Arsenal vs Tottenham Picks and Predictions: Gunners Control the Pace

You don’t get many rivalries in the Premier League with more hatred than Arsenal and Tottenham.

Now the two clubs are battling at the top of the Premier League, and both have genuine hopes and dreams of winning the title this year. In the 192nd meeting between the two teams, each side is battling harder than ever.

Don’t miss our EPL betting picks and predictions for Arsenal vs. Tottenham on Saturday, October 1. 

Arsenal vs Tottenham best odds

Arsenal vs Tottenham picks and predictions

The Premier League is back on our screens after a two-week break for international games ahead of the World Cup. We’ve got a brilliant slate of action upcoming, but the featured matchup has to be Saturday’s North London Derby between Arsenal and Spurs. The rivalry between the two clubs has been going on for over a century, and historically, Arsenal have had the upper hand.

However, more recently, it’s Spurs who have been the winning side, defeating the Gunners in four of the last six. Both of these teams are rammed full of attacking talent, and only Man City (23) have scored more than Arsenal (17) or Spurs (18). 

One thing that’s been clear all season is that Arsenal likes to start games at a fast pace. They constantly push forward, looking to score early, and it’s worked in most of their games. In their last game against Brentford, they scored two goals in the first half and went on to win.

Heading back into last season, this Arsenal team have been winning at halftime and full-time in six of their eight Premier League games. The +240 offer on a bet for this scenario playing out certainly looks like a good price.

Two weeks ago, we saw Spurs give up an early goal to Leicester, but they still managed to win. They can’t afford to do that against Arsenal, who have a very talented team and one of the Premier League’s best defensive records.

If Arsenal starts as quickly as recent form suggests, then there’s a strong chance that the Gunners could land this bet and be winning at halftime and full-time. 

My best bet: Arsenal to be winning at halftime and full-time (+240 at FanDuel)

Arsenal vs Tottenham side analysis

Both teams' lineups will be without some key personnel. Mikel Arteta will send out Arsenal in a 4-2-3-1 formation. It’s likely we’ll see Lokonga holding the midfield with Granit Xhaka, as Thomas Partey is set to miss out on the action.

Arsenal also have issues at left-back, with Kieran Tieney and Oleksandr Zinchenko both injured. Meanwhile, Spurs could be without Dejan Kulusevski, but the bigger issue surrounds the status of Hugo Lloris. The French goalkeeper picked up an injury on international duty. If he can’t play, then Fraser Forster will start, and that’s something that would really give the upper hand to Arsenal.

Arsenal is rightly favored here at +105, but you can’t discount Tottenham, who have always performed well against big teams since the arrival of Antonio Conte. The beauty of these big derby games is how unpredictable they can be, but despite that, I’d lean towards Arsenal winning. They have really taken a leap this season and look like a team who are on an upward trajectory.

Arsenal vs Tottenham Over/Under analysis

We’ve touched upon the attacking talent on display already, but there really are so many players on the field who can chip in with goals. With the exception of Manchester City, there is an argument that these two teams have the best attacks in the Premier League. Both are blessed with elite goalscorers such as Harry Kane and Gabriel Jesus.

It’s no surprise that Over 2.5 goals has landed in 85.7% of Arsenal’s games this season. The Over has also cashed in each of their Premier League games at the Emirates this season. We haven’t seen quite as many goals for Spurs, but Over 2.5 has still hit in four of their seven games.

I have no firm pick on the Over/Under, but I’d lean towards a higher-scoring affair given the trends that we’ve seen. 

Arsenal vs Tottenham game info

Arsenal vs Tottenham key injuries

Arsenal: Mohamed Elneny CM (Out), Oleksandr Zinchenko LB (Questionable), Reiss Nelson FWR (Out), Emile Smith-Rowe FWR (Out), Thomas Partey CDM (Questionable), Cedric Soares RB (Questionable), Kieran Tierney LB (Questionable).
Tottenham: Lucas Moura FWR (Out), Hugo Lloris GK (Questionable), Ben Davies LB (Questionable), Dejan Kulusevski FWR (Questionable).

Arsenal vs Tottenham weather

It’ll be dry with temperatures at around 60 degrees Fahrenheit when this kicks off at 12:30 pm local time.

Pages related to this topic