Arsenal vs. Tottenham: Head-to-Head Records, Predictions for North London Derby
The first north London derby of the season comes at a pivotal moment for both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, who are separated by just three points at the top of the Premier League table before this Sunday’s clash at the Emirates.
Spurs’ 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Wednesday evening extended their winless run to six matches in all competitions, with Mauricio Pochettino’s team scoring a measly three goals in that time. Meanwhile, Arsenal have won 12 of their last 14 games and are undefeated since the 4-3 loss to Liverpool on the opening weekend of the season.
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Arsenal have won 80 of the 191 matches played between these two sides—Spurs have won 61 and 50 have ended in a draw—but their recent head-to-heads have been evenly split. The last two meetings ended with a point for each side.
Here is the recent head-to-head record between the two clubs:
| PL: Tottenham 2-2 Arsenal (Mar) | |
| PL: Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham (Nov) | |
| LC: Tottenham 1-2 Arsenal (Sep) | |
| PL: Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal (Feb) | |
| PL: Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham (Sep) | |
| PL: Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal (Mar) | |
| FAC: Arsenal 2-0 Tottenham (Jan) | |
| PL: Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham (Sep) | |
| PL: Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal (Mar) | |
| PL: Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham (Nov) | |
| PL: Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham (Feb) | |
| PL: Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal (Oct) |
The form guide would suggest that Arsene Wenger’s side will continue their recent success with victory against Tottenham. Arsenal have not lost at home to their rivals since November 2010, when Spurs came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in front of more than 60,000 fans, as per Phil McNulty of the BBC.
However, the visitors welcome back Harry Kane, who has returned to training following an ankle injury, as per Samuel Lovett for The Independent. The 23-year-old England striker has scored four goals in four matches against Arsenal, and as a Spurs fan, he always seems to be extra motivated for the derby.
Arsenal are in a good position to win this one. Alexis Sanchez, scorer of six league goals this season, is in sensational form, and his team-mate Mesut Ozil has eight goals and assists in his last five matches in all competitions.
The German's brilliant goal against Ludogorets Razgrad in Champions League action midweek completed a superb comeback for the Gunners, raising confidence even further before their lunchtime clash on Sunday, as Hector Bellerin’s reaction on Twitter would suggest:
But Spurs will not be easy to beat. They remain undefeated in the Premier League and have conceded a mere nine goals in 16 matches in 2016-17. Pochettino will certainly feel that his side can hold out for a draw, even if their record of two goals scored in their last five makes victory unlikely.
The Tottenham manager spoke of his embarrassment after the defeat to Leverkusen put a huge dent in their hopes of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League.
“It was embarrassing for me,” he said, as per David Hytner for the Guardian. “We need to show more. We need to put ourselves in front of the mirror and say: ‘Come on, we must improve.’”
The key battle in this match is likely to be between Sanchez and Victor Wanyama, whose wayward header gifted Leicester City the equaliser in Spurs' last Premier League outing. The Kenyan international is not as slick in possession as his team-mates, and after that crucial mistake, he may feel nervous heading into his first north London derby.
Sanchez will likely be instructed to harass Wanyama at every opportunity, putting him under intense pressure as Spurs look to pass out from the back. Another mistake will surely be pounced upon by this free-scoring team.
An Arsenal win seems likely, leaving Spurs six points behind their rivals and top spot in the table. It would also end their unbeaten start to the season and condemn Pochettino’s men to their seventh successive match without victory. Sunday's clash could be a damaging day for Tottenham.
