Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur put their intense on-field rivalry to one side on Monday by taking the unusual step of issuing a joint statement condemning the chants of some of their supporters at Sunday's north London derby at White Hart Lane.
An incendiary mix of bitter local rivalry and two teams searching for consistency amid fan disquiet see Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur throw themselves into the bearpit of a North London derby at the Emirates on Saturday.
Swansea City came from behind to beat Arsenal 2-1 and Tottenham Hotspur's misery continued with a 2-1 home defeat by Stoke City, making it a nightmare Sunday for north London.
The three favourites for the English League Cup were kept apart when the draw for the quarter-finals was made on Saturday. Manchester United will host Blackburn Rovers in the only all Premier League clash while Arsenal, who will keep faith with their policy of fielding the reserves in the competition, will travel to Championship (second division) Burnley who beat Chelsea on penalties on Wednesday.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has written to the fans asking them to lower their expectations in the wake of the team's fourth Premier League defeat.
Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Juventus consolidated their top-flight leads at the weekend while Paris St Germain proved too strong for Ligue 1 leaders Olympique Marseille.
Ten-man Premier League leaders Leicester City lost at title-chasing Arsenal, while La Liga pacesetters Barcelona crushed Celta Vigo and Juventus took over from Napoli at the top of Serie A by edging their rivals.