Arsenal v Tottenham predictions as pundits and supercomputer disagree

Arsenal face Tottenham in the latest installment of the North London Derby this weekend.

Both sides have enjoyed a fine start to the season so far, with the Gunners top of the pile and Tottenham just one point behind as things stand.

It’s set up to be one of the most exciting derbies in recent years, even this early in the season, with both clubs in fine form.

And it will be a litmus test for both clubs as they look to put together a Premier League title bid this season.

But who do the pundits think will come out on top?

BBC pundit Chris Sutton is backing an entertaining 3-2 win for the Gunners on Saturday, while Arsenal favourite Merson is going for a 2-1 win.

Merson wrote in his SportsKeeda column: “This is a game that never lets you down. There are certain other games in the Premier League calendar where we build them up and they disappoint, but that is never the case with this fixture.

“The way they’re playing at the moment, I don’t see Tottenham being able to beat Arsenal. They did defeat Leicester by a 6-2 margin the other day, but the scoreline flattered them in my opinion. Son Heung-Min hasn’t done well when he’s started games so far this season, and Antonio Conte might use him as an impact player to turn to on the bench.

“Are Arsenal title contenders? I’ll be able to answer that question after they play Liverpool next week. There’s no point in winning one big game and losing the next one. Arsenal lost to Manchester United and they now have two big games which they need to win.

“I was quite shocked that Ben White didn’t make it to the England squad. He can play in three different positions, and that could help Gareth Southgate. When White plays at right-back for Arsenal, it allows Tierney to bomb forward and they effectively play with a back three. It has worked well for Mikel Arteta so far, and there’s no reason to change that.

“With Manchester City in the title race, both these teams should realistically aim for a top-four finish. Arsenal absolutely dismantled Brentford in their previous game, and their home advantage gives them the upper hand in this match.”

Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson agrees with Merson on the scoreline.

“It’s going to be a tough one to call to be honest. Tottenham look great, Arsenal look great,” Johnson told SafeBettingSites.

“Finally, we’ve got two good teams going into the North London derby! I literally have no idea how the game will play out because Arsenal surprised me, Tottenham look really solid. This game is probably the biggest 50/50 this season.

“It would be a massive win for either team, because both teams are performing really well and you’ve got to show that you’re at that level. There’s a lot of teams in the league that can get to a position near the top of the table, but it can be false, because it depends who you’ve been playing.

“These are two clubs now where they’re both in form, they’re both knocking around the top of the table and you’re going to have to prove that you’re the best at some stage. This is their first big test, for both teams.”

Arsenal are being heavily backed by Premier League pundits, but how do they measure up against the supercomputer?

According to the metrics put together by stats experts at FWP, this game will end in a 1-1 draw.