A battle for the balance of power in North London is looming as Arsenal is set to square it out with Tottenham in a match that will determine the future of the two clubs in terms of European competitions qualifications more so the UEFA Champions League. Only one of these two clubs can enjoy UCL success in the coming season as the other will have to settle on the Europa League. Their upcoming 191st derby is set to be a more fierce one as the Champions League qualifications is essential in the evolution of both teams at the moment. None of these two teams boast of super-rich owners or a heavy commercial income to match the Premier League's biggest spenders and thus qualifying for Europe's most competitive club competition will go a long way in boosting their revenues as well as giving the clubs prestige if any of them were to achieve European glory.

The balance of power in the north London derby has always been about one club putting the other in their shadow and Arsenal were successful for a long time in this, especially under the reign of Arsene Wenger. Tottenham have recently turned the tide on Arsenal securing a higher place finish for the past five seasons including when they pipped the Gunners to the fourth spot during the final day of the 2018-19 season. Having local city bragging rights is one thing but qualifying for next season's Champions League at the expense of your next-door neighbor missing out due to your qualification is another. 

A win for Arsenal will mean that they have already qualified for the UCL as they will be permanently in fourth place with a maximum of two games left after the encounter. On the other hand, a win for Tottenham followed by a win over relegation-threatened Burnley on Sunday will mean that Arsenal will play their last game already cemented on position five even if they were to win the match. The balance of power in the north London derby is on a knife-edge and the future and ambitions of both clubs depend lie squarely within the 90 minutes of tomorrow's clash. This is what makes this match more important to the two teams even more than their final two matches of the league.