Tottenham Hotspur vs. Arsenal: Preview

The North London derby is always a must watch game. Tomorrow’s game is no exception, as the race for the Champions League places is tight.

Pos	Team	Played	Wins	Draws	Losses	GD	Points
3rd	Chelsea	28	15	7	6	+26	52
4th	Tottenham	27	15	6	6	+15	51
5th	Arsenal	27	13	8	6	+22	47
6th	Everton	28	11	12	5	+9	45

Arsenal cannot afford to lose tomorrow. A defeat will leave them seven points behind Tottenham and five points behind Chelsea. With ten games remaining, it would be a considerable lead.

The North London derby is the highest scoring fixture in Premier League history; 121 goals have been scored. The table below shows the results since 2008.

North London derbies since 2008

2012/2013	Arsenal	5	2	Tottenham
2011/2012	Arsenal	5	2	Tottenham
2011/2012	Tottenham	2	1	Arsenal
2010/2011	Tottenham	3	3	Arsenal
2010/2011	Arsenal	2	3	Tottenham
2009/2010	Tottenham	2	1	Arsenal
2009/2010	Arsenal	3	0	Tottenham
2008/2009	Tottenham	0	0	Arsenal
2008/2009	Arsenal	4	4	Tottenham

Goals per game since 2008	4.67
Arsenal goals per game since 2008	2.67
Tottenham goals per game since 2008	2.00

Gareth Bale has recently been compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the media, but I believe that to be a massive exaggeration. While nine goals in seven games is impressive, Messi and Ronaldo are able to reproduce this form consistently. Arsene Wenger believes that Bale would find it “very, very difficult” to continue the form he is currently in.

Having said that, if the in-form Bale turns up tomorrow, Arsenal will be in for a tough afternoon. Bacary Sagna has been ruled out with a knee injury, leaving Carl Jenkinson to deputise. Despite being much less experienced than the Frenchman, Jenkinson is a good player and he is capable of nullifying the threat posed by Bale.

Personally, I think the game will end up as a 2-2 draw. Both teams are very evenly matched. The form table can barely separate them, with Arsenal ranked second and Tottenham ranked third.

By Kelvin Jones

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Sources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20278355

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/form-guide.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/9903706/Tottenham-v-Arsenal-Gareth-Bale-will-inevitably-suffer-dip-in-form-warns-Arsene-Wenger-ahead-of-derby.html