North London Derby: Exciting game, exciting bets
by Joseph King | by Joseph King
Tottenham v Arsenal: A fascinating North London Derby
The North London Derby between Tottenham and Arsenal is once again on the programme on Sunday. This clash between two teams from the north of the English capital has always attracted spectators. It's not just the great rivalry that makes this game so special, but also the history and the storylines surrounding it. What's more, these are two high-quality teams which makes it one of the must-see matches for football fans. Naturally, the component of possible tips is also very exciting.
Bet on the North London Derby!
Facts and figures about the North London Derby
The North London Derby will be played for the 196th time this Sunday. Arsenal have the edge in the head-to-head record so far. The Gunners have won 81 matches, while Tottenham have ‘only’ won 62. Of the 174 duels in the Premier League, Arsenal have 71 wins along with a higher goal total than their rivals, 301 compared to 263, to be precise. Arsenal have gone four consecutive league games without defeat against Spurs, with last season’s matches being particularly tough. The game at the Emirates ended 2-2 in September of 2023, while Arsenal won 3-2 in the reverse fixture at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in late April, 2024.
Arsenal will have particularly fond memories of 2004, when they won the title at the time-honoured White Hart Lane. On the pitch of their biggest rivals, of all places, in the year in which Arsenal didn't lose a single game and would go down in history as ‘The Invincibles’. Stories like this are what make this great duel so fascinating time and time again.
North London derby: An exciting combination
The two teams will face off for matchday four of this season. Mikel Arteta’s team plays with a clear philosophy: ball control is important, the game should be dominated. That's certainly not the wrong approach as the Gunners have developed into one of the top teams in the division. Spurs have a consistent style of play under Ange Postecoglou: high intensity, high tempo, but often finding themselves involved in shootouts, which naturally comes with adverse effects. In Postecoglou’s 44 matches in charge, Tottenham have scored 85 and conceded 71, resulting in 3.55 average goals per contest.
Arsenal are on seven points, Spurs on four. Tottenham have scored one goal more, but also conceded two more. In any case, Arsenal’s big advantage is their solid defence, even though Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, two important defensive options in midfield, are missing. The personnel situation is therefore pointing towards this being an open match. Arsenal’s captain Martin Ødegaard is also missing, which is a huge blow for the visitors and must also be taken into consideration. Spurs will therefore view this as their opportunity to break the recent winless run against their biggest rivals.
Exciting bets on this season’s first North London Derby
Big games like this are of course always a particular focus for bookmakers. History over the years shows that the intensity is often exceptionally high in this fixture. After all, Arsenal and Tottenham battle for supremacy in the northern part of the city game after game. The bookmakers see Arsenal with a slight advantage, which is likely due to the fact that the Gunners were outstanding on the road last season and have performed well in recent derbies. However, due to the Spurs home advantage and the injury situation, a bet on Arsenal could be risky.
Much more relevant is a bet that both teams will score. Spurs play a high-risk, high-reward type of game, Arsenal have excellent counter-attacking players but find their defence weakened without Rice and Merino. Bet365 is also pointing towards this bet being a likely outcome, with odds of just under 1.5. Just above the 1.5 mark is a bet on more than 2.5 goals, which has come through in three of the last four league matches. Combining the two (both teams to score + over 2.5 goals) boosts the odds up to 1.72. After all, goals seem to be almost guaranteed here.
