Tottenham vs Arsenal: Igor Tudor Begins His Rescue Mission With North London Derby
Thrown in at the deep end
For the first time, Tottenham will take to the field under the guidance of Igor Tudor, who was recently appointed as Thomas Frank’s temporary successor. The Croatian, who represented his nation at the 1998 FIFA World Cup as a player, has made a name for himself as a manager who puts out fires, which is just as well, as he’s got something of an inferno to extinguish in North London.
Tudor finds himself taking charge of a team that is struggling down in 17th place in the EPL, and for the first time in several decades, the Lilywhites are in genuine danger of being involved in a relegation fight. Is Tudor the man to get them out of that fight in one piece?
The first assignment for the former Juventus head coach will be to take on an Arsenal team that is fighting on a very different front. While Spurs battle to avoid the drop, the Gunners are leading the way in the race for the title. Therefore, this is the trickiest of opening tasks for the new manager. If he can somehow mastermind a positive result, though, Sunday’s hosts will have a decent platform from which to build.
Key North London Derby details
Easily one of the biggest and most anticipated clashes in the English Premier League season, Tottenham vs Arsenal is rarely anything other than the most heated of clashes.
Having already faced off at Emirates Stadium earlier in the season, the pair will now lock horns in the other top-tier venue located in North London.
Key Tottenham vs Arsenal details:
Date: Sunday, February 22nd
Kick off time: 11:30 EST
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Where to watch: USA Network
What happened earlier in the season?
As mentioned above, this is not the first North London Derby of the season. Back in November, the Gunners made light work of beating their local rivals, winning by four goals to one in front of a home crowd.
On that occasion, the contrast in quality between the two teams really was sizable, with Mikel Arteta’s men playing like a team ready to go all the way in the title race, while Spurs floundered much like a team that is struggling to stay afloat in the EPL.
In recent times, the Lilywhites really have found it difficult to keep tabs on the Gunners, who’ve made light work of dominating this fixture. Sunday’s visitors didn’t just defeat Spurs earlier in the season, oh no. They’ve also won each of their last four games against Tottenham, losing none of the last seven competitive renewals of this fixture, six of which they’ve won. They’ve scored multiple goals in six of those seven too.
Spice up the derby with this player prop
If you’re looking to add to the excitement of the North London Derby, then consider the following player prop:
Declan Rice 1+ Assists
When writing ahead of the North London Derby earlier in the season, I spoke about how Declan Rice looked generously priced to register an assist. Well, he did pick up an assist on that occasion, and I really wouldn’t bet against him grabbing another here. More importantly, all things considered, he once again looks a little leniently priced at odds of +350.
So far this season, Rice has contributed four assists, which isn’t overly impressive, but what is a little more impressive is the fact that he’s typically providing assists in high-profile games, doing so against Spurs, Chelsea and Newcastle in the league, as well as against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.
What’s more, Rice has been one of Arsenal’s regular corner takers, which bodes well given how poor Sunday’s hosts have been at defending set pieces this season.
