With the news that Spurs have announced more games at Wembley after further delays to the opening of the new White Hart Lane, could the Lillywhites first home game be against Arsenal in the North London derby? Read on for Layth Yousif’s verdict.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has once again apologised for another setback in delivering their new ground to fans.

The N17 outfit had hoped to be installed in their new ground last October but delays with the £1bn project has seen extra games added at their temporary home at Wembley.

The club have used the national stadium in North West London as a makeshift home since the start of last season and on Tuesday morning they confirmed another tranche of fixtures there.

With their Premier League games against Watford on January 30, Newcastle United on February 2 and Leicester City on February 10 as well as the first-leg of the Champions League last 16 against Borussia Dortmund on February 13 now scheduled for the 90,000 capacity ground speculation is rising the club’s first match could be against bitter rivals Arsenal, currently set for Saturday, March 2.

If Spurs were to beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the FA Cup fourth round later this month they could well be drawn at home in the firth next round on the weekend of 16-17 February – a match that would also see Wembley host the Tottenham.

In a statement released by the club Levy admitted: “I should like to apologise to our fans and thank you for your continued patience [in light of the extra delays].

“We shall now seek clarity in respect of building test schedules and test event dates and provide further information on these in the next two to three weeks.”

However, that option appears unlikely as Spurs would simply countenance a match against Unai Emery’s Arsenal as their showpiece first match at the revamped Lane, nor would a fixture the Met Police deem as their biggest flashpoint of the season be allowed to take place in N17.

Further delays apart it is believed the Lillywhites first match at the new ground bedevilled by delays and overspends could well be a London derby – but against Palace, rather than the Gunners on March 16.