Arsenal hero Paul Merson has declared that the Gunners "could blow away" Tottenham in the much-anticipated first North London derby of the season.
The two sides come together at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon with each having enjoyed an excellent start to the new season. Mikel Arteta's men sit at the top of the Premier League standings having won six out of their opening seven games.
Spurs have also caught the eye and occupy third place with an undefeated record, and could topple the Gunners with a victory at the weekend.
Merson does not envisage that happening, though, as he has been less than convinced by Antonio Conte's side despite their impressive recent form.
Writing in his Daily Star column, he said: “Spurs have been getting away with it. Perhaps there is an art to that but the 6-2 win over Leicester was never a 6-2 football match. This time around, if they do not play well, they will not walk off that pitch victorious. Arsenal could blow them away.
“ Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli and Ben White all stayed behind during the international break and that could be a major boost for Mikel Arteta.
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"The majority of Tottenham's players have been travelling all over the world and early kick-offs can also be a problem. It's almost about whoever starts well goes on to win.
“There isn't much time to work on things and although many will say 'Spurs are third and haven't even got going yet' they need to play better than they've shown. When they didn't get out of first gear, they were beaten by an average Sporting team so when your luck does run out, cracks emerge.
“I fancy Arsenal to win 2-1. If it was at Tottenham, I'd say Tottenham but the home advantage is massive.”
The North London derby saw plenty of drama last season. The Gunners were victorious in the first meeting between the sides - goals from Emile Smith Rowe, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka saw them run out 3-1 winners.
However, they saw their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League dealt a brutal blow by their neighbours towards the end of the campaign. Spurs notched a 3-0 victory and went on to secure a top-four finish.
Should Arsenal beat Spurs this time around, they could potentially go four points clear at the top of the Premier League, with nearest challengers Manchester City also set to take on rivals this weekend in the form of Manchester United.
