North London Derby made for stoppage-time madness
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Reading Time: 3min | Sun. 23.11.25. | 12:57
Arsenal and Tottenham walk into the Sunday clash with three injury-time goals between them last weekend… and the season screaming for more (7.30 pm)
If you love chaos, late twists, goals in the red zone and games that flip upside down in a heartbeat - this Premier League season was built for you. Football in 2025/26 has entered an era where nothing is finished at 90 minutes. The real story begins when the clock goes red.
And now, we're heading straight into Arsenal-Tottenham, a derby between two sides who, just last weekend, scored and conceded three stoppage-time goals combined!
You won't find a clearer warning about what's coming. The numbers say it all…
- 13.7% of all goals this season have been scored in stoppage time - an all-time record!
- Nearly a quarter of all goals arrive after the 80th minute.
- Matchday 6 saw eight stoppage-time goals in a single day.
- 18.6% of winning goals now fall after the 90th minute.
If you want a symbol of this new era, look no further than Danny Welbeck scoring in the 100th minute against Chelsea. Once a rarity, today - just another weekend in England. The last EPL round was, for instance, pure madness.
In London, we saw a finish for the ages: Richarlison scores in the 91st for 2-1 Tottenham… only for Matthijs de Ligt to level it 2-2 in the 96th. Two plot twists in minutes - the perfect snapshot of this season's Premier League. No finish is safe, no lead survives untouched.
Arsenal lived through the same nightmare. Holding the advantage until deep into stoppage time, only to see Brian Brobbey strike in the 94th minute for 2-2. Another match shattered at the death, and another reminder that late goals decide everything.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
1) Matches now last 100 minutes
Referees are punishing every delay: VAR checks, injuries, substitutions, time-wasting - nothing is ignored.
Result: games routinely run to 95, 98, even 100 minutes of real battle.
2) The five-sub rule: fresh legs vs. dead legs
Defenders are exhausted. Coaches unleash fresh, explosive attackers. The pace spikes. So do late chances… and late goals.
3) Pure direct football in the dying minutes
Long balls, cut-backs, diagonals, second phases, ricochets - and yes, the return of the brutal weapon: the long throw-in. Thomas Tuchel put it simply: "The long throw is back."
This season proves him right.
4) A new mentality: nobody sits back
Underdogs fight for every last second. Favourites know that 1-0 is no longer protection. Teams attack until the whistle, which is why even a 2–0 lead isn’t safe in the 85th minute.
A DERBY DESIGNED FOR LATE-MATCH CHAOS
Arsenal and Spurs enter this duel with: in-form attacks, unstable defences, proven ability to score late, proven ability to concede late, psychological scars from last weekend's endings. Everything points toward a derby that may explode in the final minutes. For live bettors, the hottest markets will be:
* goal after 80’
* both teams to score in the second half
* next goal
* late comeback (when momentum shifts)
BOTTOM LINE: DON'T LEAVE THE TV IN THE 85TH MINUTE
The Premier League 2025/26 is a monster of unpredictability. And nobody gives up. Arsenal-Tottenham is a derby that screams late drama, late goals, maybe even a late comeback.
If you love live betting - this is your match. If you love uncertainty - this is your match. If you love football - this is compulsory viewing. At 85 minutes, don't switch off. In the 2025/26 Premier League, that's when the story actually begins.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE - ROUND 12
Saturday
Burnley - Chelsea 0-2 (0-1)
/Neto 37, Fernandez 88/
Bournemouth - West Ham 2-2 (0-2)
/Tavernier 69 pen, Unal 81 - Wilson 11, 35/
Brighton - Brentford 2-1 (0-0)
/Welbeck 71, Hinshelwood 84 - Thiago 29 pen/
Fulham - Sunderland 1-0 (0-0)
/Jimenez 84/
Liverpool - Nottingham Forest 0-3 (0-1)
/Murillo 33, Savona 46, Gibbs-White 78/
Wolverhampton - Crystal Palace 0-2 (0-0)
/Munoz 63, Pino 69/
Newcastle - Manchester City 2-1 (0-0)
/Barnes 63, 70 - Dias 68/
Sunday
17.00: (3.05) Leeds (3.25) Aston Villa (2.40)
19.30: (1.45) Arsenal (4.70) Tottenham (8.00)
Monday
23.00: (1.80) Man.Utd. (3.70) Everton (5.00)
***odds are subject to change***
