Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are set to rub shoulders in what is the first North London Derby of 2025, and both sides go into the fixture with high pressure given how Mikel Arteta has to put his doubters wrong and the fact that Ange Postecoglou needs a big win to kickstart his side’s Premier League campaign.

This is a rivalry widely celebrated among the supporters as we are set for a thrilling fixture despite the wide differences in where both the sides lay on the table for the ongoing 2024/25 campaign.

The Lilywhites have been struggling in the English top tier as they lay tenth (10th) on the table with a gap of 16 points to their North London neighbours; however, they may enter the Emirates Stadium with a lot of confidence given their recent 1-0 triumph over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

Arsenal, on the other hand, has lost back-to-back cup games, and they come into the game looking to keep their Premier League title credentials alive.

Merson has his say on North London Derby

And former Arsenal player turned pundit Paul Merson has been writing about his prediction for the game, backing his former side to come through with all three points in a 3-1 scoreline. Writing in his column on Sportskeeda, Merson noted:

“I expect them to beat Tottenham, but they desperately need a new centre-forward. Spurs are too up and down and I just don’t see how they can win here.

“A trophy would keep Ange Posteeoglou in the job. If they finish eighth in the Premier League and win the Carabao Cup, where they have a 1-0 advantage ahead of the semi-final second leg at Anfield, that’s still good in my opinion.

“Some top teams could finish in the top four this season and not have a trophy, And this is Spurs by the way, they have never won anything!”

Prediction: Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham

Going into the game, a possible win would be widely celebrated among the fans at White Hart Lane and moreover also hand Ange Postecoglou some space of time in the job.

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• “That is an option for Tottenham…” – Journalist backs Levy to move for defender that was once wanted by Conte at N17

What are your score predictions for the North London Derby? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.