Tottenham vs. Arsenal predictions: "Sneaky feeling" for Igor Tudor in Premier League North London derby

A highly-anticipated head-to-head that could cease to exist in 2026-27, the North London derby takes centre stage on Sunday afternoon, as Tottenham Hotspur host hated rivals Arsenal at their state-of-the-art home.

Igor Tudor will experience the true meaning of a baptism of fire at 4.30pm, when his Tottenham side seek their first Premier League win of 2026 at the ninth attempt, one that will either maintain or increase their five-point lead over the relegation zone.

Meanwhile, Arsenal coincidentally enter the weekend with a five-point advantage over Manchester City at the top, albeit having played a game more than the Citizens, who will cut the gap if they get the better of Newcastle United on Saturday night.

Ahead of Sunday's must-watch match, the Sports Mole team selects who they think will come out on top in the North London derby.

Barney Corkhill, Editor - Draw

A few weeks ago, this would have been a pretty straightforward prediction - Arsenal to win.

A lot has changed in recent weeks though, which means we should perhaps not put too much stock in a form book that says Spurs are on their longest winless league run in almost two decades, are the only Premier League side to have not won this calendar year, and are on one of their worst runs ever against Arsenal.

Igor Tudor has arrived and, while there was plenty of uncertainty around that appointment from Tottenham fans, he does have a track record of coming in mid-season and making a pretty immediate impact at a club. There could also be no better fixture than the North London derby for him to get extra buy-in from his players and the fans too.

At the same time, it is becoming harder to argue against the suggestion that Arsenal are beginning to feel the nerves, be that from the outside, from the stands or from the inside of the club.

We shouldn't forget that dropping points in title race is the normal thing - Pep Guardiola's Man City and Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool were the anomalies in that sense, and this title race has been more like the majority in Premier League history - but the nature of the draw with Wolves in midweek did seem like something more than the natural dropping of points.

The Gunners have also played three times since Spurs last took to the field, during which their stock has fallen. Tottenham, meanwhile, cannot be at as low an ebb as they were under Thomas Frank, even if Tudor has work to do to win the fans over between now and the end of the season.

I have a sneaky feeling that the first step towards doing that will be this weekend, and I am backing them to come away from the derby with a draw - maybe more.

Matt Law, Football Editor - Draw

Matches between these two sides are always important, but it would be fair to say that there are a number of very interesting side-stories heading into this contest. It's simply a massive football match.

Arsenal really should be winning this, but after everything that has happened, I fancy a draw, which would be another big title blow for the Gunners, with Manchester City given more encouragement.

Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter - Arsenal

Bottle this, bottle that, but Arsenal cannot hide from the accusations forever, especially if they blow a 2-0 lead against potentially the worst team to ever grace the Premier League in 2025-26 Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, the catastrophic events of Wednesday evening will surely serve as a huge wake-up call for Arteta and Arsenal, although whether that extends to an end to their enraging time-wasting tactics remains to be seen.

Nevertheless, Spurs' fitness crisis is showing no signs of abating, and Tudor cannot solve all of their open-play problems overnight, so I still expect Arsenal to prove why they have collected 29 more points than their bitter rivals.

Marvellous Adepoju, Reporter - Arsenal

Tottenham Hotspur have a plethora of injuries to contend with and Arsenal will be licking their lips at their opponents' fitness woes.

While I expect the appointment of Igor Tudor to somewhat steady the ship for Spurs, I cannot see the Croatian avoiding defeat in his first assignment.

Anthony Brown, Reporter - Arsenal

Spurs may have given themselves a chance with the managerial change, which gives them an element of surprise.

However, Arsenal are the best side in England — possibly in Europe — at adapting to multiple threats, and that should serve them well in the North London derby, thereby securing Mikel Arteta’s men victory on enemy territory… just.

Carter White, Reporter - Draw

After only managing a share of the spoils from the jaws victory at Championship-bound Wolves on Wednesday night, Arsenal could be just two points clear at the top of the Premier League standings when they visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon, meaning that a nervy encounter appears likely.

In his first match as interim head coach, Igor Tudor will be desperate to make an instant impact on the Premier League stage, with his Spurs troops set to be a tough nut for the Gunners to crack, regardless of the Lilywhites' precarious position in the top-flight relegation battle.

A hard-fought narrow success in N17 for Arsenal this weekend would be the sign of champions' pedigree given their midweek setback in the Black Country, however it could be another frustrating occasion of dropped points on the road for Mikel Arteta's men.

Joshua Cole, Reporter - Arsenal

While Arsenal have faltered since the turn of the year, Tottenham have not fared any better. Given the arrival of Igor Tudor at the helm, this might become trickier than it could have originally been, but the Gunners have more in their arsenal to pick up the win here, especially as Spurs struggle with set pieces.

Nsidibe Akpan, Reporter - Arsenal

A few weeks ago, many would have confidently backed Arsenal to win yet another North London derby, considering Tottenham’s current struggles. However, with Arteta’s men also experiencing a dip in form, this one promises to be a tasty encounter.

Tottenham have a new manager in Tudor, and with him, some level of change and improvement should be expected. Arsenal, on the other hand, have dominated this fixture since Arteta’s arrival and, if they cut out some defensive lapses and click into second gear, the red side of North London should have enough to edge what could be a very tight affair.

Anthony Nolan, Reporter - Tottenham

With the pressure mounting on their bitter rivals, Tottenham will be desperate to deal a devastating blow to Arsenal's title ambitions this weekend.

The Lilywhites will need to weather an initial storm but, as other teams have shown, if they can avoid falling too far behind in the initial stages then they are likely to find opportunities to hurt the Gunners later in the game.

Pedro Ramos, Trivela Coordinator - Draw

I believe that, surprisingly, we will have a draw. League leaders Arsenal are mentally fragile after recent stumbles, with a strangely conservative approach in several matches. Tottenham's home form in the league has been terrible, and I believe Tudor will take advantage of this lack of boldness from their rivals

Oscar Buch, AliareLibre General Editor - Draw

I think both teams are going through a rough patch. But Arsenal are slightly better, despite their history of self-destructive behaviour. I think it will be a draw, unless Bukayo Saka is eager to prove why he signed until 2030 (in which case I’m going for Arsenal).

Ayomide Oguntimehen, Soccernet and Afrik Foot Coordinator - Arsenal

Arsenal are still in the title race, and even a slight slip could cost them their grip at the top of the table — something they will be desperate to avoid. Meanwhile, Tottenham have endured a rough patch this season. However, Arsenal remain unbeaten in their last five matches, while Tottenham have suffered two consecutive Premier League defeats. I believe Arsenal can use this as extra motivation to raise their level.

Romain Lantheaume, Top Mercato and Afrik-Foot Coordinator - Draw

I see this North London derby ending in a draw. Not because I can't pick a winner, but because I imagine it will be a game full of twists and turns, with both teams reacting rather than taking the initiative. Between Arsenal's slight dip in form and the shock effect caused by Spurs' change of coach, I think Tottenham could stand up to the Gunners. Especially with Igor Tudor, who is a coach with character, the boss in the dressing room who knows how to motivate his troops, as we saw here in France during his time at Marseille