Rob Eddy’s selections for Wednesday night’s north London derby include a positive result for the visitors with plenty of goals.
The North London derby always has plenty riding on it and Wednesday’s renewal looks as important as ever with both sides desperate for the win.
Arsenal have seen their cup dreams hit by Newcastle United and Manchester United over the last week and need to return to winning ways in the Premier League to try and keep in touch with leaders Liverpool.
As for Tottenham Hotspur, in complete contrast to their rivals, they head for The Emirates on the back of cup successes over Liverpool and Tamworth, but it’s league points they really crave as they continue to flounder in the wrong half of the table.
Selections
Draw or Tottenham to win & over 2.5 goals 19/4
Dejan Kulusevski to have 1+ shot on target 11/5
Team to get the first card – Arsenal 23/20
Angry Ange can take ire out on Arteta
Tottenham have an atrocious record at The Emirates Stadium where they haven’t won in the Premier League since 2010 and have never kept a clean sheet in that competition.
Given that they have got defensive headaches, no form to talk about in the league and that the Gunners are flying high, it’s easy to presume they will be rolled over on Wednesday night.
But this is turning into a funny few weeks for both Arsenal and Tottenham and if we know anything about Ange Postecoglou’s side it’s that they are pretty much impossible to predict.
Who, for example, saw them beating Liverpool 1-0 in the first leg of last week’s EFL Cup semi-final and then make such a pig’s ear of seeing off part-timers Tamworth in the FA Cup four days later?
Postecoglou is getting increasingly frosty with the criticism but presumably also with his own side’s form, though opposite number Mikel Arteta is now also enduring his share of flak with the Gunners without a win in three and struggling to score goals.
This could be a decent time to take on Arsenal, minus Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus. It’s hard to see Spurs keeping a clean sheet but take a punt on the visitors not losing in a thriller. The Spurs/Draw Double Chance and Over 2.5 goals is 19/4 and plays to the narrative that Postecoglou’s troops could be anything.
Direct Dejan can fluster home defences
Dejan Kulusevski came off the bench at Tamworth to help get Spurs over the line on Sunday and the Swede will have a far more prominent role at The Emirates.
Kulusevski, one of a glut of direct runners in the Spurs’ ranks, has got five league goals this season and averages 1.6 shots per game.
Sighters of the Gunners’ goal might be less frequent than against some top-flight sides but he still looks great value at 11/5 to have at least one effort on target.
Take Arsenal to pick up first card
Arsenal’s William Saliba was the first player cautioned when these sides met at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September, a game the Gunners won 1-0.
There were eight yellow cards shown that day and Arsenal have seen more cards than Spurs this season.
They are at home and the thinking is a Spurs side with backs to the wall will snap first, but the hosts look a fair play at 23/20 to pick up the first card.
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