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We asked for your views on the debate around Tottenham's dwindling 'big-six' status, and whether either Aston Villa or Newcastle has a case to take their place.

Here are some of your comments:

Spurs fans

Dave: In recent years, our being viewed as one of the big six has become increasingly ridiculous. History and a nice stadium simply isn't enough. We've had some interesting managers and some good players - but despite that have remained a consistently mediocre team. If the owners don't get VERY serious about significant investment in our squad very soon, I think we're doomed. Relegation would be heartbreaking but it's where we are. I'm 72 and have been a fan since I was six. It's getting hard to remain hopeful.

Colin: Have we ever been a top-six club? Maybe we expect too much from our team - we just do not have the financial resources to get a top-six team together, let alone a top-four one. I am worried that we are battling to stay up this year - we really need to win at least four more games and the way we are playing I just cannot see that! We are a long way off top six.

Chris: Agree with Wayne Rooney's comments - this team is average at best and has a poor attitude. I don't blame Thomas Frank at all, I genuinely feel sorry for him and now we're seeing it all play out again with Igor Tudor. Are we going to blame him too? No manager is going to fix this mess until the board shows some real ambition. We need four or five proven, high-quality signings. There are also deeper, structural problems that have been there for years. Championship next season.

Brian: Yeah we are still a big-six team. Any club with as many players injured as we have would be struggling. It would be a different story with all players fit - so, yes.

Aston Villa fans

Carl: In the past three seasons, Spurs have been in the top six once, flirting with relegation last year and again this year. Meanwhile, Villa have been in the top six twice in the past three years and are firmly there again this year. Spurs shouldn't be mentioned in the 'big-six' conversation any more.

Paul: Yes of course Villa are a top-six club. Look at Unai Emery's record - a top-class European manager and sold-out games at a great stadium. Only PSR stops them being even more successful. Tottenham are nowhere near being called a top-six club.

James: Villa have always been a big-six club. Spurs' inclusion was always utterly baffling, and based purely on London bias. They have a big stadium? Wow. It's soulless, and they were being considered as part of the big six before that was even built, so that's not it. Villa are huge. Football royalty.

Daniel: All day long Villa are bigger than Spurs. They have a better stadium - that's it. Villa would be even bigger and would definitely be challenging for titles if they could spend. If Unai could buy who he wanted, Villa would have won the league this year. In reality, we've lost our midfield and are still competing better than Spurs. Anyone who think Spurs are top six are deluded or a Spurs fan.

Alan: I don't think Villa, as a club or the fans, could care less about whether they're regarded as a 'big-six' club. Let the results speak for themselves. When Villa Park is redeveloped to accommodate over 50,000, then maybe they'll be viewed differently.

Newcastle fans

Simon: Spurs still receive disproportionate media coverage and were part of the ill-fated Super League. Their on-field performances have been enough for Newcastle or Villa to replace them. The idea of the 'big six' can become the 'big five', neither of the aforementioned clubs need it.

Adam: We're realistically down to a 'big three' of regular Premier League title contenders. At this point, Newcastle don't have the financial clout to compete at that level. It's probably a discussion that is worth revisiting in a few years' time though.

Tom: Newcastle's average finishing position over the past four seasons is fifth. The 'big six' is nonsense anyway. Little Tottenham have only been placed there by the media. Newcastle should definitely replace them and Aston Villa should replace Manchester United, who were also in a relegation battle last season and aren't playing in Europe this season.

Sean: Newcastle and Aston Villa have both broken into the top six over the past few years. Spurs change their manager regularly and are nowhere near the top six any more. Newcastle should be a top-six team, just in front of Villa because of winning a cup.

Tottenham would be naive to believe they are a top-six team, says Wayne Rooney following Spurs' 4-1 defeat by Arsenal on Sunday.

"Tottenham are just not a good team," the former Manchester United forward told The Wayne Rooney Show.

"You talk about them being a big-six club, but if you go through the squad and players man-for-man, they're probably in the position they should be.

"It's obviously a big club with a nice, new stadium and a nice training ground, but I just don't think the players are good enough to compete at the top end of the Premier League.

