Should we be cheering Arsenal on Saturday?

Arsenal meet Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday in what could be a crucial encounter for the title race and the top four. But should Spurs fans be cheering on Arsenal to help our top four aspirations?

Is it time to stop wanting them to lose all the time and concentrate on ourselves?

Let’s be honest, we are obsessed by the former South London club. Just listen how long it takes the home support down the Lane to start signing ‘stand up if you hate Arsenal’ during a game. Listen to the cheer when they go one nil down and the score rolls across Jumbotron screen. Remember the North London Barcelona supporters club before the Champions League final in 2006? Barca, Barca cheered the White Hart Lane faithful. Belletti was a hero of mine with that winning goal until he tarnished his reputation by joining Chelsea in 2007.

But do we need an Arsenal win to help us get into the top four? I believe you can never want your team to lose. In my case that’s Tottenham Hotspur, although that was a struggle during the last game of the season in 1999 when we played Manchester United who were battling with Arsenal for the title. Obviously I didn’t want Arsenal to win the title but I did cheer when Les Ferdinand put us one up. Thankfully Manchester United in those days was made of sterner stuff than presently and came back to win 2-1 with goals from David Beckham and Andrew Cole to lift the title by one point from Arsenal.

I also believe as a Tottenham Hotspur fan you can never want Arsenal to win or draw to be honest. I want them to lose every game and I am convinced at times I’ve had more joy at some of their lost games than I have with some of Spurs wins. But I do think that in recent years we have become too obsessed with them losing. The closer we get the more obsessed we get. Let’s be honest with ourselves for once whatever we do they do better. We win double in ‘61; they do it 3 times. We beat them in ’91 FA Cup semi-finals, they beat us in ’93 and 2001. We think Pat Jennings is finished and let him go he plays 8 seasons there. They get George Graham the trophy collector; we get George Graham and his long coat. They get Arsene Wenger and we get Christian Gross. We take Rohan Ricketts and they take Sol Campbell. Let’s leave that one there shall we.

I am convinced that Spurs will win the Champions League one day but unfortunately somehow Arsenal will win The World Cup. Writing all of that has made my hatred go to new levels. But its time I got some perspective in my football life. I want Arsenal to beat Liverpool on Saturday. There you go, I’ve said it, and now I feel guilty and dirty saying it. We need top four and Champions League football.

Actually I take that all back, the guilt is too much. As you and I know if we finish fourth Arsenal will win the title and Manchester United will have a miracle Champions League win. Winning against Real Madrid on penalties, with Bale and Modric missing there penalties. Sod Champions League football, come on Liverpool, come on Manchester United and come on Bayer Munich. Stand up if you hate Arsenal. I am standing tall and proud. Are you?

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