Arsenal have two hidden North London Derby motivations vs Tottenham in Premier League title race

Arsenal have the chance to do something really special this Sunday.

A 5-0 win over Chelsea on Tuesday night courtesy of an early goal from Leandro Trossard and second half braces from Ben White and Kai Havertz has helped them open up a three-point gap at the top of the Premier League. It's also helped them open up a massive gap over their fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

As the Gunners head into this Sunday's North London Derby they have a 17-point lead over Ange Postecoglu's side. Spurs have admittedly played two games fewer, but it's already a lead that is almost unassailable.

Should Arsenal beat Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Sunday, then St. Totteringham's Day will be guaranteed. In fact, a draw will be enough to get the job done.

For the uninitiated, St. Totteringham's Day is when Arsenal fans mock their Spurs rivals by officially celebrating finishing above Spurs in the Premier League. It's rumoured to have had its origins as far back as 2001, but came in to popular parlance around 2010.

Prior to last season, Spurs had lauded the bragging rights of finishing above their foes from the other end of the Seven Sisters Road for six straight years. Now though, it is a matter of time before Arsenal reclaim their north London superiority once again.

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A result at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will have the double boost of confirming Arsenal's spot in the Champions League next season as well. With a fifth qualification spot going to the league with the best coefficient there is technically an argument that they had done so already, with sixth-placed Newcastle already 27 points behind the Gunners. However, it appears that the fifth spot will be heading to the Bundesliga, with three German teams in the last four of European competitions this season, and England's sole representative being Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League.

It's a testament to how far Arsenal have come under Mikel Arteta that such an achievement is barely being spoken about. It's not so long ago that fans would have viewed finishing above Tottenham as a positive season, and Champions League qualification as the best they could hope for.

For the second consecutive season though, Arsenal are in the title race heading into the final weeks of the season, and comfortably clear of their north London rivals. That does not mean it will not be any less sweet to serve up a double hammer blow to Spurs this weekend, however.