"Nottingham Forest have a better squad than them and they're in a similar position in the league so, I think they're being a bit naive, whether that's the fans or the club, in thinking they're a top-six team - they're not, they're miles off it."

But Rooney does believe Spurs will avoid relegation this season, despite being four points off West Ham in the drop zone.

"I think they'll be fine, I don't think they'll get relegated but they're down there, just like they were last season and a little bit closer this season. But I think they're just about good enough not to go down.

"Tottenham over the past 15 years have been towards the top end of the table and they've spent a lot of money on the stadium and players so if they get relegated, it's a big worry for them."

Rooney's top-six comments come a fortnight after former manager Ange Postecoglou also criticised Tottenham for not acting like a "big club" while he was their coach.

What do you think about Tottenham's big-six status? Is it in jeopardy from the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle or is it too established to be questioned?

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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.

Here are some of your comments:

Spurs fans

Alan: Put in whatever manager you like, the problem is the mediocre players purchased who are not Premier League quality. We seem to buy anyone to plug the gap but it will never work - we need class players like we've had in the past, but we won't attract them in the Championship.

Dan: What I expected really, much of the same from the past two seasons. Moments of hope and positive flashes, but mainly negative football and silly decisions. I doubt even Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp could make this current group of players perform well. If you had a team of workers in an office job who turned up each week and spent their day just mooching about the office, occasionally tapping some keys of the computer but producing nothing, they'd be sacked for failing to do what they're employed to do. Spurs are literally doing the equivalent of this on the pitch.

Tristen: Playing three at the back is suicidal. Playing too many players out of their natural positions is also comical. This game was a free hit as fans weren't expecting a win, but a proper system and structure is the minimum we should have got out this game. On this system and style, we are favourites for relegation.

Fran: Shocking display from Spurs... Archie Gray too weak, Djed Spence keeps losing the ball. No real fight. Can't see a way out of it.

Arsenal fans

Giso: Arsenal's mentality will make them win the title because they played against Spurs like nothing went wrong in the previous game.

Vince: A great result but let's not get carried away. This was a Spurs team missing key players through injury and unsurprisingly clunky in possession. Arsenal, meanwhile, were allowed to play their usual game - which they weren't allowed to at Brentford and Wolves and see what happened there. Still, it's a brilliant confidence booster for Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres and renews that all-important belief that this might be the season Arsenal cross the finish line first.

Helen: What's the earliest St Totteringham's day could be this year?

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Arsenal's superior quality ultimately showed in their 4-1 north London derby win, but they were also very clever with the way they exposed Tottenham's tactical weaknesses too.

Spurs' 3-5-2 shape under new boss Igor Tudor, and the fact they did not just sit in, left space for Arsenal to exploit in forward areas on Sunday.

The Gunners ran away with the game in the end but, in the first half, when it was still in the balance, the area where they had the most attacking edge was down their right-hand side, where Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber were dominant.

It's never easy to stop a team like Arsenal when so many of their players are playing well, but what the Gunners did really well was produce moments of quality or skill in attack when it mattered.

They looked back to the levels we have seen them perform at for so long this season - this was a great performance by them, not just a brilliant result.

Timber is one of the best attacking right-backs in the Premier League, if not the world, and I have seen him cause many teams problems with the way he mixes his runs up - sometimes he supports, sometimes he overlaps and he can make runs inside too. He is an intelligent footballer.

Saka has had a few people question him recently, but against Spurs he was back on it and back to his confident best.

With the understanding those two have got, it was always going to be difficult to stop them down Arsenal's right but it was even harder for Spurs because they were reactive rather than proactive in dealing with the danger.

At times Xavi Simons, who was playing as a second striker, was having to run back to the left-back position to help. On other occasions it was Pape Matar Sarr coming over from midfield, or Mickey van de Ven covering from centre-half.

Spurs' system saw Simons and Sarr left to cover long distances to get back and it also meant there was often a mixture of someone who is not used to defending in those areas - as Sarr was when he was left one-on-one with Saka for Arsenal's first goal - and also not being sure who was doing what, and when.

That's not ideal against any team, let alone one as good as Arsenal, and Mikel Arteta's side started getting more and more joy down that flank, with Timber often having time on the ball to pick his passes - like he did to find Viktor Gyokeres for their second goal.

