Arsenal are set to face Tottenham Hotspur in a highly anticipated North London derby on Sunday, which will play a major part in the title race.
The Gunners will need to win to keep pace at the top of the table, with Manchester City currently one point behind but with a game in hand.
North London derby matches already come with a lot of pressure, but there is extra motivation for Mikel Arteta to win this one given the position his side are in, whilst Spurs will do all they can to ruin Arsenal’s title hopes.
Former Chelsea striker and pundit Chris Sutton has backed Arsenal to secure what would be a famous victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and explained why he believes the visitors have an edge over their bitter rivals.
Chris Sutton backs Arsenal to beat Tottenham in North London derby
Speaking to BBC Sport, Sutton predicted Arsenal to beat Spurs 2-1, and highlighted that Arsenal being a more balanced team suits them for such a high-pressure game.
“Arsenal bounced back superbly from their defeat by Aston Villa with wins over Wolves and Chelsea and I am expecting more of the same here,” he stated.
“They should win this because of the way they are playing and also because I just don’t think Tottenham have been at their best in their past few games, even the ones they have won.
“It will still be really keenly contested, but the Gunners have a great balance in attack and defence and that might give them the edge.
“If Arsenal do come out on top, it would be an enormous win for them in the title race and keep the heat on Manchester City.
Sutton also backed Arsenal to finish the season strongly as they chase down a first title since 2004.
“I have no doubt Mikel Arteta’s side will win their final three games too – Bournemouth (home), Manchester United (away) and Everton (home) – but it will not be enough if City keep winning too,” he added.
Does form matter for North London derbies?
There is an old cliche when it comes to derby matches, that form often goes out of the window when heading into such fierce, high-pressure and heated games.
There is merit to this, given how poorly both sides tend to perform in away derbies in this fixture. Arsenal won 2-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last season, but this was their first league away win at Spurs since 2014.
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Spurs have not won at the Emirates since 2009, and the atmosphere in this fixture tends to make a strong impact.
Arsenal crumbled and fell to a 3-0 defeat in 2022 when the two sides went head to head for a top-four spot, and they will hope to deliver a better display than they did in the last derby which carried significant pressure late in the season.