Gary Neville predicts winner of upcoming clash between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United legend Gary Neville has predicted Tottenham Hotspur will beat Arsenal in the upcoming north London derby on 12 May.
Spurs are set to host their arch-rivals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday in a key Premier League clash. Both teams are chasing a fourth and final UEFA Champions League spot with only three games remaining.
The Gunners are four points ahead of Antonio Conte's side, who drew against Liverpool last weekend. A win could confirm their return to the competition after five years. However, Neville thinks Spurs are not to be counted out just yet. They put on a great performance at Anfield and he believes they could give the Gunners a run for their money.
On 'The Gary Neville Podcast' (via HITC), he said:
“I fancy Tottenham on Thursday night. I think they were brilliant last night at Anfield.”
A run of four consecutive wins in mid-March continuing into early April saw Tottenham cruising into fourth place. However, they have lost much of their steam since then, winning just one of their next four games.
That coincided with the Gunners' upturn in form. Mikel Arteta's men went from losing three in a row to winning their next four, including a 4-2 win over Chelsea and a 3-1 verdict against Manchester United.
Arsenal have not qualified for the #UCL since finishing second in the 2015/16 Premier League season.
If they beat Spurs in the north London derby on Thursday, they will end the five-year wait to see #UCL football at the Emirates.
But it’s not done yet. ⏳ https://t.co/I2TuExoCcH
Three more points in the derby will confirm the Gunners a top-four finish. However, they haven't tasted success in their recent visits to Spurs, losing the last two. Arsenal also haven't done a league double over their city rivals since the 2013-14 season, making their clash all the more worth looking forward to.
Tottenham Hotspur under more pressure ahead of Arsenal meeting
Tottenham deserve praise for securing a point away to Liverpool. That's something no team has managed in the league in 2022 thus far, but the result also dented their UEFA Champions League ambitions.
Arsenal beat Leeds the next day to increase their gap to four points. So even if Spurs win the north London derby on Thursday, they'll still trail their rivals by a point.
Thursday should be class! The biggest North London derby in a long time...
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That means they'd need Arsenal to slip up in their last two games, which are against Newcastle United and Everton. Both seem winnable games on paper for Mikel Arteta's team, but there could be some twist on the final day, as the Toffees are in great form right now.
They pulled themselves out of the relegation scramble after back-to-back wins over Chelsea and Leicester City. Everton will look to end an otherwise miserable campaign on a good note to stay afloat in the Premier League.