Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England
11:30AM EST | Peacock
After a week and a half of The FA and Carabao Cup action, the Premier League is back with a bang this weekend, highlighted by Sunday morning’s North London Derby! Yup, it’s none other than Tottenham vs Arsenal! In a rivalry that dates back to 1909, the home venues for these two London based clubs are separated by less than five miles. Thus, these passionate fanbases despise one another, simply adding to the spectacle that’s set to unfold inside the New White Hart Lane that is Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Heading into this season, some might have expected Tottenham to make a dark horse run at the Premier League Title. After all, the Hotspur is managed by Italian mastermind Antonio Conte, and led on the field of play by current England Captain and all-time leading goalscorer Harry Kane. In addition, Tottenham features a starting eleven including the likes of Hugo Lloris, Son Heung-min, and Richarlison, amongst many other talented internationals. However, it’s not Kane and company that’s leading a surprise sprint to the title, rather it’s their rivals Arsenal that have taken that baton.
The Gunners are sitting atop the table with a solid five point lead on second placed Manchester City, and a stunning 11 point advantage over fifth placed Tottenham. Through 17 matchdays, Arsenal have dropped just seven out of a possible 51 points, simply remarkable. So remarkable that the Gunners are actually outpacing the famed ‘Invincibles’ from the 2003-04 season in points accrued. How has this magical run been made so you might ask? Whelp, Mikel Arteta has quietly and steadily built himself a rather youthful, but talented and well-balanced squad over the past couple of seasons. The standouts this campaign have been 24 year old Team Captain Martin Odegaard, 21 year old Bukayo Saka, 25 year old Gabriel Jesus, 24 year old Aaron Ramsdale, and my personal favorite 23 year old Eddie Nketiah.
LSB Prediction
Whilst watching from one’s sofa, the intensity within Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be palpable. Whether it’s fierce tackles from Granit Xhaka or breathtaking moments of attacking brilliance by Kane, Nketiah, Son, and Saka, this North London Derby will be played end to end! Simply put, Premier League football at its finest!
Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 3 Arsenal