Premier League Big Match Focus: How to back a 5/1 Bet Builder in Arsenal v Tottenham

• Two unbeaten records on the line

• Arteta has won all three at home to Spurs

• Read Betfair's new 90 minute payout offer here

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur
Sunday 14:00
Live on Sky Sports Main Event

After a few years of back-and-forths where one side was clearly on top, Arsenal and Spurs enter the first North London Derby of the season locked together on 13 points.

Mikel Arteta's Gunners are looking to build on last season's second-place finish, which owed a lot to a fast start before the World Cup break. Spurs, meanwhile, are entering a brave new world under Ange Postecoglou after a difficult 2022-23 saw them finish eighth with three different men taking charge of matches over the course of the campaign.

Spurs have the upper hand when it comes to goals and shots, though Arsenal have conceded one fewer across their five matches and secured an impressive 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven in midweek. The question now is whether these two fierce North London rivals change their approaches in order to protect the momentum they have built up.

Arsenal's home comforts

Arsenal have lost just one of their last 30 home Premier League games against Tottenham. That came back in 2010, when Arsène Wenger's Gunners led 2-0 at the break but a Rafael van der Vaart-inspired Spurs came roaring back.

This record is reflected in the fact that Arsenal are 1/61.17 to win or draw, while the win for Mikel Arteta's men can be backed at 7/101.70. Not only have they won their last three home derbies, but they also claimed a 2-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in January after a Hugo Lloris own goal was followed by an effort from Martin Ødegaard.

Sunday's match is the first North London Derby in the Premier League era to involve two unbeaten sides, but Arsenal have historically done better than Spurs when it comes to protecting unbeaten records against their neighbours. Arsenal have never lost when going into a North London Derby unbeaten, while Spurs have never won in such a scenario.

Spurs the comeback kings

Last weekend's late comeback against Sheffield United helped Spurs remain unbeaten, and they now have seven points from losing positions this term - second only to Liverpool. Arsenal, meanwhile, conceded first against both Fulham and Manchester United before coming back to take four points from those matches.

This is a meeting between two sides who have scored at least once in every game they've played this season, and both teams to score can be backed at 8/151.53. Spurs have scored at least twice in every game, though Arsenal have only conceded twice on one occasion, when João Palhinha earned Fulham a late 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium.

Spurs are 7/42.75 to score more than 1.5 goals, and history may be on Ange Postecoglou's side. Of the four other managers whose teams scored two or more in each of their first five games in charge, three - Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola and Craig Shakespeare - made it six on the spin.

Saka in form

Much of the pre-match conversation has been devoted to Ødegaard, with Arsenal's captain signing a contract extension on Friday. However, when it comes to Sunday's game, one of his fellow midweek scorers could be the man to watch.

Bukayo Saka got Arsenal up and running against PSV, scoring his third goal of the season. That's a tally matched by Ødegaard and Leandro Trossard, who also netted on Wednesday.

Over the course of his last 18 games, Saka has 18 goal involvements, and is 10/111.91 to score or assist on Sunday. His record against Spurs has been less reliable, though, with just one goal (in September 2021) and two assists across seven meetings.

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur prediction

If Spurs can end Arsenal's unbeaten record, it would be a big statement for Postecoglou after an admirable set of results in what has been an admittedly friendly fixture list. Two or more goals for Arsenal would see them pass Liverpool as the team with the most goals against Spurs in Premier League history, and they have eight across their three home meetings with Arteta in the dugout.

Spurs have scored a first-half goal in each of their three away league games so far this season, while Arsenal have both scored and conceded in the opening 45 in their last two league outings at the Emirates Stadium. With that in mind, we're looking at the Bet Builder market where Arsenal to win and both teams to score in the first half can be backed at 5/16.00.

With that, Betfair's Bet 5 Get X promo is in place for this match. That means if you place a £5 Bet Builder on Arsenal v Tottenham you will get a free bet. Make sure to opt-in here.