The English Premier League makes a welcome return following a brief break to make way for the conclusion of the UEFA Nations League group campaign. The most-watched club competition on planet football is back with a bang, with schedulers keeping us busy throughout the weekend, taking us from early Saturday afternoon to late Monday evening.
There’s plenty to interest followers and help with your pre-match preparations. Our team of experts offer their Premier League predictions. This page focuses on the North London Derby involving Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium. This match is scheduled for a 12:30 GMT start and will be on television and the best live streaming apps on your smartphone. But which side will take the bragging rights?
This is the first time these London rivals had met since May of this year when Spurs enjoyed a convincing 3-0 home win over the Gunners. The goals that day were scored by Son and a Kane double, with the first coming from the penalty spot. That strong win for Spurs was their first North London derby victory since December 2020. Will they do the double, or can Arsenal get their revenge? Read on to find out.
Gunners lead the way
It has been a near-perfect start to the season for Arsenal, with the Londoners entering the weekend sitting on top of the Premier League. Does Mikel Arteta’s side have what it takes to guard their spot between now and the finish next spring? A strong opening month is one thing – and it’s certainly nothing new to the Arsenal support – but finding the consistency needed to set the pace throughout the campaign is something quite different. Currently, fans can ask for no more from their favourites while the rest of us wait to see if it’s yet another false dawn.
The home team enters this fixture with their stats for the season showing six wins against one defeat with 17 goals scored and seven conceded. The 18-point tally has them one better than champions Manchester City chasing a third league win on the bounce. Tottenham is back in third, also on 17 points, with Brighton making up the top four with five fewer points than the leaders. Three wins are the difference between Arsenal and Chelsea in seventh, but there’s still a long way to go before any side can celebrate or start to panic.
So far, the only loss on the Gunners’ record came at Old Trafford against a resurgent Manchester United, who had started slow and spent the first few weeks of the season in the relegation zone. Things appear to be coming together for the Red Devils, and they can look back at wins over Liverpool and Arsenal for sources of encouragement. Arsenal did respond to that loss at Man Utd with a 3-0 away win over a spirited Brentford side before the break, taking the bragging rights in another London derby, but it’s this one that matters the most to fans.
Spurs could go top
All the noise pre-match has focused on how well Arsenal have performed so far this season and their chances of winning the title, but Tottenham head into this match as genuine Premier League championship contenders. They could go top of the league if they win this match and results elsewhere go their way, with Manchester City dropping points against Manchester United. By the start of next week, we could have a new leader and favourite to win the trophy, such is the importance of this match.
The visitors make the short journey across the capital placed third in the pile, with their stats for the season showing five wins and two draws from seven outings, making them one of only two unbeaten teams left in the division, the other being Man City. Tottenham have scored 18 goals – one more than their hosts – and have conceded the same number on seven. The champions currently have a six-goal lead over Spurs, meaning it would take a strong win for Spurs and an eye-catching loss for City to send Harry Kane and co into pole position.
The away team start looking to complete a hat-trick of wins following victory over Fulham and Leicester City at home, beating the Cottagers 2-1 in a tight match before smashing the Foxes 6-2 in their most recent game. Between those victories, Spurs beat Marseille in the Champions League but lost to Sporting Lisbon in the same tournament. There was also a match postponed with the scheduled fixture at the Etihad Stadium due to be replayed but to be scheduled. A game in hand over the others around them in the league only improves Spurs’ chances of challenging.
Arsenal v Tottenham prediction
Arsenal enjoys the home-field advantage for this match, and the squad are high on confidence following a strong start. Are they genuine title contenders, or has the fixture list been kind to them during the early stages, and they are yet to be challenged? We will better understand what to expect from Arteta and his Arsenal side. A home win in the London Derby could be just the tonic needed to launch their challenge.
Tottenham arrives at the Emirates Stadium without fear, confident they’ve got what it takes to compete. They made light work of their rivals last time, but a lot has changed at both clubs, and the fresh start seems to have boosted Arsenal. This is a match armchair fans won’t be able to take their eyes off, while those in the stadium will create a special atmosphere.
Premier League odds
The pre-match betting odds available to 22bet members has Arsenal priced at 2.04 for a home win while victory for Tottenham on the road can be backed at 3.46. If you fancy the draw, the 3.64 trading at the time of writing should catch your eye. In addition to the match-winner betting market, 22Bet also offers a range of specials, including both teams to score and total goals.