Tottenham battled really well in the first half and, although the game got away from them after the break, it wasn't through any lack of effort.

They were set up okay too, but I think it did help Arsenal that Spurs were at home and under a new manager because they were expected to have a go rather than just park the bus.

Spurs tried to press Arsenal at times which leaves you open to counter-attacks and also leaves space in behind, which the Gunners are good at exploiting.

In the second half, Arsenal's quality shone through and Tottenham looked tired - their lack of numbers because of injuries began to show.

Still, what was impressive from Arsenal when they were 2-1 up is that they did not sit back and try to see out time.

Instead, they were quite ruthless and kept coming forward. That's understandable when you think about what happened to them on Wednesday when they were pegged back by Wolves after leading 2-0.

I wondered what would happen if they got in front this time, and they had obviously talked about what they would do differently.

So, from that point of view, because of the doubts over their mentality after their past couple of results, it was important to see them play so positively.

The same applies for some of their individual players, as well as the whole team.

As well as his two goals, Eberechi Eze had a great game overall. I was pleased for him because he has had a few question marks over his form recently, and we know he is a super talent.

With him playing so well in the central areas as a number 10, Tottenham's midfielders had something else to worry about - and being busy there meant they could not easily help deal with Saka and Timber out wide.

Declan Rice was making all these runs too, bursting forward to try to make amends for his mistake for Tottenham's equaliser, so there was all sorts going on.

Rice is always influential, of course, but he was especially impressive here. Instead of dwelling on his mistake, he used it to focus and bring more energy and clarity to what he was doing.

When he dropped into defence after that, he played it simple and quick with his goalkeeper or centre-half - he didn't risk anything again.

But when he was going the other way, he was trying everything - making runs, getting on the end of knockdowns, bombing forward and occupying defenders.

He is always totally focused anyway so it is hard to judge exactly how much difference that mistake made to his performance but it felt to me like he actually upped his game, which takes great mental strength.

There have been times in the past where, when you are playing Arsenal, Saka and Odegaard are the two players you know you need to stop.

Teams would think, if you can condense play in their areas, you can control them - and if it goes over to another part of the pitch, you can cope with it.

On Sunday, however, it felt like Arsenal were coming from every angle in the end. Eze, especially, was getting on the ball in these pockets of space in front of the Spurs defence.

That helped Gyokeres too, because it meant there was more room for him as well.

Gyokeres had started well anyway, and had a great early chance which he made himself, but this ended up being one of his best games in an Arsenal shirt.

It probably helped that he had a yard of pace on Radu Dragusin, who is not the quickest defender, but he played on him nicely and it was clever of him to stay on the left side.

I remember watching a lot of Gyokeres' goals for Sporting and he liked to come off that flank a lot, and we have not seen him do it enough this season.

That might change now and, when he got his first goal, it was like the weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Some of the Arsenal fans who are not convinced by him are going to be more on his side now he has scored twice against Tottenham, and his goals were top quality too.

I'd say that was one of his best games in an Arsenal shirt and to do it in a north London derby will do him the world of good.

Danny Murphy was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

For those who have followed Eberechi Eze's career, the sight of him wheeling away to celebrate an important goal towards the end of the season will not come as a surprise.

Tottenham Hotspur fans, though, will be happy not to come up against the Arsenal forward again until next season.

Eze has scored 40 Premier League goals in his six league seasons, with 19 coming from the 30th game onwards.

Basically, the England international has a record of netting goals late in the campaign, when it matters most.

Eze, who scored the winning goal for Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final last season against Manchester City, has tormented Spurs since turning them down last summer to sign for the Gunners.

Having netted a hat-trick in the 4-1 north London derby win back in November, another two followed in Sunday's crucial encounter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"He had that belief and I'm really happy with him. He's really trying to mould and adapt into what we want from him," said boss Mikel Arteta.

Ironically, Eze's other league goal this season came against his former side Palace in a 1-0 win in October, which means all his league goals this term have come against those two teams.

And after his brace in Arsenal's latest thumping of their rivals, only Robert Pires (seven) and Emmanuel Adebayor (six) have more Premier League goals for the Gunners against Tottenham than Eze's five.

