Bukayo Saka’s response to relegation question in 2021 shows Arsenal’s mentality difference compared to Tottenham

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While Arsenal are enjoying another steady season competing for major honours, rivals Tottenham are enduring a miserable campaign, languishing just above the relegation zone.

The Gunners sit comfortably in second in the Premier League, while Paris Saint-Germain await Mikel Arteta’s team in the Champions League semi-final.

Meanwhile, Spurs also have a European semi-final to look forward to, but they’re currently 16th in the league with five games remaining.

The two North London clubs were fighting neck and neck in most seasons until a few years ago, but the pendulum has well and truly swung back in Arsenal’s favour now.

• READ MORE: Step aside Saliba and Gabriel, Arsenal’s most important partnership is back and will be key to Mikel Arteta’s Champions League dreams

Bukayo Saka’s Arsenal relegation comments from 2021

Arsenal had finished above Tottenham for 21 successive league campaigns between 1995 and 2016, before the Lillywhites finally trumped the Gunners in the 2016/17 season.

They then enjoyed six consecutive years of denying Arsenal St. Totteringham’s day, before Mikel Arteta’s team reversed the trend in 2023.

This season, Arsenal enjoyed their earliest finish above Spurs since 2008, with Ange Postecoglou’s side flattering to deceive, enduring a diabolic league campaign from start to finish.

There’s been minimal heat on Tottenham compared to what Arsenal had to put up with when they finished eighth in the 2020/21 season, when relegation talk was casually flaunted about.

Sky Sports sat down and spoke to Bukayo Saka and a number of Arsenal’s other young players at the end of that campaign, and asked the Gunners’ talisman about relegation.

“The team were actually in relegation trouble,” the interviewer explained.

“Relegation?” Saka interrupted. “Nahhhhh.”

Fast forward four years, and Spurs are eight places lower than Arsenal were that season, and are set to finish on a significantly lower points total.

Yet, while the promoted sides have kept the gap to the drop zone large, there’s been little criticism about Spurs and them potentially losing their top-flight status.

The mere mention of relegation was enough to prompt a reaction from Saka, while the likes of James Maddison and Brennan Johnson were pictured laughing on the sidelines as Tottenham slumped to their 18th defeat of the league season at home to Nottingham Forest on Monday night.

Tottenham aren’t in the same stratosphere as Arsenal

As shown by the drastically different media coverage between the two sides, Tottenham aren’t in the same stratosphere as Arsenal.

The white side of North London don’t boast the same volume of fans worldwide, have far fewer trophies to their name and are currently so far off from competing where Arsenal are.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	33	24	7	2	75	31	44	79
2	ArsenalArsenal	33	18	12	3	61	27	34	66
3	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	33	18	6	9	53	39	14	60
4	NewcastleNewcastle	33	18	5	10	62	44	18	59
5	Man CityManchester City	33	17	7	9	64	42	22	58
6	ChelseaChelsea	33	16	9	8	58	40	18	57
7	Aston VillaAston Villa	33	16	9	8	53	47	6	57
8	B’mouthBournemouth	33	13	10	10	52	40	12	49
9	FulhamFulham	33	13	9	11	48	45	3	48
10	BrightonBrighton	33	12	12	9	53	53	0	48
11	BrentfordBrentford	33	13	7	13	56	50	6	46
12	Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace	33	11	11	11	41	45	-4	44
13	EvertonEverton	33	8	14	11	34	40	-6	38
14	Man UtdManchester United	33	10	8	15	38	46	-8	38
15	WolvesWolves	33	11	5	17	48	61	-13	38
16	TottenhamTottenham	33	11	4	18	61	51	10	37

Ultimately, comparing them at this stage of their various projects is completely redundant.

While Arteta and his team can’t get complacent, Arsenal fans should have several years of superiority over their neighbours to enjoy yet.