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In the noisy cauldron that was the Emirates for Sunday’s north London derby, Arsenal supporters weren’t merely spectators — they were protagonists. Before a ball had been kicked, they set the tone.
The tifo that rose from the North Bank was bold, cleverly antagonistic and — by almost every measure — a significant leap from the flat, awkward display that preceded the Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain in April.
On that occasion, the Gunners opted for a roof-hung cannon design. It was corporate and painfully sterile for one of the biggest European nights the Emirates had ever hosted.
A display that looked engineered in a boardroom rather than born in the stands. Many inside and outside the club saw it as a missed opportunity — a moment when the atmosphere could have been enhanced, but instead was flattened by over-management.
It also garnered mockery, with the Red Action supporters’ group, who work to improve the atmosphere at the Emirates, posting on X at the time: ‘The club fumbled our biggest home game in 16 years.’
This time, it was different. Very different. Ahead of Arsenal’s 4–1 dismantling of Tottenham, fans unfurled a vast banner featuring a montage of club icons from past and present. And at the very top, positioned deliberately, unavoidably, sat Sol Campbell.
Arsenal unveiled a spectacular tifo ahead of their 4-1 mauling of rivals Tottenham on Sunday
Supporters unfurled a vast banner featuring a montage of club icons from past and present - and at the very top sat Sol Campbell, who infamously moved from Spurs to the Gunners
The tifo marked a significant leap from the flat, awkward display that preceded the Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain in April, which was heavily criticised
His 2001 move from Spurs to the Gunners remains one of the rivalry’s deepest fault lines, and his presence towering over Thierry Henry, Tony Adams, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard was as much a taunt as a tribute.
The effect was immediate. The players felt it. The supporters felt it. Thierry Henry himself shared the image on social media with a simple verdict: ‘What a tifo! Thank you, Gooners!’
In a derby where history and hostility are inseparable, this wasn’t decoration. It was part homage, and part needle.
When asked about the tifo, Arteta told Daily Mail Sport: ‘It’s about constantly learning and the thing that I loved is that it came from our people.
‘Our supporters decided why they wanted to do, and how they wanted to do it and the club gave them a massive support to that. In the end it created something unique which is what you want and it was a great start to the day. I think it was beautifully delivered.’
That authenticity — fan-led, not club-driven — is precisely what fans felt had been missing in April.
Daily Mail Sport understands that multiple fan groups approached Arsenal weeks before the derby to express interest in creating something worthy of the occasion.
This time, the club embraced the idea rather than managing it at arm’s length.
Campbell made the move from Tottenham to Arsene Wenger's Arsenal in the summer of 2001
Mikel Arteta says the tifo was 'beautifully delivered' and that the club are 'constantly learning'
Dan Evans — a lifelong Gooner with clients including Adidas and Netflix — was commissioned to design the display, working from the London Colney training base with heavy input from supporter groups.
It was agreed that the design would centre on ‘five iconic moments from games vs Spurs over the years’.
Campbell’s inclusion, though, was the masterstroke. It was a reminder of the power shift that still defines the rivalry. In the theatre of a derby, that symbolism matters.
The impact was felt on the pitch, too. The display sharpened the atmosphere, adding bite to an already emotionally-loaded fixture.
Put side by side with April’s cannon effort, the contrast is striking. The derby tifo wasn’t just better designed — it was smarter, and more rooted in identity. It told a story and embraced fan voices, carrying emotional weight, too.
And beyond the artistry, it hinted at something more significant: that Arsenal are learning how to weaponize their stadium culturally.
Under Arteta, there has been a deliberate push to make the Emirates a fortress again with fans at the centre of this.
The PSG display was a reminder that when they fall flat, they expose a disconnect.
The north London derby tifo suggested that the gap is finally closing. It wasn’t just a statement to Spurs — it was a statement about who Arsenal want to be.