He is also the first Arsenal player to score five or more goals against an opponent in the same top-flight season since Adebayor against Derby in 2007-08 (six).

Supporters had already taken to the 27-year-old because of the way he signed for the club, turning down Spurs to join them instead in a £60m deal, but the goals he has scored are the icing on the cake.

It's been a difficult period for Eze, who has found minutes in the league hard to come by and this was was only his second start in the league since December.

He has a tough route into the team with captain Martin Odegaard a key part of Arteta's first-choice midfield when he is fit and Leandro Trossard being in good form on the left wing, which is the other position Eze might feature.

The Arsenal boss did trial Eze on the left, but he switched off when Matty Cash scored Aston Villa's opener in their 2-1 defeat in December and, despite starting the following game, he was left on the substitute's bench for the next four league matches.

Arteta opted to play England winger Bukayo Saka from the start in the disappointing 2-2 draw with Wolves in midweek as a number 10 - ahead of Eze, who started on the bench.

And the Spaniard admitted: "He was upset, even with me, because I didn't play him the other day from the beginning, and some of the decisions that I made. And I just have to understand how we're going to get the best out of him now."

Arteta was asked by BBC Sport whether Eze's record of producing goals at the end of the season was one of the reasons they signed him.

"We looked at every stat, but that one, to be very honest, no," he added while laughing.

"He scored five goals in the last few games against them, which is extremely difficult to do. But I could see that he wanted to prove something."

England manager Thomas Tuchel was in attendance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Eze will have hoped to have caught his eye after a recent lack of game time to boost his World Cup hopes this summer.

"Today it's worked out, we thank God for it," Eze told Sky Sports. "We put in a good performance. We did what we needed to do, which was the main thing.

"I'm always trying to get in those positions to be ready and to find the space and to work hard to get those opportunities. It takes a lot to get there and it's worked out today."

Arsenal's 4-1 North London derby win over Tottenham was twice held up because of communication problems between the match officials.

The match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was delayed for over five minutes in the first half because of an issue with the battery pack worn by assistant referee Blake Antrobus.

Play was held up because Antrobus could not talk to referee Peter Bankes and the other officials.

The start of the second half was also delayed for several minutes and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta did not look amused.

"Every time we are [late] out of the dressing room, we get huge fines," he said afterwards.

"So, I said to them who's going to get this fine because that's six, seven, eight, nine minutes? So, yeah, we've got one in the bag now."

Sky pundit Gary Neville, who was summarising on the game, branded the incidents "an absolute shambles".

Former Premier League referee Darren Cann told BBC Sport the match could not resume until the problem was resolved.

Cann said: "It appears that the assistant referee on the far side, Blake Antrobus, had an issue with his battery pack, which is worn on the arm.

"It's important that the match officials can hear each other as they are in constant communication throughout the match.

"The game would therefore be stopped until a Hawk Eye operator can get to pitch side to the assistant referee to fix the communication issue."

BBC Sport asked Hawk Eye for a comment, but they have yet to respond.

Igor Tudor's plain speaking made it clear he was under no illusions about the job in front of him after succeeding sacked Thomas Frank to take charge of Spurs until the end of the season.

And if any illusions remained, they were banished by the ease with which Spurs were swept aside by Arsenal.

Randal Kolo Muani's bustling equaliser offered some hope, but once his side fell behind early in the second half, the game was effectively over as a contest.

The home side never lacked endeavour, but this depleted squad was no match for Arsenal, the gulf in class between the teams brutally exposed.

Tudor returns to the training ground with a genuine relegation fight on his hands as Spurs now lie 16th, four points above the bottom three.

This was a painful introduction for the Croatian and, on this evidence, there may be more pain to come before matters improve, as they will have to do.

Arsenal answered questions posed about their nerve under pressure in the most emphatic fashion in the north London derby to suggest this is a Premier League race that will go down to the wire.

The manner in which Mikel Arteta's side collapsed in losing a two-goal lead at doomed Wolverhampton Wanderers saw old uncertainties and past pain resurface as hunters Manchester City scented blood.

