Focus Fixture: Could Tottenham dent Arsenal's title hopes?

The North London derby is always one to mark on your calendar and the stakes are high ahead of Sunday’s clash. Arsenal are gunning for the title, while Tottenham have their sights set on Champions League football.

The Form

Tottenham were flying high at the top of the table when they drew 2-2 at the Emirates back in September. They have since slipped down the table but Ange Postecoglou will be reasonably happy with the way his first season as Spurs boss has transpired thus far.

Ange’s men are six points behind Aston Villa coming into the weekend. They have two games in hand to close the gap but beating Arsenal is no easy feat. Spurs were hammered 4-0 by Newcastle in their last match. Another lacklustre defensive display on Sunday would spell trouble for the home side.

Arsenal have enjoyed a fantastic season but they could still end up empty-handed when the curtain draws on what has been a fascinating Premier League season. Arteta has built a formidable squad that has shown they are capable of beating anyone but success is measured in silverware.

The Gunners are a point above Manchester City ahead of this game. However, Pep Guardiola’s side are the favourites to win the title having played a game less than the league leaders. Arsenal were also unable to navigate their way past Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League so this North London Derby truly is a must-win if they want to be celebrating come the end of the season. 

The Runners and the Riders

Tottenham have a few notable absentees for this one. Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon and Destiny Udogie are all ruled out. Pedro Porro and Richarlison will be assessed ahead of the match but Ange’s injury headaches have gotten a little easier in recent weeks.

Arsenal looked fatigued in the second half against Wolves last weekend but there were no signs of that as they thumped Chelsea 5-0 midweek. Jurrien Timber is their only injured player coming into this one so Arteta has most tools at his disposal to forge out a victory.

What They Said

Postecoglou was under no illusions about how important this game is when talking to the media. He said. “We understand the importance of the game. We understand to not let our biggest rival in the biggest derby get on top of us. We understand the consequences.”

Arteta was thrilled with the quality he has available to him in Friday’s press conference. He said “It’s a good headache! You feel for the players because you see how much they want it. It’s always difficult but as well they’re fully ready to come on the pitch however we need them. Their spirit is very good.”

Selection

Tottenham have been in excellent scoring form at home. Ange Postecoglou’s commitment to playing attacking football was one of the factors that earned him the role and the team have delivered on that front this season. 

Some felt the loss of Harry Kane would have a crippling effect on the Tottenham attack but they have scored an average of 2.03 goals per Premier League game. Spurs’ high defensive line and adapting to a new style has meant there have been some defensive issues so the first of our tips for this match is both teams to score and over 2.5 goals in the match.

This bet has won in Tottenham’s last 12 home matches in the Premier League. Those games have seen an average of 3.75 goals with the home side contributing with 2.17 of those.

Arsenal will fancy themselves to get on the scoresheet here. They have scored the most goals in the Premier League this season and average 2.41 per game. Arteta’s men have scored an average of 3.43 goals in their seven away league matches in 2024. The 0-0 draw at the Etihad was the only time they failed to score.

Recommended Bet: Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals at 1.80

Bet Builder Tip

We are backing goals and corners for our bet builder tip in this match. The sides played out a 2-2 draw earlier in the season and both teams scored in each half of the match. The stats suggest we could see a goal fest so backing each team to score in both periods in the match looks a good way to go for those who love a longer odds bet.

The second angle in this bet is over 11.5 corners in the match. Tottenham matches have seen the second most corners in the league with an average of 12.53 per game.

Arsenal matches have seen far fewer corners but this game could be an exception with both sides pushing for an important victory. There were 15 corners when the Gunners went head-to-head with Tottenham earlier in the season.

Recommended Bet: Both teams to score in the first half/second half & over 11.5 corners at 18.50