It’s the big one from a fan’s perspective today as Spurs make the short trip across north London to take on bitter rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium with both teams in good form
The day has come – North London Derby day. It’s the match Tottenham and Arsenal fans have been waiting for and perhaps dreaded in equal measure.
Who will win the first North London Derby of the season? It’s an early start this year, with both teams so far unbeaten in the Premier League and looking to compete at the top of the table with Manchester City.
History shows that Arsenal will win as Spurs have only won once at Emirates Stadium in 17 attempts. However, the Lilywhites look like a different beast under new boss Ange Postcecoglou and will be looking to compete with last season’s Premier League runners-up.
This is an interesting encounter in the capital that will please neutrals more than anything else. Tottenham entered the match with 4/5 wins, a record equaled by the Gunners. Both are now five points behind Man City, who beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 on Saturday.
Before the match, many experts and former players commented on the result. And Sandro, a former Spurs fan, has endeared himself even more to supporters with his views.
A cult hero at White Hart Lane during his four-year spell in north London, the Brazilian admitted he “didn’t care about Arsenal” in a hilarious confession. Speaking exclusively to Ladbrokes Fanzone, he said:
“I’m not the Brazilians at Arsenal, I’m not Arsenal, I don’t watch them, I don’t really care about them – I’m a Tottenham fan!
“Both teams are in a really good place right now – but I think Tottenham are particularly enjoying a good moment. It’s different; you can see everyone around the club is believing again. We have to take a point from the North London Derby. Of course, a win would be perfect, but if you can leave that game with a point, I would be happy. We have to keep pushing, keep playing well, we can’t afford to lose momentum, so I’m going to say this game finishes 1-1.”
Sandro also went on to say he knew all along Arsenal would not win the Premier League title last season. The Gunners ran City close but ultimately finished five points adrift, with City going on to win an historic treble.
Sandro added: “You have to give Mikel Arteta credit for what he is doing, for sure. You can see Arsenal are improving, but I said all along last year that they were not going to be champions. Some of their fans called me out on it throughout the season when they kept winning games, but I just told them to wait and see, and then within a few weeks they’d lost their lead and Manchester City overtook them.
“Those boys have never had that kind of experience, or the pressure of having to win every single game. And sometimes, it’s a really difficult position to be in, especially when you’ve never been in that situation before. Winning, and winning, and winning again, it’s so difficult. I knew that team were never going to win the league because they weren’t used to that position. They’re not City players; it’s new to them.”
