The Independent

Late goals by Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson helped Tottenham avoid an almighty upset at Coventry City in the Carabao Cup.

Spurs were set to follow up Sunday’s painful derby defeat to Arsenal with a 1-0 loss in the third round after Brandon Thomas-Asante fired the Championship side into a deserved lead after 63 minutes.

Moments earlier, Ange Postecoglou’s decision to substitute Lucas Bergvall had been met with boos from the away end.

However, with time running out and Postecoglou’s bold prediction last weekend of always winning silverware in his second season being set to come back to bite him, Djed Spence found an equaliser with three minutes left.

Spot-kicks were still on the cards until Rodrigo Bentancur played through Brennan Johnson, who chipped home in the 92nd minute to earn Tottenham a precious 2-1 win and leave their travelling support singing about Wembley.

This was the first meeting between the clubs in 11 years, but it was a fixture synonymous with the 1987 FA Cup final when Coventry triumphed 3-2 to clinch the only major trophy of their history.

Postecoglou was eager to deliver silverware for Spurs, but made eight changes from Sunday’s north London derby loss.

Fraser Forster was recalled for his first start in more than 12 months and almost gave away a goal inside 60 seconds, but atoned for a poor pass out from the back with a fine save to deny Jack Rudoni from 20 yards.

When Tottenham did eventually settle, they were forced into a 17th-minute substitution when Wilson Odobert went down after a strong challenge from Jake Bidwell.

Johnson was sent on and while the visitors continued to dominate possession, they could not fashion any chances and almost conceded again during an end-to-end 38th minute.

Firstly, Rudoni’s shot from Bidwell’s cross was blocked by Destiny Udogie and Johnson led the Spurs counter-attack but his cutback failed to pick out a team-mate, which resulted in Norman Bassette being sent away only to fire over.

After no first-half shots and a smattering of boos from the away crowd, Postecoglou sent on full-back Spence and two minutes later they did register an effort of note.

Dominic Solanke carried the ball and found Johnson, but his low effort was blocked by ex-Tottenham youngster Luis Binks.

It was not a sign of things to come as after Timo Werner was again dispossessed, Bassette tested Forster with a low strike.

The 24,606-strong crowd could smell blood and wanted a penalty after 56 minutes when Bidwell raced onto Ben Wilson’s pass and collided with Forster, but play continued and Spurs’ stand-in captain Ben Davies slid in to deny Haji Wright’s goalbound effort.

Thomas-Asante lifted over shortly afterwards before Postecoglou’s night went from bad to worse as his decision to bring off the lively Bergvall sparked boos.

Seconds later and the home faithful were on their feet in celebration after Bassette produced a superb cross for Thomas-Asante to slot past Forster.

No immediate reaction was evident as Ellis Simms headed wide soon after for Coventry.

James Maddison did go close in the 77th minute when he controlled Radu Dragusin’s long-range pass but curled wide from range before Ephron Mason-Clark failed to sufficiently connect with Simms’ deflected shot.

As Postecoglou was facing up to a second consecutive early exit in this competition, his blushes were spared when Dejan Kulusevski linked up with Spence, who prodded home for his first Spurs goal.

With three minutes left, Tottenham sensed their moment and in the second minute of stoppage time Bentancur played in Johnson, who rolled the ball past Wilson to ensure the full-time whistle was greeted with chants of ‘Wembley’ from Tottenham’s travelling support.

PA

Ange Postecoglou has insisted that he “always wins” trophies in his second season at a club as he struck an optimistic tone despite a slow start to Tottenham’s season.

Derby defeat to Arsenal was Spurs’ second defeat in their first four Premier League games, while Postecoglou’s side also suffered an opening weekend set-back in a draw with Leicester.

The hosts controlled much of the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but could not breach Arsenal’s defence, while familiar failings at set pieces again proved costly in a 1-0 loss.

But citing his recent record of having led Yokohama F Marinos and Celtic to league titles in his second year at the clubs, Postecoglou was clear that Spurs fans can expect silverware this season.

“I’ll correct myself - I don’t usually win things, I always win things in my second year,” the Australian said when asked by Sky Sports about a preseason interview in which he said he “usually” wins things in his second season.

“Nothing’s changed. I’ve said it now. I don’t say things unless I believe them.”

