The 191st North London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal comes up this Wednesday, with both teams looking for the win that will solidify their quest for a top-four finish this season.
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London)
Key Statistics
Tottenham have lost just one of their last eight league games (five wins and two draws).
The hosts have scored 3+ goals in four of their last five home games.
Nobody has scored more PL goals in this fixture than Tottenham’s Harry Kane (11).
Arsenal have won their last four games.
The Gunners have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six PL games.
They have conceded 62% of their goals this season away from home.
Eddie Nketiah has scored four times across his last four PL appearances, three of those coming inside the opening 15 minutes.
Head to head
This is the 191st meeting between both sides. Tottenham Hotspur have 60 wins in the previous derbies while Arsenal have managed 79 wins.
However, Spurs are unbeaten in the last seven league derbies they’ve hosted (W5, D2).
Latest performances in all competitions
Tottenham: D-W-D-L-W
Arsenal: W-W-W-W-L
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham will look to reduce the gap between them and fellow top-four contenders Arsenal when both meet in North London this Thursday.
Antonio Conte’s side kept their chances of playing UCL football next season alive last time out as they put in a solid defensive display to snatch a point against Liverpool.
The result leaves them four points behind Arsenal ahead of this game. And so, they will be desperate to win this game to reduce the distance going into the final two games of the season.
Should they fail to win, their chances of returning to the UCL for the first time in three seasons will be practically gone.
Given their record in this fixture, Spurs will fancy their chances of getting a result against the Gunners. Conte’s side are unbeaten in the last seven league derbies they’ve hosted (W5, D2).
Possible Tottenham starting line-up
Hugo Lloris; Cristian Romero, Eric Dier, Ben Davies; Emerson Royal, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Ryan Sessegnon; Dejan Kulusevski, Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son.
Injured: Sergio Reguilon, Matt Doherty, Japhet Tanganga
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Arsenal
Arsenal will look to make it five wins in five PL games when they face Tottenham on Thursday night.
The Gunners kept their top-four destiny in their hands when they beat Leeds United 2-1 last time out. In an entertaining game at the Emirate last Sunday, Mikel Arteta’s side went two goals ahead in the first ten minutes through a brace from Eddie Nketiah.
Their day was even made better when Leeds United’s Luke Ayling was sent off for a two-footed lunge on an Arsenal player. But the Gunners could not make their numerical dominance count and were guilty of missing clear cut chances. They were nearly made to pay for their inability to finish off the game as Jesse Marsch’s side scored a consolation goal through Diego Llorente.
The win was Arsenal’s fourth-consecutive win in the Premier League and gives keeps them firmly sitting in fourth place, just one point behind third-placed Arsenal.
With a four-point lead over Tottenham, they remain in total control of their top-four destiny. While a draw would not be a final result, a win in this game is the best result that they can get as it will almost guarantee them a place in the UCL next season. It will also boost their chances of finishing in the top three as Chelsea continues to struggle.
Possible Arsenal starting line-up
Aaron Ramsdale; Cedric Soares, Rob Holding, Gabriel, Nuno Tavares; Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny, Martin Odegaard; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah.
Injured: Thomas Partey, Kieran Tierney
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Prediction
Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal
