Tottenham have always had the impression of being preoccupied with Arsenal. The primary objective of the North London outfit has always been finishing above the gunners. Of course, history has shown that it has never been the case since the turn of the century. The last time Tottenham finished above Arsenal was back in 1995. While last season the club came extremely close towards erasing this painful record, a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Newcastle on the final day of the season once again saw the gunners top the table.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, though, reckons that the Spurs team under Mauricio Pochettino are now drilled in such a way that they do not look up to Arsenal anymore. He says that this is a quality that will help Spurs finally end this disappointing run.

The current campaign looks like an ideal candidate for Spurs to end this record. After watching Arsenal lose 3-1 against Liverpool on Saturday, Spurs managed a 3-2 win over Everton on Sunday to open up a six-point advantage over the gunners. It is even more sizeable considering that Arsenal may take a couple of matches to get back to the former self. Arsenal have lost three of the last four games in the league, while they are also on the verge of exiting the Champions League after suffering a 5-1 loss against Bayern Munich in the first leg.

Henry reckons that Spurs always have suffered from inferiority complex when it comes to games against Arsenal. It is due to a return of just two major trophies in the last 25 years. The former Arsenal striker wrote on his exclusive column with the Sun:

“We always felt Spurs were looking at us, ­trying to copy us, concentrating on us — not doing their own thing. And we saw what happened when they were doing that: two trophies in 25 years. This side under ­Mauricio Pochettino is a different animal.

“They are battling for the league now. Pochettino has drilled into them that they need to see the bigger picture. And I think they do.”

“He [Pochettino] is doing an excellent job and taking the club in the right direction. Their future looks bright. They have all their best players on long-term deals, which sends a good signal to potential signings. The new stadium is coming on. They play good football.”

Even though Arsenal have not been highly successful over the last decade, they have clearly been the top North London team in Premier League history. Now, though, there is a sizable shift in the direction, quality, and approach of the two clubs.

The construction of a massive stadium would see Tottenham move level with Arsenal in terms of stadium capacity. The club has lacked Champions League football in recent years. It has prevented them from keeping hold of players like Gareth Bale. Now, though, the possibility of retaining players like Harry Kane and Dele Alli has improved dramatically with Tottenham on course towards securing a second consecutive campaign in the Champions League.

While qualifying for the Champions League and finishing in the top four is all well and good, Henry reckons that it will be the trophies that make an impression when it comes to attracting new players to the club.

“With just two trophies in a quarter of a century, now is the time for them to back it up with silverware.

To attract the best players, Spurs need to show they are winning things too.”

Spurs failed to sign many of the summer transfer targets owing to lack of funds or interest from the targets towards moving to White Hart Lane.