Arsenal vs. Tottenham: Why the Derby Is Actually More Important for Spurs

With this season's second installment of the North London derby looming on Sunday, a large amount of the pre-match analysis has been surrounding how this one differs from those of the past.

For the first time in recent memory, Tottenham comes in with what is commonly accepted is the better squad, with superior form and superior standing in the league table.

This standing has bred a lot of chatter expressing the sentiment that this match has more significance to Arsenal than it does to Tottenham; even Spurs striker Jermain Defoe has expressed this thought.

However, I see it to be the exact opposite: This match is actually much more important for Spurs.

Look where the two clubs are right now: Arsenal sits in fourth, a distance from anyone above them and in a cluster of four teams ranged fourth through seventh, while Tottenham sits in third, seven points off of Man City's pace.

What would be the effect if Arsenal, whose form has hit a rough patch, were to lose this match?

While losing to a club that is higher in the table would be disappointing (especially given that it's rival Tottenham), it would not be the end of the world.

There is no way Arsenal is winning the league, so a spot in the Top 4 is really all they are gunning for; losing to Spurs would make them, at worst, three points off of Chelsea for that spot.

Losing to the top-three clubs is not only expected, it's acceptable for those chasing the Top 4; it is in the matches against the minnows of the table that Arsenal needs wins.

And anyway, given their form as of late, is there any chance Chelsea is not going to drop more points on the run-in?

On the other hand, look at how a loss in this match would affect Tottenham.

Spurs' title hopes are on life support at this point—pure mathematics tells us this (Man City has dropped 15 points in 25 matches and has a seven-point lead with 13 matches to go).

A loss on Sunday would almost surely destroy all of these hopes.

Further, a Spurs loss could move both Arsenal and Chelsea to within just seven points of Tottenham.

This may not sound like a big deal, but there may be an underlying psychological effect: Given that Tottenham have been inferior to Arsenal and struggling for a Top 4 spot in their recent history, a loss could plant a seed of doubt in the minds of Spurs' players.

Hence, this could potentially derail Spurs' glorious season and make the run-in more fearsome for Spurs' fans than they could currently foresee.

Perhaps Defoe's statements are merely an attempt to take the pressure off of his team, but those statements are highly questionable. 

There are a lot of ways this Sunday's North London derby can play out, but one thing is clear: Tottenham can ill-afford a loss.

The pressure is on you, Spurs.