Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty ImagesA derby win can turn around any struggles. Like in February, when the Gunners' reversal from 2-0 down sparked a late-year surge to overtake Spurs.

Without wanting to make this weekend's North London derby seem like a more dramatic and important game than it already is, there seems to be a strong sense amongst Arsenal fans that this Saturday's match could be defining one way or another.

However busy Arsenal fans have been this week with whatever they've had to pre-occupy themselves with, most will have had it in the back of their minds that it's derby week. In any season, it goes without saying that this game is massive. Arsenal's recent decline has meant the matches have become closer and last season saw a serious threat to the Gunners' footballing equilibrium of North London. Should Arsenal lose on Saturday, things could turn quite nasty for the board -- and maybe even Arsene Wenger. However a win would have the potential to turn the season around.

-Video: Press Pass on the match
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There was a similar situation back in February when Tottenham last made a hop across North London. Arsenal hadn't been in great form, recently battered by AC Milan in the Champions League, and Thierry Henry had gone back to New York so Arsenal couldn't rely on the great man. Add to that, Tottenham were in the top four and 10 points ahead of Arsenal going into the game. For the first time as an Arsenal fan, I really did wonder if Arsene Wenger was going to be in serious risk of losing his job, fearing that Arsenal would finish behind Spurs in the league.

That fear was increased when Arsenal were 2-0 down. I expected that some of the fans would turn on Arsene, the team and the club. However this was the derby. When you're playing your local rivals, there's no time for in-fighting and negativity towards the team. Even when losing, the atmosphere inside the Emirates was incredible that day. The fans were roaring every time an attack built up and every time a Tottenham player was tackled. For one of the first times since moving from Highbury, the Emirates Stadium felt like a cauldron, really intimidating for the opposition.

The team pulled together and after being sparked into life by Bacary Sagna's thumping header, went on to emphatically win 5-2. Despite the win, Arsenal were still seven points behind Tottenham. However that win was the start of a superb run of results that lead to Arsenal gobbling up the gap and overhauling Tottenham to finish third. Had they not turned the North London derby around, I doubt Arsenal would have made the surge past their neighbours in the table. Last season had the potential to feel utterly disastrous, yet the momentum gained from the Tottenham game saved it from the apocalypse.

Even though the derby at the Emirates Stadium in this campaign falls earlier in the season, a win could give this Arsenal team the confidence and momentum needed to put together a series of good results. Nothing gets Arsenal fans behind the team more than if they beat Tottenham. On the flip side, with the questions being asked to all levels in the club hierarchy, a defeat could see the team's slide continue and make it a very long season.

For the fans, the North London derby isn't always an enjoyable experience. It feels fraught with danger and risk that other matches don't come near to producing. It's never just another defeat. It's a pain that can last until the next derby. A win and it's one of the best days in the season; lose and it's the worst. There's not really any middle ground for Arsenal or Tottenham fans.

As exemplified by the 5-2 win in February, Arsenal fans need to leave any disputes or unhappiness at the board alone for 90 minutes. They need to create a raucous atmosphere for the derby, because whatever people think of the players who'll start for Arsenal on Saturday, they'll be wearing the cannon for a North London derby so they should get support. The match will be discussed and dissected copiously afterwards, but given its importance to Arsenal's season, an incredible atmosphere during the game can help the team finally kick start this season.

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