals over the summer, but they seem on path to collide next term at the top of the Premier League, and will likely have company with Chelsea and Manchester City boasting new managers. Spurs are a team on the rise with the best striker in the division at their disposal in Harry Kane, who will only improve with further playing time, while the same could be said of Dele Alli following his outstanding campaign. The duo will be the focal point of Tottenham’s side for years to come, with their partnership in the final third becoming one of the most formidable in the Premier League. Pochettino and chairman Daniel Levy will have to alleviate the goalscoring burden on Kane after opting against signing an established striker last term. Their failure to land another forward this season may have been the reason the club failed to lift the Premier League title, while Alli's absence towards the end of the season highlighted the lack of quality depth Spurs have in their squad. Should Kane or Alli sustain a long-term injury Pochettino's men would be lost in the final third of the pitch, and the law of averages suggest that it will catch up to them soon enough. "Harry Kane" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by  enviro warrior  One factor that was Spurs’ downfall in their quest for the title was their lack of composure in big situations, which was highlighted in their struggles against West Brom, leading to Alli’s suspension, and their second-half collapse against Chelsea. Gunners' supporters revelled in their rival’s final day capitulation at Newcastle, celebrating St Totteringham's day for the 21st-straight season. Tottenham's lack of experience cost them dear in the race for the title, and as more years go by without finishing above their rivals the strain will weigh on them like an anchor, putting further pressure on the side. Although Arsenal have cracked under the pressure themselves in their pursuit of a fourth title under Wenger, they've always managed to retain their place in the Champions League. Spurs’ main edge over the Gunners is their backline as they boasted the best defence in the top flight, with Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen at the heart of the back four. The Belgian duo along with Kevin Wimmer provide stability that will be the envy of Wenger as Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker displayed signs that their best days could be behind them. This may press Wenger into action over the summer to bolster his defensive options, and should he be able to turn a potential weakness into a strength, their hold over their rivals could extend into another decade of dominance. Morale at Arsenal appeared to be at an all-time low under the tenure of Wenger, but his team just managed to rally in time at the back end of the campaign to snatch second place. The Frenchman will be determined to hold on to his position, which could see numerous new arrivals at the Emirates Stadium over summer, as the club's supporters' patience wears thin. A host of new players could spark the sleeping giant into life, and leave Tottenham pondering over their missed opportunity to end their hoodoo against their great rivals. [su_button url="https://www.ticketgum.com/tottenham-hotspur-tickets" background="#28356A" size="20" wide="yes" radius="0"]Get Tottenham Tickets[/su_button]