Postecoglou steered Spurs to a fifth-placed finish in his first season at the club. It is 16 years since Tottenham last secured a trophy, the 2008 League Cup.

Arsenal defender Gabriel headed home the only goal of the game on Sunday having been left unmarked after Bukayo Saka’s inswinging corner.

It was the 18th league goal that Spurs have conceded from set-pieces since the start of last season, a tally exceeded only by Nottingham Forest.

But Postecoglou insists that his side work on defending corners and free kicks “all the time”.

“I know, for some reason people think I don’t care about set pieces, and it’s a narrative that you can keep going on for ages and ages,” the Spurs boss said.

“I understand that, like I said, we work on them all the time, like we do with every other team, you know that [Arsenal] are a threat. For the most part we handled them really well today, but we switched off for one.

“It’s my burden to carry mate, and I’m happy to do that. Like I’ve always said, for me there’s a bigger picture, there’s a play here that’s much more important than the finer details of us getting to where we want to.”

A north London derby so predictable that, well, it could have been a set piece. You could see everything lined up, right down to Ange Postecoglou’s complaints about a “narrative” after a 1-0 defeat. Tottenham Hotspur played a lot of attacking football but did little with it; Arsenal defended superbly before a set piece settled the game.

Even the manner of the goal was as rudimentary as you could get, Bukayo Saka swinging in a delivery that Postecoglou himself called “spot on” and Gabriel heading in unchallenged from close range. Arteta beamed afterwards with the satisfaction of a plan that had come together, especially after so much disruption. He even spoke of changing that idea so many times, but it helps when you can be so sure of other key elements.

While Postecoglou wearily answered questions about Spurs’ set-piece frailties while insisting he “doesn’t care” about how this perception has grown – something he himself has fostered – Arteta was lauding the work of Nicolas Jover as “the best in his field, the best in any field”. Arsenal's set-piece coach, appointed in 2021, has been crucial in helping the team develop this hugely dangerous weapon in their attack. Gabriel’s goal made it 42 from such scenarios in three years, the most of any team in Europe’s top five leagues. The preparation is so good that players can visualise these moments and see them manifest.

All of this was ironically a vision that materialised from a set of circumstances that could well have led to a very different version of this game. Without their first-choice midfield, and after the way the Brighton 1-1 draw had played out, it was easy to see Arsenal dropping more points to fall five behind Manchester City. A good old-fashioned crisis could have set in. Instead, that is what Spurs are facing because Arsenal stood up in so many ways, especially defensively. That was witnessed so directly in the match-winning goal. Cristian Romero lost Gabriel, who rose to head in a beautifully flighted corner from a few yards out.

It was all so easy, albeit thanks to that hard work but also granite-hard players. That’s what Arteta has turned this team into, even if an element of imagination was missing without Martin Odegaard. The manager spoke afterwards about players who “are hard, have a thick skin” and who were only “hungrier and hungrier” to play when they kept getting bad news about absences during the week.

Spurs never looked like getting into Arsenal’s area so easily, after the energy from an admittedly impressive early burst dissipated. Even then, William Saliba made one brilliant challenge to completely consume Dejan Kulusevski’s space. It was to be a sign of what was to come. Any time Spurs got close to the Arsenal area, on the occasions when they didn’t make poor attacking decisions, one of Arteta’s defensive players was there to shut it down.

This was the major difference between the teams. As one prominent Spurs figure lamented at half time, Arsenal looked like they knew exactly what they were about. The gameplan and instructions were so clear, even if necessarily simplified. Part of that was down to the opposition.

It’s brutal but, at this point, everyone in the Premier League knows what you’re getting with Spurs. Opportunities at set pieces are certainly among them.

So, while Arsenal became so confident close to their own goal, Postecoglou’s players seemed to panic in the same area. There were so many inexplicable decisions. Virtually every player was responsible for at least one, usually in the form of a bad pass, wrong option or poorly-hit cross. The last example was almost a theme of the game. The home crowd became so anxious about the refusal to shoot that they were soon imploring the players to do exactly that. It was summed up when, for one rare moment, the box opened up for Dominic Solanke, only for the forward to dummy it. Spurs’ main idea seemed to be to get it wide and try something hopeful, which was so easy for Saliba and Gabriel to clear away. Jurrien Timber stood out in terms of his physical presence, too, even if Spurs felt that eventually extended into a foul on Pedro Porro that could have been a red card. Arsenal just looked more commanding.

