We come back from international break with the North London Derby early Saturday morning. Arsenal face-off against Spurs. This one is usually a lively and competitive one. And even more so this season. Both of these clubs had ambitious hopes this season, and have not disappointed. The Gunners sit top on 18 points, and Spurs are not far off in 3rd with 17 points. NPxGD Arsenal are 2nd behind City, and Spurs are 4th behind Liverpool. Regardless, it’s a matchup of two relatively even clubs right now, in what is a game of large importance.
Not only for the rivalry, but also for top 4 and even the Premier League title. In these big derbies, I like to play draws a good amount. Idea being that these teams play up in these matches, which leads to less obvious chances and blowouts. If the game is 1-1 late, a lot of the times these derbies can lead to both teams taking the point. On top of this, Conte has set up the team to concede little to know chances, and to take their 3-4 good chances they have each game. Game state wise and tactically, I think this is a draw. +270 is good value for that.