Prediction: Arsenal vs Tottenham

19th November 2010

Both Arsenal and Tottenham will have something to prove in the highly anticipated North London derby and that should make for a pretty exciting game at the Emirates. Despite still missing a big portion of their respective squads, both Arsene Wenger and Harry Redknapp will welcome some important players back to the side, while the match will also be marked by William Gallas’ return to the Emirates.

All these years when Arsene Wenger was forced to field weakened line-ups because of numerous injuries to star players are finally paying off, since the Gunners have learned to cope with the absence of players like Fabregas, Van Persie and Walcott, which is the major reason why the Gunners are still in the title race. Having fared extremely well even with half of the starting line-up on the sidelines, the Gunners are expected to mount a serious title challenge now that the infirmary is emptier than ever. Following the comprehensive victories over Wolves and Everton on the travels which saw Arsenal close the gap behind Chelsea to just two points, the players are brimming with confidence and they are certainly in the right mood to be facing their fierce rivals. The return of Jack Wilshire and Laurent Koscielny is another reason for optimism in Arsenal camp, just like their almost perfect record against Tottenham in the last 11 league games.

Tottenham seem to be revealing the difficulties of playing in two strong competitions the hard way, with their Champions League campaign seriously affecting team’s push for another top 4 finish in the Premiership. The impressive victory over Inter seems to have had just the opposite effect of that which the fans had hoped for, with Spurs picking up just one point from next two league games, before returning to the right track with three points at home to Blackburn. Inconsistency remains the main issue of Harry Redknapp’s team, that is if we disregard their awful away record against the top 4 teams. It’s been no less than 68 games since Tottenham last beat a top 4 side away from home, and that is hardly a promising record for the team about to face high-flying Arsenal at the Emirates. Spurs may take some comfort in the fact that Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon have returned into contention, but that is simply not enough for the visitors to feel optimistic before this clash.

Conclusion

Quality, form, tradition and home field advantage are all on Arsenal’s side in this clash, so one shouldn’t think twice before backing the Gunners to beat their neighbours. These derby games are usually tricky affairs, but I just can’t look past Arsenal here, even if the odds on home win are far from impressive.

Verdict: Home win Arsenal (1)

Best Odds: 2/3

Bookmaker: Paddy Power