There is a bigger point there, to go with how Arteta has increased both the physicality and quality of this team. Spurs, by contrast, have leant further into buying mere potential. The wage bill remains so low, relative to rivals as well as the club’s revenue.

That has proven a promising model in football for most of the last decade and has broadly worked for Spurs in transforming them from an inconsistent mid-table club into one that is regularly around the Champions League places. The true difference is still revealed in games like this, though. Spurs were playing against a defence that might just be the best in Europe right now. You couldn’t say their attack is anything close to that level.

Arteta added that, with the absences, he wasn’t going to get into the sort of open game that Postecoglou’s Spurs can be so good at. They weren’t here. So many Tottenham crosses went nowhere. Even Son Heung-min, for so long one of the best performers on the planet, has been off it for some time. There just wasn’t that sense of danger here.

Spurs are left with familiar questions. Arsenal are able to celebrate familiar qualities.

A north London derby so predictable that, well, it could have been a set piece. You could see everything lined up, right down to Ange Postecoglou’s complaints about a “narrative” after a 1-0 defeat. Tottenham Hotspur played a lot of attacking football but did little with it; Arsenal defended superbly before a set piece settled the game.

Even the manner of the goal was as rudimentary as you could get, Bukayo Saka swinging in a delivery that Postecoglou himself called “spot on” and Gabriel heading in unchallenged from close range. Arteta beamed afterwards with the satisfaction of a plan that had come together, especially after so much disruption. He even spoke of changing that idea so many times, but it helps when you can be so sure of other key elements.

While Postecoglou wearily answered questions about Spurs’ set-piece frailties while insisting he “doesn’t care” about how this perception has grown – something he himself has fostered – Arteta was lauding the work of Nicolas Jover as “the best in his field, the best in any field”. Arsenal's set-piece coach, appointed in 2021, has been crucial in helping the team develop this hugely dangerous weapon in their attack. Gabriel’s goal made it 42 from such scenarios in three years, the most of any team in Europe’s top five leagues. The preparation is so good that players can visualise these moments and see them manifest.

All of this was ironically a vision that materialised from a set of circumstances that could well have led to a very different version of this game. Without their first-choice midfield, and after the way the Brighton 1-1 draw had played out, it was easy to see Arsenal dropping more points to fall five behind Manchester City. A good old-fashioned crisis could have set in. Instead, that is what Spurs are facing because Arsenal stood up in so many ways, especially defensively. That was witnessed so directly in the match-winning goal. Cristian Romero lost Gabriel, who rose to head in a beautifully flighted corner from a few yards out.

It was all so easy, albeit thanks to that hard work but also granite-hard players. That’s what Arteta has turned this team into, even if an element of imagination was missing without Martin Odegaard. The manager spoke afterwards about players who “are hard, have a thick skin” and who were only “hungrier and hungrier” to play when they kept getting bad news about absences during the week.

Spurs never looked like getting into Arsenal’s area so easily, after the energy from an admittedly impressive early burst dissipated. Even then, William Saliba made one brilliant challenge to completely consume Dejan Kulusevski’s space. It was to be a sign of what was to come. Any time Spurs got close to the Arsenal area, on the occasions when they didn’t make poor attacking decisions, one of Arteta’s defensive players was there to shut it down.

This was the major difference between the teams. As one prominent Spurs figure lamented at half time, Arsenal looked like they knew exactly what they were about. The gameplan and instructions were so clear, even if necessarily simplified. Part of that was down to the opposition.

It’s brutal but, at this point, everyone in the Premier League knows what you’re getting with Spurs. Opportunities at set pieces are certainly among them.

So, while Arsenal became so confident close to their own goal, Postecoglou’s players seemed to panic in the same area. There were so many inexplicable decisions. Virtually every player was responsible for at least one, usually in the form of a bad pass, wrong option or poorly-hit cross. The last example was almost a theme of the game. The home crowd became so anxious about the refusal to shoot that they were soon imploring the players to do exactly that. It was summed up when, for one rare moment, the box opened up for Dominic Solanke, only for the forward to dummy it. Spurs’ main idea seemed to be to get it wide and try something hopeful, which was so easy for Saliba and Gabriel to clear away. Jurrien Timber stood out in terms of his physical presence, too, even if Spurs felt that eventually extended into a foul on Pedro Porro that could have been a red card. Arsenal just looked more commanding.

