Tottenham vs Arsenal prediction: Saka to star as Gunners’ title charge gets back on track | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur take on Arsenal in a north London derby in the Premier League on Sunday, with the visitors looking to maintain their lead at the top of the table as the title race heats up once more.

The Gunners make the trip across the capital having seen their lead extended by just one point after the midweek draw to Wolves, but are still the favourites in the Premier League odds to take the crown to the red side of north London for the first time since 2004.

However, that draw means City can cut the gap at the top to just two points if they win this weekend, so this game against Spurs has taken on even more importance than usual for the Gunners.

However, while any derby is a tricky game to navigate no matter the gap between the two sides, the visitors arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to take on a Spurs side in turmoil, with Thomas Frank having been sacked just over a week ago.

Former Juventus boss Igor Tudor is the man tasked with steadying the ship until the end of the season, though he will have to contest with the same squad depth and injury issues as those that plagued his predecessor, and the mood around the club is notably negative ahead of the visit of their biggest rivals.

And while Arsenal have struggled in recent weeks, the Gunners are still huge favourites despite being the away side, with betting sites pricing Arteta’s men at odds-on to get the win this weekend compared to odds of 5/1 for a Spurs victory.

Tottenham vs Arsenal prediction: No dream start for Tudor

Arsenal come into this match in the midst of a fairly poor start to 2026 by their lofty standards, with the Gunners having won just three of their eight Premier League matches so far this year.

Recent draws to Brentford and Wolves have certainly damaged their hunt for the title, but Arteta and co. are still in the driving seat this season even if their lead is a lot less comfortable than it was just a few weeks ago.

While their attacking struggles have been well documented, Arsenal remain the most formidable team in the league in defence, and have more than enough firepower to get past most teams, as shown in the 4-1 win in the reverse fixture in November.

In any case, whatever struggles Arsenal might be facing pale in comparison to those suffered by their local rivals, with Tottenham currently languishing closer to relegation than European football.

Spurs have not won a single one of their last five matches, with three losses and two draws over that time bringing Frank’s reign to an end. While Tudor arrives with the hope for brighter days ahead, the fact remains that Spurs have conceded 10 and scored six over their last five, and have conceded twice in their last six matches in the league.

Though the hosts will have home advantage this weekend, the depth of their injury crisis and the lack of preparation time afforded to Tudor means the odds are against them, and the Gunners should be able to pull off a fairly straightforward win despite their own struggles of late with a decent price available on football betting sites.

Arsenal talisman Bukayo Saka marked his new contract agreement with a goal as he featured in a new position for the Gunners, with the 24-year-old scoring within five minutes as he lined up in attacking midfield.

And while Saka was eventually subbed due to an unspecified issue as the visitors eventually fell to a draw at the Molineux, the England international should be fit to feature this weekend.

That is great news for Arsenal considering Saka’s record against Spurs, with the Gunners winger having registered two goals and four assists over his least five appearances in the north London derby.

While Ebere Eze stole the show at the Emirates in November, Saka provided the only assist in a 1-0 win in this fixture last season, and got goals and assists in both matches against Spurs the season before that.

Whether or not he is deployed in a central area once again remains to be seen, but wherever he plays he tends to carry the attacking burden for the Gunners, and considering the weaknesses in the Tottenham defence, Saka should be able to come away from this fixture with yet another goal contribution this weekend.

Tottenham vs Arsenal predicted line-ups

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Dragusin, van de Ven, Spence, Gallagher, Palhinha, Sarr, Richarlison, Solanke, Simons.

Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, Calafiori; Rice, Zubimendi, Eze; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli.

Tottenham vs Arsenal betting offer

New customers can secure the talkSPORT BET betting offer worth 40/1 odds for Tottenham or 30/1 odds for Arsenal to win the north London derby.

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