Football betting tips: Premier League
1pt Micky van de Ven 1+ assists at 33/1 (bet365, Betway)
1pt Radu Dragusin 1+ assists at 50/1 (bet365)
A north London derby enshrined in chaos. A side fearing the drop hosting another petrified of a drop off - the significance of this fixture can never be understated but it carries a far greater weight in this edition.
Arsenal top the Premier League table; Tottenham sit down in 16th. Five points separates Mikel Arteta's side and Manchester City in second going into the weekend with the same applying for Spurs and the relegation zone.
Two wins from their last seven league outings has led to nerves superseding confidence. It was topped by a 2-2 midweek draw with Wolves in which everything from tactics to the weather were blamed - North London Forever, Whatever The Weather* indeed (*when conditions are ideal).
Spurs have already hit the panic button. Igor Tudor is in and his position as a veteran firefighter in the football managerial world shows they are under no illusions about their current position. 'You're here to keep us in the league, Igor. That is it'.
If you asked the question of whether the hosts could get something from this game a couple of weeks ago you'd likely say no chance. Not many could blame you for that response either.
They've not won a Premier League game in 2026, despite somehow finishing 4th in the Champions League. Thomas Frank's frigid brand of football led to games in which little was expected and little was delivered.
Things feel different now though. There's the uncertainty of what Tudor will bring against the fragile state of the visitors. We should expect bravery though - the home crowd will demand it.
And ultimately, Tudor could win just one game as manager and end up in Tottenham folklore should it be this one which fully derails Arsenal's title hopes.
Perhaps bravery is the word of the day. The reality is that Arsenal are a much better side but Tudor won't allow his side to sit back and allow their opponents and main rivals to dictate things in his first game at the helm.
So how brave will they be? Will they play it sensible and try to limit their opponents? Or will Tudor have instilled his methods into the players by kick-off? If we consider the latter of the two scenarios, we have to acknowledge he's had time to do so.
You don't often get that in mid-season appointments yet it's a luxury present here. To move on from Frank and then put in a performance similar to his showings just because you're facing a 'good' side would end the project before it's even started.
A managerial change presents betting opportunities based on theories and often at the prices, it's worth giving them a go. In this one, it's MICKY VAN DE VEN 1+ ASSISTS at a very appealing 33/1.
If Tottenham play in the way we've seen from Tudor's previous teams, we should see them lining-up in a back-three system with wing-backs. However, the wider central defenders will be expected to contribute in attack.
They get forward to overlap the wing-backs and can find themselves very advanced with possession. They are needed to try and create an advantage in numbers when attacking out wide.
Van de Ven has experience with playing as a left full-back anyway but we can expect he'd be best suited to carrying out this role. He's quick and confident on the ball.
Juventus' left centre-back Lloyd Kelly operated in a similar manner at the start of the campaign and created three chances across his opening five Serie A games. Three chances came across three Champions League outings, with two in four at the Club World Cup.
On a similar note, I'm also taking RADU DRAGUSIN 1+ ASSISTS at a bigger price of 50/1. The same case as above applies to the right side of the back three.
The other thing is that, given Spurs' injury issues, it's not completely clear at this stage who will be making up that back three. The ideal is that Van de Ven is on the left and Dragusin on the right with someone else in the middle, but this does also cover at least one of them being given the licence to get forward.
With both of these players being centre-backs, there is also the set-piece potential of the bet as well. The open play threat is there but so too is the possibility that they make first contact with a corner or head one back across for someone else to convert.
Perhaps Spurs go for the conservative approach out of necessity. Perhaps they take the game to Arsenal. If it's the latter, here's hoping the two named here are involved.
Odds correct at 15:40 GMT (19/02/26)
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.