Spursvs.Arsenal

The 210th edition of the famous fixture takes place on Sunday afternoon, and both sides will be looking to return to winning ways after setbacks immediately prior to the international break.

Arsenal saw their 100% start ended by Brighton & Hove Albion, while Spurs were beaten 2-1 by Newcastle United to leave them on four points from their opening three games.

Victory in what usually lives up to the billing of one of the most entertaining fixtures in the Premier League would be the perfect way to put those results behind them, though, and both teams will enter the derby optimistic of claiming all three points alongside the bragging rights which come with it.

But who do our team think will win? Here, the Sports Mole reporters give their predictions for the mouth-watering showdown.

Barney Corkhill - Draw

Arsenal have definitely had Tottenham's number in recent years, winning five of the last seven North London derbies, but with some notable absentees they may struggle to keep up their dominance this time around.

As always with this fixture, I expect a hugely entertaining contest with plenty of goals - only one of the last seven games has seen fewer than three goals scored, and you have to go back six years for the last time there was only one goal.

However, ultimately I expect the spoils to be shared; I think if you offered fans of both clubs a draw before the game, many would take it, and while both teams have legitimate reasons for optimism heading into the match, I am backing an open, end-to-end 2-2 draw.

Matt Law - Draw

Tottenham have made an underwhelming start to the season, but they were excellent at home to Everton, and a similar performance in this match should earn them at least a point.

Arsenal were solid in their first two matches, but they were far from their best against Brighton last time out, and the absence of Declan Rice will be a big one; Martin Odegaard is also set to miss out with an ankle issue, so it is tough to back the Gunners this weekend.

Tottenham beat Arsenal 3-0 at home in the Premier League at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, and it would certainly not be a shock to see a Spurs win on Sunday.

If Arsenal had their best side available, I would be backing a narrow away victory, but taking everything into consideration, I have had to settle on a low-scoring draw.

Ben Knapton - Tottenham

With Martin Odegaard's ankle injury ruling him out of the derby, Arsenal will be without their first-choice midfield entirely, most likely forcing Arteta to pair Thomas Partey with Jorginho and move Havertz a little deeper.

Unless Partey drops a rare 10/10, Arsenal's midfield could easily be overrun, and Arteta was already struggling for depth without this latest injury crisis.

The Gunners can still bully their rivals from set pieces, but with a depleted squad in a hostile atmosphere, Arsenal will likely come out second best on this occasion.

Jonathan O'Shea - Arsenal

Not only have Arsenal outperformed Tottenham over the past few years, but they also hold a clear psychological edge over their North London rivals.

Despite facing a few absences, the Gunners should take maximum points once again, so Spurs will have to wait a while longer to topple their old foes.

Joel Lefevre - Arsenal

Being without Declan Rice through suspension is not ideal, however, I still don't see the Gunners dropping points against Tottenham this weekend. Arsenal possess more attacking pieces than Tottenham who should trouble the Spurs backline.

They also have a motivated Raheem Sterling keen to show he's still capable of contributing at this level and with a solid track record for scoring versus Spurs, netting eight times against them.

I believe Mikel Arteta's men have learned how to stay sharp consistently throughout a long season, which will serve them well this weekend. I expect another close game between these two, with Arsenal's depth carrying them to victory.

Carter White - Draw

Unbeaten in their last four clashes with Tottenham - dropping points on just the single occasion - Mikel Arteta's Arsenal would have been supremely confident of recording another North London derby success before their recent midfield availability crisis.

Declan Rice's suspension and Martin Odegaard's ankle concern mean that the Gunners could be without two of their most influential players, whilst summer arrival Mikel Merino remains sidelined due to an unfortunate shoulder injury.

On the contrary, Spurs could welcome Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke back to their XI after they both missed the defeat to Newcastle United, massively bolstering a side who have dominated all three of their league matches so far this season, albeit earning only four points in the process.

Combining all of those factors, I suspect there will be an opportunity for Ange Postecoglou's troops to pounce on the frailties of Arsenal on Sunday, leading to an exciting share of the spoils at a raucous Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Lewis Nolan - Draw

With Arsenal's first-choice midfield likely to be unavailable for selection, Tottenham should look to take advantage of the Gunners' vulnerability in the centre of the pitch, but Mikel Arteta could find some success against Ange Postecoglou's team if Arsenal prioritise creating counter-attacking opportunities.

Andrew Delaney - Arsenal

Even though form often goes out the window when it comes to big derbies, Arsenal are a class above Tottenham at present and going away to their rivals has not been a daunting task considering they've won on their last two visits.

Martin Odegaard's injury on Monday is a concern, and they will be without Declan Rice, but Mikel Arteta's side should still have enough firepower to expose an often leaky Spurs defence.

Spurs have been punished for not taking their chances so far this season, and Arsenal will not let them off the hook in that regard either.

Nathan Hunter - Tottenham

With Arsenal missing key players in Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, I can imagine Mikel Arteta will be more inclined to prevent this game being played at Tottenham's tempo and might look to stifle the home side rather than taking the game to Spurs in the way his side did last season.

Even though Tottenham have endured a stuttering start to the season, I have a feeling that they might be catching Arsenal at a good time here.

Babafemi Busari - Arsenal

I believe Arsenal should still be able to edge this game despite the injuries that now mean they are lighter than ideal in midfield for such a big game.

The Gunners have shown they can get wins against their noisy neighbours in less than ideal circumstances so I'd say a 2-1 Arsenal win.

Read more on Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal

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