Rivalries in English football remain the order of the day, and Arsenal is no exception. The Gunners, as they are popularly called, have some of the biggest rivalry in London, Premier League, and English football dating back to the early years of its foundation.

Arsenal was founded in 1886 and is located in southeast London. The club was first known as Dial Square before changing its name to Royal Arsenal soon after. However, this did not last long and was eventually changed to Vulich Arsenal in 1891. The current name was born following the relocation to Highbury.

Arsenal, one of the historic teams in English football, has continued to compete at the highest level and has also established some rivalries across the country, which are as follows.

1. North London Derby: Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal moved to Highbury, just a few kilometres from Tottenham’s White Hart Lane, which was recently demolished for the New Tottenham Hotspur stadium. This was when the natural rivalry between the two clubs began.

Read: Tottenham biggest rivals – The top 3 London and Premier League ranked

The North London derby is by far one of the hottest rivalries in England. The clash between the two clubs is seen as the longest-running and the most profound rivalry currently active in the Premier League.

This is a result of the closeness of the two clubs representing the city at the highest stage of football in the country.

Arsenal is a club that prides itself on the best, having won Premier League titles, FA Cups, and League Cup titles better than their rivals, boosting some major domestic titles. The match between the two clubs is always sold out, with an average matchday attendance in the region of about 50-60 thousand spectators.

2. Arsenal vs West Ham United

On this day in 2020: Alexandre Lacazette scored 12 minutes from time as Arsenal beat West Ham 1-0 in their last match before the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. Mesut Özil provided the assist for Lacazette, on what was his final appearance for the club. #afc pic.twitter.com/roOocDolaH

— afcstuff (@afcstuff) March 7, 2023

Arsenal also holds another rivalry with West Ham United, although it is not one of the most spoken derbies in the city.

Regarding the Arsenal vs West Ham United rivalry, Arsenal emerged as superior in terms of trophies and achievements over the years.

Arsenal’s domestic status gives it a superior look. West Ham, on the other hand, has constantly played at the highest level of English football and has proved to be a major opposition for Arsenal and Manchester United.

3. Arsenal vs Chelsea

This is also one of the most heated rivalries in London. Even though the two sides may not see themselves as primary rivals, there is always intense competition among the fans.

Chelsea fans are known for bragging rights regarding who is better between the two sides. The Blues Chelsea prides itself as the London-based club with the most international trophies, having won the UEFA Champions League two times, UEFA Europa League two times as well as one UEFA Super Cup

Read: London football clubs – ranking the best soccer teams

Arsenal, on the other hand, sees themselves as the most successful and outstanding London team domestically as the club has won the most Premier League, League Cups, and FA Cups compared to Chelsea.

Premier League-level rivalry

4. Arsenal vs Manchester United

This is by far voted as the biggest rivalry by Arsenal in the league and is regarded to be higher than the derby with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. When the two teams clash, it is always the talk of who plays it better. On several occasions, the two clubs have struggled against each other.

The competition between the two clubs started to heat up in the late 1990s and early 2000s when they began to compete frequently for the EPL title and the FA Cup, a competition the Gunners established a stronghold to date.

As a result of this intense rivalry, the managers at the time (Arsène Wenger (Arsenal) and Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United) are sometimes caught in a bitter feud.

5. Arsenal vs Fulham

The derby between the two sides is minor, although the two clubs have met on several occasions, including in the league and FA Cup and other notable matches.