Macca picks out the best bet builder plays in Sunday's North London Derby.
16:30 Sunday
North London is set to ignite as league leaders Arsenal welcome Tottenham to the Emirates Stadium in a highly anticipated Premier League clash. With Arsenal sitting atop the table and Tottenham vying for a spot in the top half, the stakes are high for this derby.
Arsenal vs Tottenham Form & Head to Head
Arsenal head into this match in formidable form, currently occupying the top spot in the Premier League. Their last match saw them draw 2-2 away at Sunderland. The Gunners are currently undefeated in their last 14 matches.
Tottenham played out a 2-2 draw in their last match against Manchester United. Tottenham have been inconsistent of late, sitting in eighth position with two wins, two draws, two losses in their last six, struggling to replicate their early season form.
The most recent encounter between these two rivals saw Tottenham emerge victorious with a 1-0 win in a Club Friendly back in July.
Looking at the last six competitive meetings, Arsenal have won four, Tottenham have won one, and one match ended in a draw.
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Arsenal vs Tottenham Predicted Lineups
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Raya; Calafiori, Hincapié, Saliba, Timber; Rice, Zubimendi; Trossard, Eze, Saka; Merino
Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Udogie, Van de Ven, Romero, Porro; Palhinha, Bentancur; Odobert, Simons, Richarlison;
Arsenal vs Tottenham Team News
- Viktor Gyokeres (hamstring) remains doubtful for Arsenal, which could see Mikel Merino lead the line.
- Gabriel has been ruled out after suffering a muscle injury playing for Brazil.
- His absence will see summer signing Piero Hincapie make his full Premier League debut.
- Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are all set to miss out.
- Tottenham hope to have Mohammed Kudus back after he missed the final two games before the international break with a knock.
- Randal Kolo Muani has been added to the long injury list after hurting his jaw against Manchester United.
- Richarlison will lead the line after scoring in the 2-2.
- Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke remain out for Spurs.
Arsenal vs Tottenham Match Prediction
Arsenal are red-hot favourites to win their first Premier League title since 2004 but could be just one point clear at the top by the time the first North London derby of the season gets underway.
Regardless, the Gunners have dominated their bitter rivals over the years, winning five of the last six top-flight meetings, and will expect more of the same here.
Tottenham have been away day specialists in the Premier League this season and head to the Emirates having collected 13 points from a possible 15 on the road.
But Spurs have a simply dreadful record at the Emirates, winning just one - a 3-2 success under Harry Redknapp in 2010 - of their 19 league visits and have only managed six draws in that period.
Score Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Tottenham
Who is the betting favourite in Arsenal vs Tottenham?
Arsenal are the strong favourites to beat Tottenham in the North London Derby at a best price of 9/20 with AKBets.
| Result | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 9/20 | AKBets |
| Draw | 15/4 | AKBets |
| Tottenham | 15/2 | AKBets |
Macca's Arsenal vs Tottenham Bet Builder Tips
Macca's bet builder tips include Djed Spence 2+ Fouls, Calafiori 1+ Foul Won & Cristian Romero to be carded.
At the time of publishing it is a best price of 8.5/1 with Paddy Power.
Arsenal and Tottenham meet at the Emirates with both sides carrying very different energies into the first North London derby of the season. Arsenal remain top of the table and have been almost impossible to break down at home. Erling Haaland is still the only away player to score there this campaign. Even with Gabriel out, Mikel Arteta’s side have controlled games through their known defensive structure and relentless pressure on the ball, conceding the fewest shots and xGA in the league.
Tottenham arrive with an away record that probably looks better than it actually is. They’ve picked up points on the road, but most of that success has come against weaker sides, and their underlying numbers are pretty telling: low chance creation and an attack that regularly disappears for long periods of the game. I think here Thomas Frank will lean into the underdog blueprint of staying compact and waiting for Arsenal mistakes.
Djed Spence 2+ Fouls
Spence will have a tough matchup as he’s almost certain to be dealing with Bukayo Saka for long stretches, and Saka is one of the toughest wide players in the league to handle without giving away contact. The England winger has drawn 2.35 fouls per 90 this season and defenders regularly end up resorting to small tactical fouls just to slow him down.
Spence hasn’t been reckless this season, but he’s still averaging around 1 per game and given the occasion and the direct matchup, you’d expect to see an increase. He also committed 2 fouls the last time he played in this Derby.
Given Spurs’ tendency to concede plenty of fouls in big games and the derby intensity ramping everything up, Spence being forced into at least two looks a nice leg in our builder.
Calafiori 1+ Foul Won
Calafiori tends to draw contact wherever he plays, and his recent numbers back that up. If you include the super sub safety net, he’s been fouled in 16 of his last 20 starts, averaging1.2 fouls won per 90. He’s aggressive on the overlap and happy to step into midfield, which naturally invites challenges from the wide player tracking him.
That becomes even more relevant here because his direct matchup is likely to be Mohammed Kudus. Kudus commits more fouls than anyone else in this Spurs side and sits at 1.69 per 90 this season. He presses hard, chases back with real intensity and doesn’t always time his attempts to win the ball cleanly which is evident by the 3 cards he’s picked up already.
With Calafiori carrying the ball more in Arsenal’s system and Kudus being one of Tottenham’s most persistent pressers, everything is there for at least one foul to go his way.
Cristian Romero to be carded
Romero returning to the spine of Spurs’ defence gives them more bite and organisation, but it also drags the booking risk right back into play. North London derbies rarely stay calm and Romero is usually one of the first players to get dragged into the chaos. He’s already collected multiple cards against Arsenal recently and is one of my top contenders for a booking this afternoon.
He’s picked up 4 cards this season and looks primed for another today.
