Tottenham v Arsenal: Tables set to turn on threadbare visitors
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Arsenal travel across north London for their Premier League clash at Spurs knowing a home win would see the Lilywhites usurp their neighbours in fifth place, and deliver a crushing psychological blow to Arsene Wenger’s hopes of retaining his side’s Champions League presence next term.
We think they’ll do it too. Here are three best bets for the fixture:
Considering the hosts have won six of their last eight in the Premier League, with a 5-3 triumph over leaders Chelsea in that mix, over 2/1 on Spurs seems big.
Arsenal may be on a five-game winning streak in all competitions, but they’ve banked just seven points from their past five Premier League away games, with losses coming at Southampton and Stoke during that run.
On balance, a bet on Pochettino and co looks the way to play in the outrights, especially with Arsenal missing crack goal-getter Alexis Sanchez, plus Danny Welbeck, through injury.
As aforementioned, the visitors are shorn of a couple of their top hitmen and face a Spurs side that has conceded just once in their past couple of Premier League matches.
Against Sunderland in their last top-flight home fixture, Pochettino deployed holding-midfielder Benjamin Stambouli in front of centre-halves Jan Vertonghen and Eric Dier, largely to good effect.
Expect a similar set-up against the Gunners, who showed plenty of defensive deftness in their 2-0 win away to champions Manchester City.
The last four north London derbies have produced fewer than three strikes, and this one hardly looks like there are goals written all over it.
We know Spurs’ surprise of the season can bang one home from 25 yards, having watched him do so within seven minutes of his first appearance of the campaign against Nottingham Forest in the Capital One Cup.
In what looks likely to be a tight affair, a moment of magic from Mason similar to Danny Rose’s 30-yard thunderbolt against Arsenal five years ago could be the difference at White Hart Lane.
Incidentally, Rose is 15/2 to score at any time.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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