Arsenal’s season has been feted for excessive score-lines, be it their 8-2 Manchester United annihilation, or the surprised 5-3 victory at Stamford Bridge – Sunday’s North London Derby was no different. Arsenal hauled their way back from 2-0 down to once again prove that ascendancy and success in north London is coloured red. Home fans approached this sunny derby day with trepidation, and when they saw their side already 2-0 down after half an hour, their worries looked lamentably justified. Spurs seemed set for their first back-to-back league wins away to Arsenal for 86 years, after a regrettable Louis Saha goal put them ahead within the first five minutes and – typically – acrimonious ex-Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor stepped up to convert a penalty thirty minutes later. Considering Arsenal’s latest results; losing 4-0 away to Milan in the Champions League and being knocked out of the FA Cup by Sunderland last weekend, Arsene Wenger’s side showed tremendous resilience and hardy willpower that has – certainly in games aforementioned – been wanting so many times this season. While it does not make up, as such, for other painful losses this season, beating Spurs – especially at home – is one of the Arsenal fans’ must-win results. While home fans’ heads were down, and frustration was tangible with every missed pass and player misdemeanour, they were handed cause for relief when, after chances for Van Persie and Rosicky went awry, Bacary Sagna granted Arsenal a comeback header. It was, of course, the irrepressible Arsenal captain Robin “He scores when he likes” Van Persie who scored the sumptuous equaliser for the Gunners, just three minutes later, on the brink of half-time. Arsenal kept their momentum into the second half, giving hope to their chase for a top four place and denting the confidence of Tottenham for theirs – Redknapp’s double half-time substitution was not enough to halt their decline in this game, as Tomas Rosicky cemented Arsenal’s ownership on the result with their third goal five minutes into the second half. Brad Friedel did well to save Yossi Benayoun’s strike before Rosicky beat Ledley King to direct Sagna’s cross into the net. It was a rare treat for the Emirates crowd to witness a goal from the Czech midfielder – but nothing that hasn’t been deserved for him, in recent efforts. It was the reassurance that Arsenal needed to secure a more handsome victory, and while Spurs were still reeling at losing their 2-0 lead, Theo Walcott – of all people – scored a brace to end the game at 5-2. The winger has met his fair share of, not wholly undue, criticism this season – indeed even his performance in this first half exemplified this – but his succession of confident finishes on the 65th and 68th minutes showed fans and critics alike what they have been missing (or indeed, what he has been inhibiting). All the anxiety Arsenal fans carried into the stadium for the start of the match had dispersed into the winter sun to ignite a party atmosphere and a glimmer of hope for defeatist Arsenal fans unsure of what the rest of their season has in store. They, like the manager, will be hoping this victory against their great-pretender rivals will spark the turning point for the rest of their season. They have no cups left to win, but all the pride left to play for in chasing a top four position. Harry’s infamous invisible CV for the England manager job was given the seal of approval by jubilant Arsenal fans, cheering “Harry for England!” Jokes aside, with a big match coming up against Manchester United next week – and now minus Scott Parker after his second yellow late on at The Emirates, Spurs will need to shake themselves off in preparation for it. No matter what happens this season, Arsenal fans at least have Sunday 26th February to reminisce on with glee and renewed pride.