There is a bigger point there, to go with how Arteta has increased both the physicality and quality of this team. Spurs, by contrast, have leant further into buying mere potential. The wage bill remains so low, relative to rivals as well as the club’s revenue.

That has proven a promising model in football for most of the last decade and has broadly worked for Spurs in transforming them from an inconsistent mid-table club into one that is regularly around the Champions League places. The true difference is still revealed in games like this, though. Spurs were playing against a defence that might just be the best in Europe right now. You couldn’t say their attack is anything close to that level.

Arteta added that, with the absences, he wasn’t going to get into the sort of open game that Postecoglou’s Spurs can be so good at. They weren’t here. So many Tottenham crosses went nowhere. Even Son Heung-min, for so long one of the best performers on the planet, has been off it for some time. There just wasn’t that sense of danger here.

Spurs are left with familiar questions. Arsenal are able to celebrate familiar qualities.

Arsenal battled to a 1-0 win over Spurs in the north London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon, courtesy of a goal from Gabriel.

The centre-back rose above the Tottenham defence to head home in the 64th minute from Bukayo Saka’s corner, with Arsenal going on to win the game thanks to plenty of resolute defending.

And despite no real protest to the goal from Spurs players, Sky Sports pundits suggested that the goal should not have been allowed to stand.

When reviewing the goal, Jamie Redknapp mentioned that Cristian Romero struggled to get to grips with Gabriel throughout the game, before Les Ferdinand pointed out that the Argentine “gets a little shove in the back”.

“If a centre-forward does that, the referee gives a foul against him. They don’t even look at it,” said the former Spurs striker.

“He does need to be stronger, it is poor defending, but he does get a shove in his back,” he added.

Paul Merson agreed, saying that he “would be disappointed if I didn’t get a foul”.

“He [Romero] is in the wrong position, everything is wrong about his defending. You have to be side on, seeing the ball and the player.

“To start off with, you’ve got to be an arm’s length away, and he’s standing with him. But I would expect a foul,” added the former Arsenal man.

Redknapp was more critical of Romero, saying that he “has got to do better with his own defensive responsibilities”, as well as pointing to Vicario’s problems when defending corners.

Spurs have now conceded 18 goals from set-pieces since the beginning of the 2023/24 season.

The win puts Arsenal second in the league behind Manchester City, who they face at the Etihad on Sunday, 22 September, while Spurs now have just four points from their opening four fixtures of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur face Arsenal on Sunday afternoon in the first north London derby of the new Premier League season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs come back from the international break having had a mixed start to the season, with one win, one draw and a loss to Newcastle United in their most recent match.

And Arsenal enter the weekend having suffered a frustrating result of their own, with a 1-1 draw to Brighton following two dominant wins to open the season.

The match is the first in a long run of difficult matches for the Gunners, as they start their Champions League campaign against Atalanta before facing Manchester City next weekend.

The away side will be keen to remind rivals of their title credentials after dropping two points last time out, while Spurs will look to get back on track with a potentially decisive win.

Here’s everything you need to know about the game.

Tottenham vs Arsenal kicks off at 2pm BST today, Sunday 15 September, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 1pm on the latter. Subscribers will also be able to watch on NOW TV online and on the app.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son.

Subs: Forster, Spence, Davies, Dragusin, Gray, Sarr, Bergvall, Odobert, Werner.

Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber; Partey, Jorginho, Trossard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.

Subs: Neto, Kiwior, Kacurri, Heaven, Lewis-Skelly, Sterling, Nwaneri, Jesus, Kabia.

Tottenham 9/4

Draw 2/1

Arsenal 5/6

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It’ll be a fiery encounter in north London, with Arsenal no doubt expecting a difficult atmosphere and a tough game. Arteta’s side certainly have the superior quality, but it remains to be seen whether they can take advanbtage of a Spurs side that is still capable of being dismantled in defence. Rice will be a big miss, and it may be that both sides think it best to settle for a draw, but Arsenal should win it if they can keep their cool. Tottenham 1-2 Arsenal.

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Tottenham Hotspur face Arsenal in the first north London derby of the season on Sunday, as the Premier League continues its return after the international break.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have had a mixed start to the new season, with a draw in their opening fixture followed by a convincing win against Everton and a disappointing loss to Newcastle. And they host an Arsenal side who started the season in fine fashion – with two commanding wins from two – before slipping to a frustrating draw against Brighton in the last match before the international break.

