The North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur take centre stage in the Premier League on Sunday, with both clubs aiming to kick-start their campaigns.
The contest at the Emirates Stadium is one of two matches taking place in the English top-flight on Sunday and it will directly follow Southampton’s home clash with Wolves.
Gunners to Make Home Advantage Count
Arsenal appear to be slowly getting their season on track after beginning the campaign with three successive league defeats, as back-to-back wins over Norwich and Burnley has eased some of the pressure on boss Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners may have only won one of their last six meetings with Spurs, but they do have an impressive home record against their North London rivals, as they have only lost one of the previous 28 top-flight clashes between the two sides on their own patch.
Spurs’ last league win at the Emirates came back in November 2010 when goals from Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart and Younes Kaboul helped them to a 3-2 success and they have struggled at the ground ever since, taking just one point from their last four visits to the home of their fiercest rivals.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were also beaten 3-0 by Crystal Palace in their last Premier League away fixture and there could be more disappointment for Spurs on Sunday, with an Arsenal win priced at 5/4.
Goals Galore at the Emirates
There is usually plenty of entertainment on offer when Arsenal and Tottenham meet, with five of the last seven encounters having seen both teams score – which has also occurred in each of the previous three league meetings at the Emirates.
The Gunners have kept clean sheets in each of their last two Premier League fixtures, but after conceding nine goals in their opening three matches, defensive fragilities appear to remain.
Spurs have also struggled defensively of late, conceding at least twice in each of their previous four games, although they have also scored twice in their last two away fixtures against Rennes in the Europa Conference League and Wolves in the EFL Cup.
Attack could be the best form of defence for both sides on Sunday, so backing both teams to score at 20/23 could be the way to go.
St Mary’s Set for Another Stalemate
Southampton are the draw specialists in the Premier League so far this season, sharing the spoils in four of their five matches to date, while they are also without a win in any of their last seven fixtures in the division.
Wolves have also struggled for wins of late, losing four of their five league games so far this term, although Bruno Lage’s side do have an impressive recent record against Southampton, as they have only been beaten once in the last ten league meetings between the two clubs.
Four of those encounters have ended all square and it could be a similar story on Sunday given both teams have struggled for wins so far this term, with the draw available at 23/10.
*All odds correct at time of writing
