When the English top flight was formed back in 1888, the closest team to the nation’s capital was Aston Villa.
London didn’t have a representative in the world’s first organised football league until Arsenal broke the barrier in 1904 when they were still based south of the River Thames. However, in recent years, England’s top tier has been riddled with capital sides, boasting as many as seven this season – a joint-high in the Premier League era.
Not all London derbies are equal – the enmity that exists between Arsenal and Tottenham is scarcely present when Fulham line up against Crystal Palace, for instance – but they hold an extra edge which other seemingly ambivalent league encounters simply don’t possess.
Here’s how the division’s capital clubs have fared against each other this season.
- Advertisement - Position | Team | - Advertisement - P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Arsenal | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 5 | 19 | 28 |
2 | Tottenham | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 18 |
3 | Chelsea | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 10 | -1 | 13 |
4 | Brentford | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 13 | -1 | 11 |
5 | Fulham | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 17 | -4 | 10 |
6 | West Ham | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 14 | -6 | 5 |
7 | Crystal Palace | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 19 | -13 | 5 |
Arsenal became the first side in the history of England’s top flight to win as many as nine London derbies in the same season with a commanding 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Out of ten London derbies this season, the Gunners have only dropped points to capital rivals Brentford – and Ivan Toney’s equaliser in a 1-1 draw at the Emirates was only allowed to stand because of “human error” from the VAR official.
Brentford have only lost two capital clashes this season – the second-fewest behind unbeaten Arsenal – but only rank fourth in the seven-team table, drawing more than half of their derbies this season (five of nine). Fulham have only played out one stalemate in these types of matches, holding Chelsea to a forgetful 0-0 at Stamford Bridge in February.
The Blues are the only team to be involved in multiple goalless draws in all-London affairs this season. Chelsea have managed to eke out 13 points from just nine goals in London derbies – Tottenham’s Harry Kane has eight goals on his own in capital clashes this term.
Tottenham rank second in these capital-centric standings, with 18 points from ten London derbies. However, Spurs lost home and away to their northern neighbours Arsenal for the first time in the same season since the 2013/14 campaign. Antonio Conte’s side finished a place and two points above the Gunners last year but trail their bitterest rivals by a whopping 20 points with ten games of the season left to play.
Exactly half of all the Premier League goals Crystal Palace have conceded this term have been plundered in their nine games against London opposition. The Eagles have only earned one derby victory all season – and it was against the only other club with just the solitary capital triumph.
West Ham‘s single derby triumph came in hotly contentious circumstances. Fulham’s Marco Silva was booked for his protestations towards the match officials as all three of West Ham’s goals against the Cottagers in October had more than a whiff of controversy about them.
The Hammers have not been so fortuitous in their subsequent London derbies, taking one point from five such games. Although, Fulham will be their next capital opponents after the international break.