Arsenal will face off against Tottenham in the top flight of English football at Wembley on Saturday, with the race for a top four finish still on. Both the clubs will want to take back all three points from this north London derby, with Spurs having the initial advantage at present. Mauricio Pochettino’s side are in third place in the points table, while Arsenal are in 4th and Unai Emery’s side will look to reduce that gap to 1 point.
It will not be an easy game by any stretch of imagination and the two tacticians will battle it out to get the best result possible. However, it is a fact that Arsenal will have an advantage over their fierce rivals going into this one and here are three reasons why the Gunners should win this contest-
3. Arsenal, The In-Form Team
There is no doubt that Emery’s team is currently the better side based on current form and the results that they have been producing. They have beaten the likes of Chelsea (a team that just beat Spurs) and some of the other smaller teams in recent times, which will really be a bonus for the Gunners.
Also, they really need to continue their good form if they wish to finish in a Champions League spot this term, with both Manchester United and Chelsea right on their tail. With that being said, they should be able to push for a win now.
2. Back-to-back Losses for Spurs
Spurs were beaten by Burnley and Chelsea in the last two games of the top flight of English football and will now want to get back to winning ways. They are totally out of form and are struggling to make any sort of major impact. The Argentine manager really needs to rally his troops, if they want to seriously finish in the top four.
Their recent loss to Chelsea was possibly the end of their title challenge this term, unless Liverpool and Manchester City really mess things up. Despite that, they are still alive in the Champions League and can do something there, though their focus for now would be the game against Arsenal.
1. Fitness Woes For Pochettino
The fact that Harry Kane doesn’t seem to be full fit was clear with the way that he was playing. Also, his return to the first team has seen his form dip once again, which is why he just couldn’t finish off some of the chances that they created against the Blues. Son and Eriksen look to be tired as well and the team needs to find someone who can really push through, in terms of getting the job done.
It will not be easy to make things happen for Tottenham, though their players will surely try and the manager will want to make a difference in this high-intensity fixture. He will want his team to give their 100%, as this game means a lot for them. However, whether they are able to produce a result or not in the end, remains to be seen. It will be interesting though.