How Arsenal can go above Tottenham in the Premier League table

The North London Derby. It’s a fixture rich with history, bitter hatred, drama, talking points and action. While Arsenal vs Tottenham rarely ever disappoints for the neutral, the same can’t be said for fans of both teams.

It’s even more nerve wracking when you’re playing at home. Losing to Spurs at any time, any place, is crushing. Defeat on home soil cranks that up to full.

For Sunday’s meeting, the mirroring seasons both sides are having sets this up to be a transformative encounter. Arsenal lost their opening three Premier League matches without scoring, but have since kept two clean sheets in back-to-back 1-0 victories.

Adding to that with a 3-0 Carabao Cup third round success over AFC Wimbledon and that min-run extends.

How Arsenal can go above Tottenham in the Premier League table when Mikel Arteta and Nuno Espirito Santo’s side meet in the North London Derby

As for the visitors, they won their opening three league outings by 1-0 scorelines, and have since conceded eight goals in their last three, losing twice in the top-flight without scoring and going through against Wolves on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the Carabao Cup.

Heading into the Emirates Stadium showdown, a win for the Gunners would see Mikel Arteta’s side match Spurs’ tally for wins and defeats so far in the season. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side currently hold the edge in the Premier League table as they sit seventh, with Arsenal down in 13th.

And, it could get even better.

With a goal difference of -7 compared to Spurs’ -3, if Arsenal can overcome their rivals by two clear goals then they will leapfrog them in the table.

Any win by that margin would see them level on goal difference, but due to the number of goals scored so far this campaign by the respective sides, Arsenal would move above.

Is anyone thinking about that now? A scrappy Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang strike going in off his hip in the 97th to pinch a 1-0 would be absolutely fine. It’s all about the three points, just as it’s all about them not having three points. Where the two teams are come matchday 38 is what really matters. Still, it’d be extra sweet.

If Arsenal were to claim victory by 2-0, 3-1 or whatever two-goal margin, they would have to do something they haven’t managed in the previous six encounters. You need to go back to December 2018 for the last time that happened, in that epic Emirates meeting where Lucas Torreira made his greatest contribution to the club in a 4-2 romp.

Overall, in the previous 17 North London Derbies, the Gunners have won by two clear goals only twice.

The saying ‘the form book goes out of the window’ never rings truer in this particular fixture.