Premier League action resumes following the first international break of the season and there are two clashes of a colossal magnitude fast approaching. London and Manchester are each prepared for intracity battles this weekend as local rivals go head-to-head.
Premier League leaders Arsenal welcome local foes Tottenham Hotspur before Manchester United travel across town for a derby with defending champions Manchester City.
⏳ 24 hours to go…
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 30, 2022
🔜 Counting down to #ARSTOT pic.twitter.com/owzEb0UPfe
Arsenal vs Tottenham
The weekend begins with instant fireworks as Mikel Arteta and league leaders Arsenal take on 3rd-placed Spurs. The sworn enemies are separated by a single point and the Saturday lunchtime kick-off could yet produce the most hotly contested North London derby in years. Each side is in contention to end the weekend atop the league table if results go in their favour.
Both teams won four of their last five domestic matches and Spurs have yet to taste defeat this league campaign. Last term, the Gunners stormed to a 3-1 home win in September before Antonio Conte’s men revenged themselves in the closing weeks of the season with a 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture.
Spurs opened the scoring in four of their last six meetings with Arsenal, who in turn are without a clean sheet in 10 encounters against their bitter rivals. The Lilywhites last won at the Emirates Stadium in 2010 and they have beaten Arsenal just twice in 30 Premier League games at Highbury and the Emirates.
Harry Kane has climbed into the top three scorers in Premier League history and the England skipper will naturally want to sustain his ascent to Premier League royalty. Spurs have registered one win away from home this season after draws at fellow Londoners, Chelsea and West Ham in August.
Arsenal have fresh injury concerns after Emile Smith Rowe recently underwent surgery on his groin. Mohamed Elneny is also sidelined while Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney are doubtful for the derby. Martin Ødegaard should return having missed the trip to Brentford a fortnight ago, and Oleksandr Zinchenko is expected back after missing three of the Gunners’ last four league games.
Bet365 have Arsenal at 2.05 to win, Tottenham 3.30 to win, and 3.75 for a draw.
Kane is 6.00 to get the first goal and 2.75 to score anytime while his opposite number Gabriel Jesus is 5.50 for first goalscorer and 2.50 for anytime scorer. Heung-min Son netted a hat-trick last time out against Leicester City and the South Korean is 8.50 to score first and 3.60 to get on the scoresheet anytime.
(Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Man City vs Man United
The Red Devils cross the Manchester divide having not played a league game since September 4th, however they do have four league wins on the bounce including two on their travels to Southampton and Leicester.
Man City are one point off the Premier League summit meanwhile United are five points adrift in 5th but have played one game fewer than their city rivals. City are one of two PL clubs without defeat this season and they lost only one of their last 17 home matches in the league.
Pep Guardiola’s side took maximum points in their three home games thus far, scoring 14 goals and conceding twice. Overall the Citizens have scored 23 league goals, five more than any other team, and only Liverpool have conceded fewer.
Under Guardiola, City has faced United 12 times in the Premier League, winning six and losing four. Three of those four losses came at the Etihad Stadium with two of them in the past three seasons. City beat United home and away last term, for just the fourth time in Premier League history.
City defender Aymeric Laporte is into the latter stages of recovery following knee surgery in the summer, while fellow centre-back John Stones recently picked up a hamstring injury on international duty and Kalvin Phillips is unavailable with a shoulder problem.
For the visitors, Marcus Rashford could be involved after he missed out on an England call-up due to an ‘untimely injury’, and Anthony Martial may also feature but Harry Maguire is ruled out for the 188th Manchester derby.
Bet365 have Man City at 1.33 for the win, Man United 7.50 to win, and 5.75 for a draw.
Erling Haaland has 11 league goals to his name and the Norwegian striker is 3.40 to score the first goal and 1.61 for a goal anytime. Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez are each 7.50 for first goalscorer and 3.00 to score anytime on Sunday.
(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
