Arsenal versus Tottenham Hotspur Betting Preview

It’s one of the oldest rivalries in English football; two North London giants that have been part of the Premier League since its inception in 1992. At lunchtime on Saturday November 18, old enemies Arsenal take on Tottenham Hotspur once again, with more than just local pride at stake. With only four points between them in the Premier League table, a win for Arsenal could close the gap to third-placed Tottenham, while Mauricio Pochettino’s side will be desperate to pick up all three points to keep pace with league leaders Manchester City.

Form

Football punters follow many different betting strategies, such as those detailed in Mr Green's Football Tips but form is always a keen consideration and both of these sides go into this game in reasonable shape.

After a shaky start to the season in which they suffered two defeats in three Premier League matches, Arsenal have steadied the ship and aside from a defeat at Watford earlier last month, have been making progress in the league and the Europa Cup. They suffered a 3-1 defeat against Manchester City prior to the international break, but no team so far this season has found a way to stop Pep Guardiola’s rampaging league leaders.

Tottenham weren’t always at their best in the early weeks of the season, and haven’t benefited from playing their home games at Wembley Stadium. A home draw with Swansea and a narrow defeat at Manchester United were disappointing but they started November with a sensational 3-1 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League and followed that up with a hard-fought league victory over Crystal Palace to hold onto third place.

Team News

Arsenal are unlikely to have French striker Olivier Giroud available after he picked up a thigh injury on international duty, although it is probable that Arsene Wenger would not have started with him in this game. Santi Cazorla remains a long-term absentee but there is better news on David Ospina and Shkodran Mustafi who both may be available for Saturday.

By contrast, Tottenham go into this game with a significant injury crisis, particularly in defensive positions. Goalkeepers Hugo Lloris and Michel Vorm are both out along with key defenders Toby Alderweireld, Jan Verthongen and defensive midfielder Victory Wanyama. Attacking stars Harry Kane, Harry Winks and Dele Alli all withdrew from England’s squad in midweek, but Kane and Alli are expected to be fit for this match.

Head to Head

This particular North London rivalry goes back to the 1909/10 season when Arsenal won 1-0 on December 4 1909. Altogether, they have met180 times with Arsenal winning 75 to Tottenham’s 56 and 49 drawn games.

During the early part of Arsene Wenger’s career as Arsenal manager, the Gunners were dominant in this fixture, but in recent seasons, Tottenham have had the upper hand. Arsenal have failed to win in their last six Premier League meetings, and Tottenham once again ran out as winners last time, beating their rivals 2-0 at White Hart Lane in April.

While Tottenham are the dominant force in North London these days, matches between these sides tend to be close. Only one of the last seven games has been won by a margin of greater than one goal and four of those seven matches have been drawn.

Betting Tips

There’s no doubt that Tottenham are the better side in this contest. Mauricio Pochettino has built a team that has consistently challenged for the Premier League title, while Arsenal have stagnated over the last few seasons, but none of that matters when it come to a local derby.

The Gunners have plenty of talent in their ranks, and considerable motivation to prove themselves against their closest rivals. Add in home advantage and the Tottenham injury crisis and I think they can match the visitors here.

The last three meetings between these two teams at the Emirates Stadium have ended in a 1-1 score-line and with Tottenham likely to be focused on compensating for their defensive weakness, that outcome looks a good bet in the Correct Score market at 6/1 while the draw can be backed at 5/2 generally in the Match Outcome market.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Harry Kane has scored six goals in his last five games against Arsenal and with uncertainty over which player will be leading the line for the Gunners in this game, Kane is a solid bet at around 7/5 to be First Goalscorer in this match.

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