Tottenham vs Arsenal: 3 Things To Expect From the North London Derby

Tottenham Hotspur may have been lucky to rescue a point during their visit to Anfield last time out, but Mauricio Pochettino’s charges will not be riding on their luck when they host Arsenal this weekend.

Spurs welcome Arsenal to their temporary home of Wembley for the second North London derby of the season, with the hope that their performance won’t be as apoplectic as the reverse fixture in November- one which they sustained a 2-0 defeat.

As such, here are three things to expect from the encounter.

 

A Harry Kane goal

Harry Kane scored his 22nd Premier League goal of the season to salvage a point for Tottenham during their mouthwatering clash against Liverpool.

Although the 24-year old is only a goal ahead of Mohamed Salah, Kane not only hast the zest but the experience to secure his third golden boot in as many seasons.

The England international has scored six times in his last six appearances against Arsenal, and will without question relish the chance of scoring his routine goal against the club that released him at the age of eight.

 

End-to-end football

The North London derby is tantalizingly poised to be a spectacular showcase so much for the longstanding rivalry, as it is for the quality of both sides.

The swapping of Henrikh Mkhitaryan with Alexis Sanchez and subsequent acquisition of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund has greatly improved Arsenal’s ammunition, setting precedent for an end-to-end encounter against a fearless Spurs side.

 

Potential top-four decider

It may not have an impact on the league leaders, or even have a bearing on the title hopes of both sides, but the North London derby provides a platform on which to highlight the tempo for next season.

Spurs and Arsenal are fifth and sixth on the Premier League standings respectively, with the former enjoying a four point cushion over the latter.

Seeing as only 6 points separate third from sixth on the log, the North London derby will evidently play an intricate role in determining the English representatives in next season’s Champions League.

 

Written by Brian Humphrey

Follow Brian on Twitter @brihum

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