The North London derby is always one of the most anticipated fixtures of the Premier League season, in large part because it has become a check-in on two teams eager to disrupt the current cadence of affairs at the top of the table — Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. It means the latest edition of the rivalry has a fitting place as a high-stakes end-of-season encounter between two teams with lofty ambitions.
Sunday’s matchup at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a must-win for both. Arsenal are trying to keep pace in a three-way title race in an effort to win the Premier League for the first time in 20 years, while Spurs eye their first Champions League berth in two years. Both targets are ambitious but also spotlight the differences between the rivals, one that’s arguably more reflective of where each team is than the 2-2 draw they played to in September.
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Take Arsenal, who have enjoyed a near-perfect 2024 and remain in the title race. It comes on the back of a high-scoring season in which they lead the Premier League with 82 goals and rank second for expected goals at 68.56, but have perhaps found most success as a defensively sturdy team. The Gunners have conceded just 26 goals this season, the least of the league, ato the point that they kept Manchester City goalless in league play this season thanks to their ability to absorb the opposition’s offensive pressure. It’s becoming increasingly clear that Arsenal play with precision on both ends of the pitch when they are at their best, and the good days have very much outnumbered the bad ones.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Sunday, Apr. 28 | Time: 9 a.m. ET
- Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — London, England
- TV: USA Network | Stream Fubo (try for free)
- Odds: Tottenham +320; Draw +320; Arsenal -143
As for Spurs, the hot start that included a draw against their North London rivals gave way for a season full of inconsistency. It is obvious what they want to do stylistically under Ange Postecoglou, who’s about to finish his first season in the job. They prefer a high-intensity, attack- first identify and rank second in the league for possession with 61.7%, third for passing accuracy at 87.3% and fourth for touches with 25,000-plus, ahead of Arsenal in each of those categories. It’s far from a bad strategy, but the execution has let them down at different times this season. Recent results have ranged from a 4-0 win over Aston Villa to a 4-0 loss to Newcastle United, the latter of which points at Spurs’ need to step things up in attack and a less-than-ideal sloppiness in the back. They have not kept a clean sheet in their last five, conceding 10 goals in that time.