Tottenham vs Arsenal & Premier League Insights Plus PSL Champions’ Season Opener
The Premier League is set for an electrifying weekend with the North London Derby taking centre stage. Tottenham Hotspur will battle Arsenal in a clash of titans, while Manchester City look to maintain their flawless start against Brentford and Liverpool aim to extend their unbeaten streak as they host Nottingham Forest. But that’s not all—our coverage also includes the season opener for the PSL champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, as they look to bounce back from recent setbacks. Dive into our detailed match previews, key stats, and expert betting tips to make the most of this weekend’s football action.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal: A North London Showdown
Premier League action returns with a bang this Sunday as Tottenham Hotspur host Arsenal in the first North London derby of the season. Spurs come into the game off the back of a frustrating run, dropping points to both Leicester and Newcastle despite dominating both matches. Ange Postecoglou’s side fired off a combined 35 shots across the two fixtures (20 vs Newcastle, 15 vs Leicester), but failed to make them count, leaving them with just four points from a possible nine in the opening weeks of the 2024/25 season.
Arsenal, on the other hand, remain unbeaten but stumbled to a 1-1 draw against Brighton before the international break. With Manchester City setting a blistering pace at the top, any slip-up could be costly for the Gunners. Adding to their woes, Declan Rice’s controversial red card in that match leaves Mikel Arteta’s midfield without its linchpin. Injuries to Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori during the break have also left Arsenal limping into the derby.
Spurs are hoping new signing Dominic Solanke will be back after missing the last two matches. Despite injuries on both sides, North London derbies never disappoint. They’re always unpredictable, and as the saying goes, “form goes out the window.” Last season’s encounters were goal-fests, with nine goals scored across the two meetings (Spurs 2-3 Arsenal and a 2-2 draw at the Emirates).
Key Stats:
- Spurs have won 14, drawn 14, and lost eight of their last 36 home matches against Arsenal.
- Arsenal have lost just once in their last five Premier League meetings with Spurs.
- 18 of the last 20 North London derbies have seen over 1.5 goals.
- Over 1.5 goals scored
- Both teams to score
- Correct score: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Arsenal
Expect fireworks!
Manchester City vs Brentford: Can the Bees Sting Again?
Manchester City are off to a flying start, winning their first three Premier League games for the second season in a row. As they host Brentford, City will be eyeing another victory to edge closer to matching last season’s six-game winning streak to open the campaign. With 12 straight Premier League wins under their belt, it seems like another routine outing for Pep Guardiola’s men. But Brentford have a knack for upsetting the odds in this fixture.
Brentford have kicked off the season in fine form, winning two of their first three matches, with their only loss coming against Liverpool. They also have history on their side in this fixture. Despite City’s 31-game unbeaten run at home in the league, it was Brentford who last managed to beat them at the Etihad, back in November 2022. Thomas Frank’s men always seem to rise to the challenge against City, making this clash far from a foregone conclusion.
Key Stats:
- City have conceded exactly one goal in each of their last five Premier League home games.
- In their last five meetings, City have won three, Brentford two.
- Since Brentford’s promotion in 2021, only two of their six meetings with City have featured over 2.5 goals.
- Under 4.5 goals
- Both teams to score
- Correct score: Manchester City 2-1 Brentford
Will Brentford spoil the party again, or will City’s dominance continue?
Mamelodi Sundowns vs SuperSport United: Can the Champions Bounce Back?
After suffering back-to-back 1-0 defeats to Stellenbosch FC that knocked them out of the MTN8 quarter-final, Mamelodi Sundowns find themselves under pressure. Critics are questioning whether the Brazilians have what it takes to defend their league title, with some doubting coach Manqoba Mngqithi’s ability to fill Rulani Mokwena’s shoes. However, Bafana Bafana keeper Ronwen Williams believes the reaction is premature, stating, “Sometimes when setbacks happen so early, it is for even greater things to come.” Sundowns will be determined to silence the doubters when they take on SuperSport United, a team they’ve dominated historically with 17 wins in 25 meetings, compared to SuperSport’s three.
However, SuperSport knows how to make things difficult. The last time these teams clashed, Bradley Grobler’s first half equaliser secured a 1-1 draw, and SuperSport will be eager to put up another fight. Having finished last season with a strong five-game unbeaten run, SuperSport will look to build on that momentum and upset the reigning champions again on Tuesday.
Key Stats:
- Both teams have scored only four times in their last 10 meetings.
- Sundowns are unbeaten in their last six home games against SuperSport.
- SuperSport’s last away win at Sundowns was in 2019.
- Under 2.5 goals
- Both teams to score: No
- Correct score: Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 SuperSport United
Expect a tight contest as Sundowns aim to get back on track.
Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest: Reds Look to Extend Unbeaten Run
Arne Slot has made a sensational start to his tenure as Liverpool manager, guiding the team to three straight wins without conceding a goal. He’s the first Premier League manager to achieve this feat since the late Sven-Göran Eriksson and the first Liverpool boss to do so in the top flight. Slot will be keen to keep that momentum rolling after the international break. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest has a tough task ahead but will be buoyed by their own undefeated start to the season under Nuno Espírito Santo.
Forest will need to find a way to stop the red-hot Mohamed Salah, who has been in scintillating form, scoring in every game so far. The Egyptian star is chasing a club milestone, aiming to become only the second Liverpool player to net in the opening four Premier League matches of a season, following in the footsteps of Daniel Sturridge in 2013/14.
Key Stats:
- Liverpool have yet to concede this season.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 12 games.
- Nottingham Forest have won five straight away matches.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last five home games.
- Liverpool have lost just one of their last five league meetings with Forest.
- Both teams have only scored once in their last five encounters.
- Mohamed Salah to score
- Liverpool to keep a clean sheet
- Correct score: Liverpool 2-0 Nottingham Forest
With both teams unbeaten, this clash promises to be an intriguing battle of momentum at Anfield.
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Written by: Noah Ngcobo
