The North London derby this season is more about the clash of mid table teams. Arsenal is sitting on the tenth with 38 points while Spurs is on the seventh with seven points above their local contender. This weekend both sides will be squaring off after the midweek fixtures in Europa League.
Both teams’ previous games
The Gunners managed to snatch a 3-1 win over Olympiakos on the road. Their winning goals were scored by Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Magalhaes and Mohammmed Elneny. This victory in the first leg of round of 16 should ease their steps to advance later.
Their counterpart, Tottenham also clinched a win while playing host to Dinamo Zagreb in Europa League round of 16. They dismantled the Croatian side 2-0 by Harry Kane’s brace.
Possible tactic
Mikel Arteta is confident to deploy 4-2-3-1 with the transition to 4-3-3. Pierre Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe and Willian or Bukayo Saka will be occupying the front three role. They will gain support in the midfield from Granit Xhaka, Martin Odegaard and Dani Ceballos. The only figure who is doubtful to get a nod in the starting IX is the youngster Emile Smith Rowe. What the Gunners need to stop doing is the clinical errors nearby their backline which has led to their concession in he past few games.
Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho is also in favour of similar formation with swift counter attack instead of ball possession. The Portuguese boss will still be opting the quartet Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Delle Alli and Gareth Bale upfront. In the midfield, Tanguy Ndombele and Pierre Hojbjerg will be featuring the midfielder center. The only name ruled out for this fixture is the Argentine Giovanni Lo Celso.
Players to watch
Arsenal top performers’ this season are Bukayo Saka with five goals and two assists, the French international Alexander Lacazette with nine goals and two assists, the Brasilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes registering two goals and the Gabonese frontman, Pierre Aubameyang who has bagged nine goals and one assist.
The Three Lions skipper Harry Kane is the current top scorer and assist provider. He has scored sixteen goals and thirteen assists in the Premier League. Some other key men to watch are Son Heung min, the Welsh wizard, Gareth Bale and the Frenchmen Tanguy Ndombele.
Arsenal vs Tottenham Prediction
Both teams are in the positive trend lately. Spurs have won in the last five matches consecutively, while the Gunners have been in the unbeaten run for the last four games. Yet, the fatigue from the midweek fixture might impact their form. They are more likely sharing spoils here.
Betting Odds
In this tight affair, neither side is the favorite, Aubameyang and Co are projected to win at 32/19 whereas Mourinho’s men’s win market is at 13/7. The odds for a draw result are at the value of 5/2.
