If you believe the media narrative, Arsenal have been on the slide while Tottenham have been beavering away industriously, slowly closing the gap on Arsenal before passing them by this season.

Leaving aside the fact that Arsenal have just completely imploded this season allowing Tottenham to extend such a gap, how have things really gone over the past 10+ years?

If things have been going as the media and Spurs fans would have us believe, we should see an ever-decreasing gap, right?

Let’s take a look what’s happened since Arsenal last won the league (I don’t have the time to do it since Tottenham’s last league title):

04/05

• Arsenal 2^nd – 83 points
• Tottenham 9^th – 52 (-31)

05/06

• Arsenal 4^th – 67 points
• Tottenham 5^th – 65 (-2)

06/07

• Arsenal 4^th – 68 points
• Tottenham 5^th – 60 (-8)

07/08

• Arsenal 3^rd – 83 points
• Tottenham 11^th – 46 (-37)

09/10

• Arsenal 4^th – 72 points
• Tottenham 8^th – 51 (-21)

10/11

• Arsenal 4^th – 68 points
• Tottenham 5^th – 62 (-6)

11/12

• Arsenal 3^rd – 70 points
• Tottenham 4^th – 69 (-1)

12/13

• Arsenal 4^th – 73 points
• Tottenham – 72 (-1)

13/14

• Arsenal 4^th – 79 points
• Tottenham 6^th – 69 (-10)

14/15

• Arsenal 3^rd – 75 points
• Tottenham 5^th – 64 (-11)

15/16

• Arsenal 2^nd – 71 points
• Tottenham 3^rd – 70 (-1)

16/17

• ?

As you can see from the final league standings, there’s no doubt that the gap has closed but it has not been a ‘slow and steady’ rise by Spurs as evidenced by the fact that in two of the last three seasons Arsenal have finished more than 10 points ahead of Tottenham.

They also closed the gap from 31 points to just two back in 05/06 only to see it extended to eight and then THIRTY SEVEN the following two seasons.

And this is factoring in Arsenal’s restrictions due to their stadium build, something Spurs are still to face.

We’ve been here before.

The only difference is that Tottenham have managed to actually finish above Arsenal but there is nothing to indicate this is anything more than a weird fluke – this year’s Leicester, if you will.

If they manage it for the next five seasons in a row, when the count is 21-5, then maybe we can start a discussion.

Until then?

Shut up.