Ace Football previews the Premier League match between Tottenham and Arsenal, and offers betting tips, odds, line-ups, and team news.
The weekend’s biggest Premier League fixture takes place on Sunday evening as Tottenham and Arsenal lock horns for the 188th north London derby.
Eight points already separate the two clubs ahead of the showdown, with Spurs leading the way. The hosts are in brilliant form and can re-take top spot in the Premier League by claiming victory. Arsenal, in contrast, sit in the lower-half of the standings amid a run of poor results and goal problems.
The last north London derby ended in a narrow 2-1 win for Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in July. Son Heung-min and Toby Alderweireld’s goals were enough to see off Arsenal, who had taken an early lead through Alexandre Lacazette.
But while the Lilywhites are favorites to claim a 60th derby win, Arsenal have proven to be tough opposition away from home and will no doubt relish the chance to knock their rivals off their perch in the league title battle.
Tottenham Form & Stats
Jose Mourinho’s men haven’t looked back since a 1-0 opening day loss to Everton at home. A nine-match unbeaten run had lifted them to the top of the standings before the weekend, prompting hope of a first league title since 1961.
Mourinho, in particular, has thrived since replacing Mauricio Pochettino last year. Spurs have been solid in defense under the Portuguese, with three consecutive clean sheets in the league. They’ve also had some goal-laden victories, including that 6-1 hammering of Manchester United at Old Trafford and a 5-2 win at Southampton.
The Lilywhites have produced some typical Mourinho-esque displays recently to claim a 2-0 win over Manchester City and hold Chelsea to a goalless stalemate last weekend. Perhaps they weren’t the most classy of performances, but it got the job done.
But will the Spurs boss opt for a similarly conservative approach against Arsenal? His side are arguably favorites and could welcome back Harry Kane, who has scored 10 goals in only 11 games against the Gunners.
Key Team Stats
- Won six of their last seven home games in all competitions (D1).
- Kept four clean sheets in their last five league games.
- Scored before half-time in their last 6 home games in all competitions.
- Harry Kane has scored 10 goals in 11 league games against Arsenal.
- A penalty has been awarded in five of their last 10 games against Arsenal.
- Won seven penalties in all competitions this season.
Arsenal Form & Stats
The Gunners’ woeful run of form is a concern heading into the derby, having lost five of their last eight league games. It’s left them down in 14th-place in the standings and eight points behind Spurs.
Struggles to create opportunities for the attack has been an ongoing theme recently. Arsenal are on a dry goal streak in the league, having scored just one goal from open play in their last six outings. That, along with their struggles to keep a clean sheet, has left them licking their wounds already.
Mikel Arteta, for one, needs a strong result on Sunday. The Arsenal manager’s decisions, namely omitting Mesut Ozil, have come under question amid the torrid run of results. If there was ever a time to shut his critics down, now would be it.
Although Arteta was pleased with the aggressive response from his side in Thursday’s 4-1 Europa League win over Rapid Vienna and hinted he could adopt a similarly aggressive and attacking approach on Sunday.
Thomas Partey’s potential return, meanwhile, would serve as a huge boost. The midfielder’s status remains unclear, but he was spotted in training on Saturday with the rest of the first-team squad.
A derby win could also prove to be a turning point for Arsenal’s season.
Key Team Stats
- Lost five of their last eight league games (W2 D1).
- Winless in their last four games against Tottenham in all competitions (D2 L2).
- Scored a goal in four of their last eight league games.
- Been exactly three goals in five out of their 10 league games this season.
- Kept a clean sheet in the last 3 away matches.
Team News
Tottenham: Erik Lamela (out); Toby Alderweireld, Harry Kane, Sergio Reguilon, & Carlos Vinicius (doubts).
Arsenal: Gabriel Martinelli & Nicolas Pepe (out); Thomas Partey & David Luiz (doubts).
Predicted Line-ups
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Top Goalscorers in Recent Games
Head-To-Head Record
Below are some head-to-head stats on each team’s recent form in the Premier League.
Match Facts
Betting Tips
More Odds
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