While Arsenal players and coaches enjoy a brief winter break as the English Premier League all but shut down in early January, it gives fans a chance to reflect on the season. Has the campaign gone as expected in the opening 20 games for the Gunners? What must boss Mikel Arteta do to ensure his side improves on last season’s runners-up finish to deliver the EPL trophy finally? How have the new signings settled into life at the Emirates Stadium, and does the club require reinforcements in January?
The winter break often throws up more questions than answers, but that’s sports. But when marking the team’s homework and producing the half-term report card, the signs are promising. Many soccer fans made predictions at the leading betting sites back in the summer and can now re-visit those calls. Most loyal to the Gunners hoped to see their team top the league at the break, while many would’ve been happy to see their team challenge for a top-four berth.
There are still plenty of games ahead as we enter the second half of the season. But Arsenal will return from a break sitting fourth in the Premier League with their stats showing a dozen wins, four draws, and four defeats with 37 goals scored and 20 conceded. Their 40 points tally is five points shy of current leaders Liverpool, with Man City and Aston Villa in second and third, respectively, on 43 points. There’s all to play for as we prepare for the return of Premier League action.
Reading the room
If you backed Arsenal to win the league in your pre-season predictions, you’ll be happy with how the first half has gone. The Gunners aren’t as high in the pecking order as they were last season when starting the year in pole position. But the club is within touching distance and is a genuine title contender. Fans can’t ask for any more than that at this crucial stage of the program.
The Gunners have Liverpool, Man City, and Aston Villa to pass if they are to hit pole position. But they must also be wary of what’s going on behind them, with several teams pushing for the top four. Ahead of this weekend’s games and round 21 of the season, Arsenal is level on 40 points with neighbors and bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur, with Ange Postecoglou’s team poised to take advantage of any errors. If Arsenal is to win the league, they have a fight on their hands. But if they don’t contest the pole position, they also have a job fending off Spurs for a spot in the top four and next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Winning the league takes consistency, and the character needed to bounce back from negative results. Contesting the top four and securing an invite to the Champions League in September could boil down to the results of the two North London derbies. Arsenal and Tottenham last met in September when the pair fought out a thrilling four-goal draw. The next meeting is on Saturday, 27th April, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a 3:00 pm start, although the time and date are subject to change.
How does Arsenal perform at the home of their rivals, and which team holds the lion’s share of victories in this derby? The more you know and understand the stats and trends, including the head-to-head figures, the better your predictions will be. Keep reading as we guide you through the most important aspects of this world-famous derby.
Head-to-head stats
Let’s dive head-first into the stats, and we begin with the all-important head-to-head figures. Now, we already know soccer doesn’t follow a script, and it doesn’t always follow a pattern either, especially in the Premier League. But you’d be surprised how often the big games stick to a trend. It may be a trend of both teams scoring in a game or a certain player finding the net repeatedly in a derby. Perhaps a game often ends with at least one red card. That information is helpful, and the leading pundits use it to predict the outcome.
Looking back through all previous competitive games between Arsenal and Tottenham, we begin with a narrow but memorable 1-0 win for the Gunners in the old English Division One back in 1909. That’s when the teams first crossed paths, but Tottenham didn’t record a win over Arsenal until a 3-1 home victory in December 1910. Adding all results together, we’re left with the most up-to-date and reliable head-to-head scores available.
At the time of writing, following that 2-2 draw at the Emirates earlier this season, Arsenal has 81 North London derby wins while Tottenham has 61, and 52 games have ended in a draw. The Gunners dominate this fixture in all competitions and lead the Premier League stats with 70 wins, 55 losses, and 48 draws. Interestingly, the rivals have never drawn in the FA Cup, with Arsenal having four wins against the two of their opponents. The League Cup is 7-4-3 in the Gunners’ favor.
Recent history
It’s useful to know how to follow and interpret the stats, but it’s better to stick to the most recent games and use a snapshot of no more than five seasons or less. Concentrating your search on recent years helps show players who enjoy this fixture and seem to save their best for games against Spurs. But the numbers also show both teams to score, total goals, and other snippets that may help you make predictions and call the result on your chosen betting app.
Interestingly, Arsenal scored exactly two goals in each of their last two games against Spurs. They ended with a couple in that 2-2 draw at the Emirates in September of this season and beat the same opponent 2-0 on the road 12 months ago. Reading back further, Arsenal beat Spurs by a 3-1 score twice in their last five meetings. More great news for fans: Arsenal hasn’t lost a North London derby in three, a run stretching back to May 2022.
COYG! London is Red!
o.k. an article about Arsenal vs Spurs head to head and no mention of St. Totteringham’s Day? It’s my favorite day of the year even though its celebration is not quite as certain as it used to be.