Tottenham vs Arsenal tips and predictions: Spurs bounce back to dent Gunners title hopes

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to provide a hostile welcome when North London rivals Arsenal visit N17 on Sunday afternoon.

Liverpool’s shock loss against Everton sets the scene for a crucial week in the title race where Spurs would like nothing more than to dent their foe's chances.

Yet their 4-0 defeat at Newcastle last weekend can only be described as self-sabotage. Ange Postecoglou’s side did nothing with 73% possession and defended shambolically.

On the other hand, the Gunners are firing on all fronts. Tuesday’s 5-0 demolition of a wasteful Chelsea was their second win to nil in four days.

Dramatic results tend to sway the betting public so we expect plenty of backing for Mikel Arteta’s side and plenty of hesitation about backing Spurs.

The majority group are usually wrong when betting on Premier League matches, plus the circumstances create the perfect scenario to back the hosts.

Teams typically respond to damaging losses, particularly those with lofty ambitions. Big Ange’s side will see less of the ball, making them more of a threat.

The Gunners have won one of their last nine visits to face their rivals, losing six and typically conceding two or more goals. We don’t foresee a third consecutive clean sheet.

A Hugo Lloris own-goal set the Gunners on their way last season, but that was the first time Arsenal had scored two goals and won a Premier League match on Spurs soil since 2007.

In between those fixtures, Tottenham avoided defeat in 61% of meetings across all competitions. We’ll back them to add to that record this weekend.

 

Key stats

- Both teams have scored in seven of 10 Premier League meetings
- Tottenham are unbeaten in eight of nine Premier League meetings at home
- Tottenham have avoided defeat in 24 of 39 Premier League meetings
- Both teams have scored and there have been over 2.5 goals in Spurs’ last 12 home matches
- Arsenal also produced a 2-0 away win followed by a 5-0 home win before the derby in 2015, a game which they lost 2-1

 

Team news

Tottenham’s Fraser Forster, Destiny Udogie, Ryan Sessegnon and Manor Solomon will miss out.

Tottenham hope to have Richarlison fit while Pedro Porro could also return.

Brennan Johnson could drop to the bench to allow Timo Werner and Son-Heung Min to continue if the Brazilian returns

Jurrien Timber may be physically ready to return to action for Arsenal, but it’s unlikely he’ll be tried in a game as intense as the North London derby.

The in-form pairing of Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard could keep Gabriel Martinelli on the bench again Sunday, with Bukayo Saka also likely to start.

 

Suggested bets

Tottenham Hotspur: Double chance

Both teams score & over 2.5 goals

Over 62.5 booking points