Tottenham v Arsenal: Five reasons to look forward to the north London derby
Premier League football kicks off with the north London derby this weekend – and we cannot wait.
The most eye-catching clash of this round of fixtures sees Tottenham host Arsenal at Wembley on Saturday, 1230 GMT.
Spurs will be hoping to get revenge after losing 2-0 in the reverse fixture at the Emirates, when they conceded two goals in the space of five minutes as Shkodran Mustafi and Alexis Sanchez found the net.
Head-to-head record (all competitions)
Tottenham wins: 56
Draws: 49
Arsenal wins: 76
As ever, the derby contains so many sub-plots, which George Pitts takes a look at…
1. New-look Arsenal
Alexis Sanchez, who has scored just twice against Spurs in nine career appearances, left for Manchester United in the January transfer window and Arsene Wenger has an all-new attack.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan swapped Old Trafford for the Emirates as part of the Sanchez transfer and it saw him link up again with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who arrived from Borussia Dortmund in a club-record transfer.
The two shared a formidable partnership during their time together in Germany and all the signs are there that they can be a force to be reckoned with once again in England.
Mkhitaryan notched three assists on his first start in Arsenal’s 5-1 win over Everton last time out, with one of those setting up Aubameyang for a debut goal.
The Gunners, also boosted by Mesut Ozil’s new contract, proved to be too hot for the Toffees to handle and it will be interesting to see how they do on derby day against Tottenham’s back five.
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2. Spurs' Samba star
Arsenal’s new duo may not be the only ones making their first north London derby appearances.
Lucas Moura, a January signing from Paris Saint-Germain, could make his Tottenham bow and he will be hoping to make an immediate impact.
The £25million Brazilian has undoubted potential and it will be interesting to see how he can fulfil that under Mauricio Pochettino’s stewardship.
What better way to introduce yourself to the Spurs faithful with a starring performance against Arsenal?
3. Top-four hopes on the line
It is fifth v sixth respectively and both sides will be desperate for a win to keep their hopes of a top-four finish alive.
Back-to-back league defeats for Chelsea allowed Tottenham to move within a point of fourth spot, while Arsenal are currently five adrift of the Blues and victory will be vital for them to keep within touching distance of the pack.
The Gunners missed out on Champions League football this term and they will be keen to qualify for Europe’s premiere competition this time around.
Should they fail to finish in the top four, Arsenal can still qualify by winning this season’s Europa League and they are currently 11/2 with Sky Bet to lift the trophy in Lyon in May.
Top four Premier League finish 2017/18 odds (via Sky Bet)
Manchester United - 1/20
Liverpool - 1/5
Tottenham - 8/15
Chelsea - 4/5
Arsenal - 13/2
4. Harry Kane v Arsenal
November’s derby at the Emirates was the first time Tottenham’s leading marksman has failed to score against their bitter rivals in the Premier League.
Kane – who Wenger says is currently the best striker in Europe – has scored six times in seven appearances against Arsenal in all competitions.
The England forward was released by the Gunners aged eight and he admitted in a piece with The Players’ Tribune this week that he felt he had a point to prove every time he faced them and that "the rejection is the best thing that ever happened to me".
Kane, who netted his 100th Premier League goal in last week’s draw at Liverpool, will be keen to rise to the occasion and you can back him to score and Tottenham to win at 6/4 with Sky Bet.
5. Goals!
Both sides play attacking football and this fixture has produced at least two goals in each of the last eight meetings.
These matches are often action-packed, with the tackles flying in and a fair share of red and yellow cards over the years.
But goals are what it is all about and we have seen some stunners.
Remember Danny Rose’s outrageous 30-yard volley just ten minutes into his Premier League debut? That was eight years ago now and, while it is tough to better, we hope to see the numerous attacking players on show displaying their prowess in front of goal.
Arsenal's defence is far from convincing at the minute and they could be without goalkeeper Petr Cech, while at the other end an attack featuring Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan and Ozil has the potential to trouble Tottenham's defence, who could have centre-back Toby Alderweireld available after he returned from injury in midweek.
Sky Bet: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals in Tottenham v Arsenal at 8/11