One of the Premier League’s favourite derbies is upon us once again as Arsenal take on North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
It could be argued that both teams are in relative slumps, with the feeling among the fanbases slightly uneasy with what they’ve been experiencing in recent weeks. Arsenal have had a terrible time in the domestic cups over the past week, while Spurs have underperformed in the league, which gives this particular North London derby a unique complexion.
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Arsenal vs Tottenham Preview
Arsenal are in a strange place at present. Despite being 2nd in the Premier League, and 3rd in the Champions League League Phase, there seems to be an undercurrent of frustration with how their season has panned out so far.
It might have something to do with the loss of Bukayo Saka due to injury for what looks like three months, adding to the perpetual crisis that is their frontline. This was compounded by the knee injury suffered by Gabriel Jesus in the FA Cup Third Round defeat to Manchester United, adding further strength to the argument that the Gunners need more firepower.
This must certainly be the sentiment of most of the fans, as the past week has seen them watch a wasteful Arsenal attack spurn chances that have cost them dearly. In the EFL Cup semi-final 1st leg, Arsenal had 23 shots, including 6 ‘Big Chances’ in their 2-0 loss to Newcastle. They then bettered that by having 26 shots in the aforementioned FA Cup tie, where they eventually lost on penalties following a 1-1 draw with old rivals United.
One goal from a total of 49 shots does not make for good reading or watching, so fans will be desperate to salvage something from the second half of the season by bringing in attacking reinforcements that can alter their fortunes.
Meanwhile, Tottenham have issues of their own at the opposite end of the pitch, where a defensive injury situation has seen players such as midfielder Archie Gray have to cover at centre back, alongside Radu Dragusin. This lack of defensive options has taken the spotlight off of Ange Postecoglou, who was definitely starting to feel pressure from certain factions of the Spurs support.
Postecoglou was also helped by an unlikely win in the 1st leg of their EFL Cup semi-final against Liverpool. The 1-0 victory for Spurs sets up an intriguing match at Anfield, but it’s the league form that has been of biggest concern. Spurs are in 12th, 11 points behind 5th-placed Newcastle, having won just one of their last eight Premier League matches.
So with both teams coming into this game under a bit of a cloud, it will be interesting to see who can respond better under the pressure of the North London derby.
Arsenal vs Tottenham Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Arsenal are overwhelming favourites at 1.71 to secure victory, while Spurs are priced at 7.00 for the win. The draw is priced at 5.50.
Arsenal vs Tottenham Betting Tips
Total Goals – Over 2.5 @ 1.44
We find it difficult to believe that there won’t be at least three goals between these two teams. Though Arsenal’s attack has been rightly criticised, surely Spurs’ weakened defence will present opportunities that even Kai Havertz in this form won’t miss. Plus, for all of Tottenham’s defensive flaws, their attack is still pretty potent.
Both Teams to Score – Yes @ 1.62
And of those ‘Over 2.5’ goals, we think they’re likely to be shared between the teams. Arsenal’s defence is still one of the meanest, but clean sheets have been harder to come by this season, and, as previously stated, the Spurs frontline is very dangerous.
Anytime Goalscorer – Kai Havertz @ 2.15
What better way to recover from a disastrous week than by scoring in the North London derby? The German all-rounder has somehow managed to miss multiple open goals and a penalty in his last two matches, but we still have him as the most likely Arsenal player to score.
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