Mikel Arteta’s side will be without Declan Rice and potentially Martin Odegaard, but both sides should otherwise be at full strength as they gear up for what promises to be a fiery contest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ange Postecoglou says his team are ‘in a good place to push on’ as he takes charge of Tottenham Hotspur in another north London derby on Sunday.

Spurs are hoping to respond after a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle in what has been an indifferent start to the 2024/25 campaign with one win, one draw and one defeat from their three matches so far.

The derby is a crucial fixture every season and Tottenham have a slight advantage given they are playing at home and Arsenal are undergoing something of an injury crisis but Postecoglou believes the Gunners will be a ‘tough nut to crack’.

Mikel Arteta’s side had the best defence in the Premier League last season but Postecoglou’s free-flowing brand of football could help Spurs break them down.

“We want to be a club that can challenge everyone, that’s what we are trying to aim to become.” said the Tottenham boss in his pre-match press conference on Friday.

“To do that, you’ve got to perform at a certain level, at a consistent basis, the squad’s strong enough to do that. We’ve started the season fairly solidly, from a performance perspective. The results haven’t reflected that but I think we’re in a good place to push on from last year and improve on all areas. There’s no reason why we can’t [challenge] this year.”

Postecoglou also acknowledged what winning the north London derby would mean to the fans and how triumphing in big games like this can help a team build momentum.

He added: “Every derby is a bit different, obviously this one, you can tell it’s fairly intense between the two clubs geographically situated in the same part of town. On the same turf, there’s a little bit of an edge. I thought both games last year were entertaining. I thought we played well in their place, and really matched with them. We know what it means to our supporters and the club we’ve got to go out there and perform.

“I’ve never felt like there is an easy way to success, I don’t think one thing can change the trajectory to a great effect. It helps, a win in a big game, in a derby but it’s a game against one of the top sides so that gives you more belief and confidence and potentially that can inject some real momentum into our season.”

The manager was also asked about the charges against Rodrigo Bentancur for misconduct and for an update on the injuries in his squad to which he replied: "It’s not unexpected from our perspective. We know it’s something the league will look at and we need to let the process play out. Rodrigo’s well aware of the ramifications. We will just wait and see what they come out with.

"[Yves] Bissouma is the only one that’s got an issue. It’s not serious but he’s getting treatment today. We’ll see if he can train tomorrow and make a decision there.

"Micky [Van de Ven] is all good, he’s trained fully over the international break. Dom [Solanke] is back with the first team, training today so again, we’ve got training tomorrow, if they get through alright, I guess they’ll be available. Richarlison and Will Lankshear are the only two in rehab."

They’re the sort of problems Mikel Arteta enjoys figuring out, even if he hates the reason he has to do it. With the Arsenal manager potentially missing his entire first-choice midfield on Sunday, he and his staff have been assessing the data on how long it would take Tottenham Hotspur to get up the pitch if the ball is lost in a certain area. They’re now conscious of the power of Ange Postecoglou’s own midfield. Those who know Arteta say this is an underappreciated aspect of his approach to football. He sees a lot of it in terms of pure maths. If space is left in one area, it’s about the speed with which the opposition can use it. The different numbers influence formation shape, down to where a midfielder sits.

They also influence numbers of a more simple kind, which may frame this north London derby. That is both managers’ approach to keeping goals out. Sunday will be last season’s best defence against one that is distinctly mid-table, a mere 29 goals conceded against a massive 61. For all the focus on midfields, this match may well come down to different interpretations of how you defend.

That difference is all the more striking since both Arteta and Postecoglou have been significantly shaped by the same broader ideology. They both apply principles of the Pep Guardiola Dutch-Spanish approach that has come to dominate modern football, and has been so fully integrated by City Football Group. Arteta directly worked under Guardiola as assistant at Manchester City, Postecoglou worked under the wider tactical umbrella at Yokohama F Marinos. The latter was specifically picked by Brian Marwood for the Japanese club in 2018 because he fitted the CFG ethos.

That also illustrates how the tactical connection isn’t quite as deep, since Postecoglou was already over two decades into his coaching career by then. That comes across in the play on the pitch, and in the Australian’s guiding philosophy.

