Arsenal vs Tottenham: More North London Derby Glory for the Gunners?
by Bradley Gibbs | by Bradley Gibbs
Operating at different levels
Two big clubs will clash on Sunday, but only one of them is currently operating like a serious high-level team. The hosts come into this game as the league leaders and let’s face it, as useful as they have looked at times this season, Spurs are some way off that level.
Eight points currently separate the two rivals, and if we’re being serious, it looks like that gap is only going to increase as the season rolls on. Mikel Arteta’s men look hugely determined to leave nothing in the tank as they fight to gain what has proved to be an elusive Premier League title. No other EPL team has defended as well as the Gunners this time around, while no other team has done a better job of grinding out positive results.
For Spurs, things have improved since the departure of UEFA Europa League winning manager Ange Postecoglou. The opinion-splitting Aussie oversaw a disappointing 17th-place finish last season, and that wasn’t good enough. Thomas Frank was tasked with turning things around domestically, and so far, the Dane has done that, with Spurs sitting in a respectable fifth place but do they look like a team ready to seriously lay down a top-four challenge? Not really.
One glaringly obvious difference between the two is the fact that the Gunners really do give very little away. The same cannot be said for Spurs, who have conceded 15.2 expected goals in the EPL this season. Arteta’s men have conceded just 6.0, which is by far the lowest in the league.
Sure, people often say that in a derby, anything can happen, and that’s not exactly untrue, but it would be impossible to say that there’s anything but a sizable gap in quality between these two teams based on what we’ve seen so far this term. In other words, it will be a surprise if the visitors cause an upset on Sunday.
Key North London Derby details
For those who don’t know, the North London Derby is perhaps the biggest local rivalry in the English Premier League. Of course, this is up for debate, but the rivalry between the two North London clubs is right up there with the rivalry between the Manchester clubs, that’s for sure.
This time around, the pair will meet at Emirates Stadium, where the visitors have typically struggled in recent seasons. More on that later.
Key Arsenal vs Tottenham details:
Date: Sunday, November 23rd
Kick off time: 11:30 EST
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Where to watch: NBC, Peacock
Recent history in the Gunners’ favor
Recent history is also against Spurs, who have found it very tough to better their rivals in recent years. Over the summer, Frank’s men did get the job done against the Gunners, winning by a goal to zero, but that was in a friendly. Competitively, it’s been all Arsenal in recent times, with Sunday’s hosts coming out on top when the pair last met in the league.
Interestingly, Spurs haven’t beaten Arsenal since running out 3-0 winners in front of a home crowd back in May of 2022. Tottenham’s away record in this fixture is even more bleak. They’ve not won at Emirates Stadium since 2018, when they recorded a two-goal EFL Cup success, while they’ve not won away from home against Arsenal in the league since 2010, when Gareth Bale, Rafa van der Vaart and Younis Kaboul scored second-half goals to pull off an unlikely and dramatic comeback victory.
Arsenal’s league record against Spurs last won at Emirates Stadium:
Won = nine (64%)
Tied = five (36%)
Goals scored = 34
Goals conceded = 17
Clean sheets = 2 (14%)
As we can see from the above stats, The Gunners really do have a hold over their local rivals when playing in front of a home crowd. Can the current group of Spurs players be the ones to change the tide?
Keep things interesting with these player props
Ahead of Sunday’s showdown in North London, there are a couple of interesting player props that may just be priced a little too leniently. If you’re a prop bettor, or are simply looking for an angle in, then try these:
Declan Rice 1+ Assists
At odds of +475, which are available at a few of our top sportsbooks at the time of writing, Declan Rice is well worth betting on to register an assist. The English midfielder has pulled the strings nicely for Arsenal this season, registering a couple of assists so far, and it’s not too difficult to envisage him adding to his tally here.
There are numerous Arsenal players priced less generously than Rice, and I’m not sure that’s right. To be honest, given that Rice is Arsenal’s best player in terms of expected assists goals, key passes (= passes leading directly to a shot), final-third passes and progressive passes.
Declan Rice has also taken more corners than any other player for Arsenal this season, which only adds to his appeal as a goal provider given that Spurs have continuously looked vulnerable when defending set pieces.
Mohammed Kudus to Receive a Card
At odds of +360, available at FanDuel at the time of writing, it may also be worth betting on Mohammed Kudus to get booked. Known for his creative capabilities, Kudus has arguably been Spurs best offensive player this season, but the Ghanaian is no stranger to stepping outside of the rules.
As well as registering five goals and assists so far this season, Kudus has picked up three cards, averaging 0.31 cards per 90 minutes. No Spurs player has made more EPL fouls than Kudus this term, with the winger making 16 fouls in ten appearances. Against an Arsenal side that can absolutely frustrate opponents, especially those of an attacking persuasion, Kudus looks like more a leading contender for a card than the early odds would have us believe.
