@ZAPunter provides his betting tips for the English Premier League match between Arsenal and Spurs which takes place on Sunday 1st September
ARSENAL VS TOTTENHAM, SUNDAY @ 17.30
Four weeks into the Premier League season we have our first North London Derby between the Gunners and the Spurs. Both teams will be looking to bounce back from defeats and have bragging rights going into the international break. Arsenal’s perfect start to the season was ended by Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, with Unai Emery’s men losing 3-1. Meanwhile, Tottenham was shocked at home by Newcastle United, with Joelinton scoring the only goal of the game in North London. Both teams will be aiming to get the better of their rivals this weekend and keep their top 4 hopes alive, with Liverpool and Manchester City already running away with the league by the looks of it. But who will come out on top this weekend when 2 giants of the English game meet?
ARSENAL:
The Gunners haven’t been at their best to start this season, but Emery will be happy with 9/12 points at this stage. They looked very far behind Liverpool last weekend and were chasing shadows for the most part. One shining light will be the full debut of Pepe and his ability to dribble past defenders, fans will be excited about him and pundits are already comparing his style to that of a certain Arsenal legend: Henry. The Gunners average xGf stands at 1.15 and xGa 1.70, meaning they have been outplayed so far this season and that they are fortunate to have 3 wins. Arsenal face another top quality opposition this weekend and Emery will be hoping for a positive response from his players. I expect Arsenal to be fired up for this game and they will want to reclaim the title “pride of North London”.
TOTTENHAM:
Spurs have started this season inconsistently and they only have 4 points on the table. In every game so far this season, Tottenham conceded first and needed to play catch up, Pochettino will demand that his team starts the game focused and play for 90min. Tottenham has also lacked creativity so far and midfield maestro Eriksen starts from the bench due to his potential transfer away, Spurs will be hoping Kane and Son can step up this weekend. Tottenham’s average xGf stand at 1.43 vs their xGa 1.62, so they have been under performing to their standards. I can’t see Tottenham continuing to deliver below par performances and what better game to step up than your bitter rivals Arsenal. We shouldn’t forget that Tottenham played in the Champions League final a few months ago and they surely have the firepower to trouble Arsenal.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS AND TEAM NEWS:
Arsenal: 4-3-3
Leno,
Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Luiz, Kolasinac,
Xhaka, Guendouzi, Ceballos,
Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
*No new injury problems for Arsenal.
Tottenham: 4-2-3-1
Lloris,
Aurier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose,
Sissoko, Winks,
Lamela, Eriksen, Son,
Kane
*There is still some uncertainty whether Eriksen will start due to his potential transfer. We may only see Alli back after the international break. Walker-Peters and Ndombele will have late fitness tests before the match.
PREDICTION:
Arsenal is desperate for a solid performance and Tottenham are desperate for points. I expect both teams to cancel each other out and the game to end in a draw. Neither team will want to be going into the international break with a loss and we might see a cautious approach from both teams. I don’t think we will see a high scoring North London derby, rather a tactical battle between the managers. Hopefully we will see a stalemate.
BETTING:
Premier League Betting Record: 7-5 (+1.69)
Premier League Best Bet Record: 3-0 (+3.81)
Note, odds quoted are available at the time of writing but are subject to change
@ZAPunter