It made the meeting with arch-rivals Spurs even more hazardous, especially with the toxic air around this dysfunctional club partly cleared by the sacking of unpopular head coach Thomas Frank and his replacement by Igor Tudor.

Arsenal need not have worried as, even with the imposing figure of the giant Croatian prowling his technical area clad in black, they were the beneficiaries of the latest cure prescribed by "Dr. Tottenham", always on hand to provide help to any opponent in times of strife.

The Spurs stadium announcer attempted to rally the crowd with a growled pre-match message delivered at ear-splitting volume, bellowing: "They are worried. They are nervous as hell. We are calm. We are ready. The fire is ready to be lit."

Sadly for Spurs, the final score on that one was zero out of five.

Arsenal were the furthest thing from "nervous as hell." Spurs were the furthest thing from calm and ready. No fires lit here.

Spurs were almost cruelly outclassed as Arsenal's advantage at the top of the table returned to five points, although Pep Guardiola's City have a game in hand.

To sum up this latest Premier League weekend, Manchester City threw down the gauntlet by closing the gap to two points with a tension-filled win against Newcastle United. Arsenal picked it up with relish in this thumping 4-1 win.

It means that even before the end of February, sights are starting to turn to what might just be a title decider between City and Arsenal at Etihad Stadium on 18 April.

In the interim, Arsenal have home games against Chelsea, Everton and Bournemouth, along with a visit to Brighton. City travel to Leeds United, West Ham and Chelsea, with relegation strugglers Nottingham Forest to come to the Etihad.

And, of course, there might just be a psychological blow to be struck when Arsenal and City meet in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday 22 March.

Arsenal are now 10 games from the glory that has eluded them since Arsene Wenger's "Invincibles" in 2003-04. Destiny is their hands. The twist in the tale is that the same applies to Manchester City.

For all Arsenal might have wished to play down the significance of this single game in the title context, it was a win and performance they needed desperately to calm concerns on and off the pitch.

And this was a consummate display, cool and measured with a ruthless edge, even if it came against this dreadfully poor Spurs side.

Eberechi Eze picked the perfect time to return to his best, playing his part as derby tormentor again with two goals to add to the three he got in the 4-1 win at Emirates Stadium in December.

Since that hat-trick, Eze had featured in all 15 of Arsenal's subsequent league games, but had made only four starts and played just 360 minutes before this derby.

In his last start he was substituted at half-time against Brentford, so credit to Arteta for having the instinct to feel that this was the sort of occasion to suit him, deploying him in the "number 10" role against the club who thought they had signed him until Arsenal stepped in to clinch a £60m deal with Crystal Palace.

And there was more good news with much-criticised striker Viktor Gyokeres also scoring two fine goals on a perfect day for the Gunners and their ecstatic fanbase.

Arsenal were not knocked out of their stride, even after Randal Kolo Muani's bustling equaliser for Spurs two minutes after Eze struck the first blow. This was a confident, reassuring performance.

Arteta told BBC Radio 5 Live: "This was outstanding. I think you have to bring context to the situation and this is the beauty of football.

"You go to Wolves and you drop two points in the last kick of the match. Watching it back, there is no understanding from my perception how the hell that happened.

"It feels like the end of the world, but then you have another opportunity and that is the beauty of it. In a difficult stadium, against our rivals, and seeing how much it means to us in the league and all our supporters."

He added: "This chapter we wanted to write. We have managed it."

BBC Sport pundit Danny Murphy expects the race between the two to go right to the finishing line.

He said: "The title race is still on massively for both. It's in both their hands, that's unusual. Normally it's in one team's hands and you are just waiting for them to slip up.

"I have been very much in the Arsenal camp in terms of my eyes telling me they are the best team. The last couple of results have given Man City that little bit of hope. They have a lot of players in the squad who have been there and done it.

"Speaking from experience, when you have got over the line, the next couple feel easier. Every time Arsenal go on the pitch the pressure is on at the minute. It's great for us and I hope it goes to the wire. I don't see any winning all games from now until the end of the season."

Arsenal's nerve was put the test. They passed - and more tests will come for the Gunners and Manchester City as the Premier League pursuit reaches its climax.