Game week 27 of the Premier League kicks off with a bang as Tottenham and Arsenal face each other at Wembley Stadium on Saturday in the North London Derby.
It may be Spurs’ home patch this season, but Arsenal have a formidable record at the national stadium. It’s eight wins on the bounce for Arsene Wenger’s side.
Both sides are fighting to get into the top four with Spurs fifth in the table on 49 points while the Gunners are in sixth place on 45.
Arsenal claimed bragging rights when they came up against Mauricio Pochettino’s side at the Emirates Stadium in November with first-half goals from Shkodran Mustafi and Alexis Sanchez giving Wenger’s side a 2-0 victory.
To Win
Tottenham 21/20
Draw 11/4
Arsenal 23/10
Tottenham
Tottenham return to Wembley Stadium where they are unbeaten in 12 games. In that run, Pochettino’s side won eight times, including an emphatic 4-1 win over Liverpool in October and 2-0 victory over Manchester United on January 31st. They even defeated Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid at their temporary home in this season’s UEFA Champions League campaign.
Spurs will look to dash Arsenal’s hopes of a top-four finish with victory on Saturday and also avenge their 2-0 loss at the Emirates in November.
Pochettino’s side earned a credible 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield last weekend to stretch their unbeaten run to eight matches in the Premier League. Harry Kane claimed his 100th top flight goal with a 95th minute penalty to earn his side a well-deserved point.
Kane has proven himself to be the scourge of Arsenal in recent season’s having 
scored six times in north London derby games. The forward ironically started his career for the Gunners, but was released at the tender age of eight – he eventually found his way to Tottenham. Kane has revealed just how he handled his release from Arsenal, pushing him to becoming one of the best players in the world, and why scoring against them is extra special.
In a letter in The Players’ Tribune, he wrote: “After Arsenal, I bounced around a bit and went back to play for my local team, and then I was spotted by a scout from Watford who offered me a trial.
‘It’s funny how things work out — as it was after playing for Watford against Tottenham that I got the opportunity to join Tottenham’s youth academy. The white kit fit better on me, I think.
‘I remember the first time we played against Arsenal … and even back then, I had a chip on my shoulder. It might sound ridiculous — I was only eight when they let me go — but every time we played them, I thought, “Alright, we’ll see who’s right and who’s wrong.”
In Kane, Tottenham have arguably the best striker in the Premier League and with the likes of Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, Son Heung-min and the arrival of Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain, Spurs have a lethal attack.
Arsenal
Speaking of lethal, Arsenal’s new-look attack featuring Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ripped Everton to shreds last weekend. The former Dortmund pair wreaked havoc on the Toffees defence which would have excited Arsenal fans and given them hope of breaking into the top four.
Mkhitaryan, in particular, looked superb as he set up three goals on his home debut having struggled to make an impact at Manchester United. The Armenian ace became the first Arsenal player to record three assists in a Premier League game since Santi Cazorla set up four against Wigan in May 2013.
Mesut Ozil also impressed after signing a new deal at the club to end speculation over his future, but it was Aaron Ramsey who stole the show by netting a hat-trick in a confidence-boosting 5-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium.
As team-mates at Dortmund, Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan racked up 121 goals and 80 assists between 2013-2016 and Wenger said it’s like the pair have been at the club for years.
“In the first half we were quick, mobile, technically very sharp and we finished very well as well,” he said.
“Overall, two players integrated well into our game and they looked as if they had played for us forever.
“They have similar qualities to what our game is about. Technically, they are good. They are quick and overall it was a first convincing performance.”
Wenger will need his new signings to help the Gunners record their first away win of 2018. They suffered back-to-back defeats away to Bournemouth and Swansea, shipping five goals while scoring twice.
Probable line-ups:
Tottenham: 4-2-3-1
Lloris; Trippier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Dembele; Eriksen, Alli, Son; Kane.
Arsenal: 4-2-3-1
Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Xhaka, Ramsey; Iwobi, Ozil, Mkhitaryan; Aubameyang.
Prediction: Draw & Both Teams to Score (5/2)
We should be in for a cracking North London Derby. These teams have cancelled each other out three times in their last five meetings and with the quality attacking players on both sides; both teams should get on the scoresheet. That said, I’m backing the Draw & Both Teams to Score at 5/2.
Chadley Nagel
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