Arsenal defender Gabriel was surprised to learn that his new club's main rivals were Tottenham and not Chelsea. 1  The latest north London derby takes place on Sunday, but Arsenal defender Gabriel had no idea Tottenham were his club's main rivals until he moved to the capital. In a statement that is sure to stoke the fires even further, Gabriel says he thought Chelsea were Arsenal's biggest foes. He told ArsenalTVHD: Trying to win those matches is very difficult and I think the main rival is Tottenham.