Saturday 18th November 2017 Kickoff: 1230 Arsenal v Tottenham Football – England – Premier League It’s the first North London Derby of the season on Saturday and the perfect way to resume Premier League action follow the last international break of 2017. For so long Arsenal have been the top dogs in this particular game but Tottenham are turning the tables and again come into the fixture above their arch rivals in the table. Four points separate the two clubs coming into this one and even at this early stage there is a chance that it would be too big a gap for the Gunners to clobse so a win is imperative for them, not only for bragging rights but to ensure they do not slip further behind the top clubs.
It would have been an exceptionally long break for Arsene Wenger and his players as their last game was the 3-1 loss away to Manchester City. Wenger was quick to blame the officials for the role they played in the defeat – and whilst they got one major decision wrong – the truth is Arsenal were simply not good enough. Poor defending, no discipline or consistency in their press and profligacy in front of goal were far greater contributing factors than anything the referee and his assistants done. The defeat leaves them in sixth position – a full 12 points behind City who are out in front. It was extremely unlikely that they could mount a serious title challenge before that fans but any slim hope they had is now dead. The focus for Arsenal will be to ensure they finish in the top four which is looking decidedly competitive again, and games such as Saturdays are hugely important in that race.
Tottenham are firmly establishing themselves as one of the best teams in England football following their consistent performances over the past few seasons. The job that Mauricio Pochettino has done has been pretty remarkable for a number of reasons – not least because they have spent relatively small amounts of money compared to their title rivals. A second place finish last season represented further improvement and was the second successive year they finished above rivals Arsenal. The challenge for Spurs is now to turn all this positivity into trophies. They are eight points adrift of City already, however, which is a sizeable margin with just 11 games played. That would suggest a title triumph may not be on the immediate horizon but they will have second spot in their sights at the very least. They will have a chance of going deep into the Champions League this time, however, having already qualified for the last 16 following their terrific 3-1 win over Real Madrid earlier this month. And it’s that sort of form they will be looking for when they travel to face Arsenal on Saturday.
Spurs had the upper hand in the meetings between the two last season, winning at home back in April – in the last ever North London Derby played at White Hart Lane – and securing a 1-1 draw at the Emirates. They’ve not actually tasted defeat in a league fixture against Arsenal since April 2014 which is indicative of their recent hold over the Gunners. Arsenal fans will of course point to the fact that their rivals have only won two of the last seven games and it’s a fair enough argument – will Saturday’s game be just as close?!
Arsenal remain unbeaten at home in all competitions this season, winning all five of their league games at the Emirates. Interestingly enough though, the highest placed team they have faced and beaten at home in the league is eighth placed Brighton. Tottenham represent a much greater test than anything they have faced to date this term at home, but Wenger’s team have not tasted defeat at the Emirates since March, and not in the league since the end of January. They will be hoping to maintain that record this weekend.
It’s been a complete reverse for Spurs in terms of their from this campaign. They went through the whole of last season without losing a game at home in the league but found things much harder on their travels where they managed only nine wins from their 19 attempts, and only three of them came before Christmas. They won their first four away league games this season before suffering their first defeat on their travels at Old Trafford last month. Much of the attention around that fixture focussed on the absence of Harry Kane but in truth it was a below par performance. Playing away to Arsenal gives them a chance to answer any critics who feel they are found wanting in big games.
Arsenal v Tottenham Betting Tip
This remains one of the most exciting games in the English footballing calendar and Saturday’s encounter should be no different. Bragging rights are huge for both sets of supporters and you sense that Arsenal are still getting used to being second best in the rivalry, for now at least. The Gunners are slight favourites to get the win in front of their own fans this weekend and although they possess a very strong home record, their limitations and frailties were again there for all to see against City last time out and will have to play much better in order to get three points. Tottenham will not bother too much about being underdogs or the fact that they are playing away from home such has been their performances in the main on the road this season. Whilst the Manchester United game was an obvious disappointment but they have shown with their display away to Real Madrid in the Champions League that they are more than competitive against the top teams.
It’s a game where I favour Spurs in every area and although Arsenal are strong at home, Spurs have lost just three of their last 16 away league games. There have been a number of draws between these two in the past so I’m inclined to opt for Spurs double chance so we have both the draw and an away win on our side.
Tottenham Double chance 8/13 @ Bet365
