North London Derby’s are always tense and nervous affairs. Supporters of both cubs have been in knots for days and honestly we just want to get it over with. The stakes are extremely high with next season’s Champions League football on the line. An Arsenal win secures a top 4 finish at Spurs expense. A draw is a great result for Arsenal as well because it maintains a four point gap with two games to play. Spurs realistically need to win and at home I expect a desperate performance.
It’s difficult to take anything from Arsenal’s 3-1 win from September. Spurs were out of form, have changed managers and Conte’s January signings have come straight into his first eleven. Of course the danger men are still Harry Kane and Son Heung-min and I expect Arsenal to have a difficult time dealing with the attacking pair.
Arsenal have won four straight in the league and I believe Arteta sitting down the experienced Alex Lacazette for the more mobile Eddie Nketiah has made a huge difference. The Englishman’s willingness to run and take chances has given the team a different type of threat. Lacazette would often drop deep to help in the buildup but wasn’t getting into dangerous areas often enough.
This fixture usually is full of goals and cards and I expect that to continue. I personally have such a rooted interest that I’ve hedged my own happiness by placing bets on Kane and Son to score. I’m genuinely concerned for Arsenal’s ability to keep either one off the scoresheet. I’ve also made a bet for both teams to score and over 2.5 goals in the match for +11o on FanDuel. I recommend that as my best bet.
