**Tottenham all but ended Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Premier League with a win which boosted their own chances of qualifying for the Champions League.**Spurs’ Premier League debutant Danny Rose crashed a sublime 30-yard volley past Manuel Almunia after 10 minutes.
Gareth Bale tapped in Spurs’ second from six yards after Jermain Defoe’s pass, just a minute after half time.
Heurelho Gomes made three stunning saves to keep out Arsenal before Nicklas Bendtner pulled a goal back.
Both Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and Spurs manager Harry Redknapp admitted prior to the match that anything other than victory would end their hopes of achieving their respective targets this season.
For Arsenal that aim was winning the Premier League title, which now appears an unlikely outcome given that league leaders Chelsea are six points clear of the Gunners with four games still to play.
For Spurs, however, fourth place in the Premier League and qualification for the Champions League remains a realistic aim with Redknapp’s side one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City.
Both sides went into the north London derby viewing it as the perfect opportunity to put elimination from knock-out competitions behind them.
Spurs had suffered a 2-0 defeat by Portsmouth in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Sunday, while Arsenal’s last game was a 4-1 loss to Barcelona at the Nou Camp which ended their Champions League campaign.
But it was Tottenham, without the benefit of an eight-day break, who played with more desire.
Redknapp sprung a surprise in his starting line-up, throwing Rose into the fray - and that decision was to reap dividends.
Arsenal goalkeeper Almunia punched away a corner but 30-yards out Rose was lurking and the 19-year-old unleashed an instinctive left-foot volley beyond Almunia, who barely reacted.
Tottenham have only conceded 10 league goals at home this season, fewer than any other club in the division.
And Arsenal, unbeaten in their last eight league games, found the home side’s back line tough to break down, struggling to create clear-cut opportunities despite dominating possession.
Indeed, it was Spurs who started to ask questions of Arsenal’s unconvincing back line, by now weakened after Thomas Vermaelen limped off to be replaced by Mikael Silvestre.
Almunia thwarted Luka Modric bravely before Defoe’s snap-shot slammed into the body of the Spanish goalkeeper as Spurs pressed for a second goal.
And just one minute into the second half Spurs stunned Wenger’s title chasing side.
Defoe rode two challenges before splitting the Gunners’ defence with a diagonal ball to the edge of the six-yard box where Bale, being played onside by Bacary Sagna, stroked the ball home with ease.
Shell-shocked Arsenal eventually regained their composure and tried to pick a hole in the Spurs back line but clear cut opportunities were in short supply.
With the Spurs centre-back pairing of Ledley King and Michael Dawson proving impossible to break down Wenger threw on Robin van Persie for his first game since rupturing ankle ligaments five months ago.
And the Dutchman made an impressive impact forcing a stunning save from Heurelho Gomes as the Gunners manically searched for a goal.
Van Persie took the ball on his chest on the penalty spot and swivelled quickly to crash a volley towards goal but Gomes instinctively palmed the effort over the bar.
And Gomes denied Van Persie for the second time in two minutes when he got his outstretched hand to the striker’s vicious curling free kick to turn it around the post.
The Brazilian completed a hat-trick of superb saves when he tipped Sol Campbell’s header onto the crossbar.
However, tired legs which had defended manfully for Spurs finally relented as Arsenal pulled back a goal to set up a tense finale.
Theo Walcott’s low cross was met by Bedtner who stabbed home from three yards.
But despite unrelenting pressure Spurs held out to record their first league victory over their arch rivals since November 1999 - a run of 20 games.
Arsenal01 Almunia03 Sagna (Walcott 52)05 Vermaelen (Silvestre 20)22 Clichy27 Eboue31 Campbell02 Diaby07 Rosicky08 Nasri15 Denilson yellow card (Van Persie 68)52 BendtnerSubstitutes21 Fabianski,18 Silvestre,37 Eastmond,14 Walcott,32 Merida,09 Eduardo,11 Van PersieRef: ClattenburgAtt: 36,041ARSENALPossessionTottenham 37%Arsenal 63%Attempts on targetTottenham 10Arsenal 11Attempts off targetTottenham 3Arsenal 8CornersTottenham 4Arsenal 6FoulsTottenham 13Arsenal 10This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.