“As a coach, when I’m watching the game, I’m just not comfortable when the opposition have the ball,” Postecoglou is quoted in Vince Rugari’s excellent new ‘Angeball’ biography. “I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m watching the opposition working us around the pitch or looking for space. Even our defensive work doesn’t stray from what our core belief is: we want to be a team that has the ball. We want to be an aggressive, attacking, bold, brave team.”

Many of those words sound like what Guardiola or Arteta regularly say, but not fully. They are ultimately about control.

Postecoglou is about explosions, and games that become spectacles.

“The end goal is we just want to score more goals than everybody else,” he added. This is the force that Arsenal will face on Sunday. They had better be ready.

It was this that initially made Tottenham one of the happiest places in the Premier League during Postecoglou’s first few months.

Fans were simply excited again. And who couldn’t be? It led to absorbing games, adventurous play and the ultimate football endorphin rush of late winners. All the defending was front-foot, as illustrated in the aggression of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.

Just as there is another side to the game than attacking, though, that led to another side of the early rush. Supporter enthusiasm gradually gave way to some frustration and now a hint of unease, as Postecoglou seemed to dogmatically resist addressing simple defensive issues. That famously extended to a dismissal of set-piece coaching.

Such purism has fed into a feeling that Postecoglou’s teams have to be perfect for his approach to work, especially in the press to win the ball back. If it is, it’s so worth it. If not, it can go very wrong, as seen in so many goals conceded. The recent 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United was an imperfect illustration, if you like. They conceded more of the same type of goal, with opposition sides exploiting wide open space.

It’s hard not to divorce that from the reality Postecoglou’s titles have often had the most expensive squad in a league - including Yokohama and Celtic. That football can work if you have the players making the fewest errors. It might work spectacularly if you have prime Sergio Busquets or Rodri. Without players of that class, which is not Spurs’ market, a perception of “naivety” has spread.

Postecoglou and those close to him would say that specific word has repeatedly come up in every job of his career, only for the manager to keep succeeding. Defensive issues have ultimately been outweighed, which are maths of a different kind. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a limit to it, though, which the Premier League’s highest level might represent. One opposition coach confided that the trick with Spurs is just to keep it tight because one of the centre-halves will eventually do something “crazy”.

Against that, Arteta is all control, and logic. He is much more invested in the positional aspect of the Guardiola ideology than Postecoglou. This is where the maths comes in, as the Basque tries to reach a different type of perfection. Arteta and his staff work out elements like if an opposition player beats your press in the corner, how quickly they would be able to get up the pitch. One aim is to ensure Arsenal have sufficient control of space around the area that it would take an extra two passes, slowing the opposition transition down to seven or eight seconds. Then, the opportunity is gone. The pace of Postecoglou’s wide players could be crucial there. The challenge for Arteta is to configure a team where the numbers for that space and time are as low as possible. It really is becoming that mathematical.

Arteta has sought to further impose this control by changing the profile of his squad as much as the tactics. The weight and height of Arsenal players has gone up in the last two years, visible in Declan Rice and the giant Riccardo Calafiori. William Saliba’s game intelligence added another dimension in 2022, as Arsenal also started to be much more calculated about when players ran beyond the ball.

That has created a tactical shape that is ultimately much more of a block than a Postecoglou team, admittedly aided by Arsenal’s superior spending power.

Another difference is in that approach to set-pieces. Arteta was so invested in this element that you can control that Arsenal became the top-scoring team from such scenarios last season. That was witnessed in the away win against Spurs, which brought more debate about Postecoglou’s own stance.

Such contrasts mean this is one game where it at least looks like it’s easy to predict the pattern of play. With Arteta denied his usual midfield, it feels obvious that Arsenal will congest space around their own box and seek to hit Spurs on the break and in set-pieces.

That would put even more of an onus on Postecoglou’s side to perform to their higher levels. Arsenal are acutely conscious of Spurs’ pace out wide. They also know a Postecoglou team can just as easily blow you away as blow up.

Spurs have two sides, because the manager is quite one-eyed in his vision on attacking. Arteta has sought to be more holistic. It could mean this derby, which is famously the highest scoring fixture in Premier League history, for once comes down to how you limit the other scoring. Those are simple maths, from higher-level ideological differences.

It’s the first north London derby of the season on Sunday when Arsenal travel to Tottenham looking to bounce back after dropping two points against Brighton last time out (2pm, Sky Sports Main Event).

Mikel Arteta’s side went into the international break already two points behind Manchester City and Liverpool after the 1-1 draw at home to the Seagulls, which saw them play most of the second half with 10 men following Declan Rice’s red card.

He will be missing on Sunday and is set to be joined on the sidelines by Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Odegaard, who both picked up injuries on international duty for Italy and Norway respectively. Mikel Merino and Takehiro Tomiyasu will also be missing for the visitors.

The news is better for Spurs though who will welcome back striker Dominic Solanke, who has missed the last two games through injury. Solanke could lead the line for a Spurs team aiming to get one over their local rivals for the first time since May 2022.

On that occasion, two goals from Harry Kane and a third from Son Heung-Min earned them a 3-0 win against the 10 men of Arsenal, who had Rob Holding sent off after just 33 minutes.

That is Tottenham’s only win in seven derby games and the betting sites make them outsiders to improve that record. Despite their list of absentees, Arsenal are the favourites and could be ready to deliver an early season statement.

We always expect goals in this fixture, and it rarely disappoints. In fact, there have been 30 goals in the nine games played since 2020!

We also expect both teams to score. Arsenal might only have conceded once so far this season, but Spurs have scored six (one more than their opponents) and managed 20 shots on target, in just three games, so it’s likely to be a busy afternoon for both defences.

This fixture has also historically seen both teams score more often than any other in Premier League history, happening 43 times so it seems an obvious area to consider when studying the markets on football betting sites.

A 1-1 draw has been a popular pick among the ex-pros, especially with the injury to skipper Odegaard, but draws are rare at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. There has been just one stalemate in the last 49 games - a 2-2 draw with Manchester United in April 2023.

Of all the grounds in the Premier League, it has seen the lowest percentage of draws, just 9 per cent of the 101 games played and there has never been a goalless draw - in case you’re wondering you can get 14/1 on 0-0 with Betfred.

So, the stats suggest we’ll get a winner, one way or another, and Arsenal look the more likely. They were cruising to a comfortable win in this fixture last season before letting Tottenham back in.

In Spurs’ last game, Newcastle exposed the soft centre of Ange Postecoglou’s men, who remain defensively frail, unlike their local rivals, who look the better option to claim the derby day spoils.

Tottenham vs Arsenal prediction 1: Arsenal to win and both teams to score - 13/5 Betfred

Solanke is expected to return to action for Tottenham on Sunday after what has been a frustrating start to life at his new club.

The striker, who moved from Bournemouth for £65m in the summer, twisted his ankle on his debut against Leicester and missed the games against Everton and Newcastle.

He’d looked lively on debut, firing in three shots on targets, and should be confident of opening his account for Spurs this weekend.

The 26-year-old averaged a goal every two games last season, netting 21 from 42 games, so the fact he’s not scored in his last two may mean he’s due.

It also seem’s like he’s due a first goal against Arsenal after drawing a blank in his five previous appearances for Bournemouth.

Solanke is the same price as Son Heung-min to score anytime on most betting apps, but we’re leaning towards the new boy endearing himself to the Spurs faithful with a derby goal.

Tottenham v Arsenal prediction 2: Dominic Solanke to score at any time - 21/10 Bet365

The Gunners are currently on a nine-game unbeaten run and have scored first in all but one of those matches, Everton having beaten them to the punch on the final day of last season but ultimately losing 2-1.

Arsenal have also won the first half in seven of those nine games, and we like their price to be ahead in this game at the interval.

The Gunners have also taken the lead in the last four meetings between the two sides and three of them came in the form of own goals!

You will get 5/1 with William Hill on there being an own goal - surely lightning can’t strike four times, can it?

They are also offering 7/4 on a penalty being given which is worth a look because this fixture has seen the most penalties given and scored in Premier League history - 26 have been awarded and 24 converted.

Tottenham v Arsenal prediction 3: Arsenal to lead at half-time - 18/5 Bet365

If you are planning to have a bet on the north London derby, or any other sporting event this weekend, remember to gamble responsibly.

Betting is never a surefire way to make money, no matter how much you think you know about sport, and should only ever be treated as an entertainment tool.

Never bet more than you can afford to lose and if you are having issues staying in control, make sure you seek help and advice from one of the UK’s gambling addiction organisations.