Tottenham vs. Arsenal live score, updates, commentary for north London derby

Tottenham and Arsenal usually provide ample entertainment in their Premier League meetings, and the potential significance of the latest edition of the north London derby makes it all the more likely to live up to expectations.

For Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, this is a chance to land a knockout blow with two games of the season remaining once their belated trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is over.

Spurs start the game four points behind Arsenal, whose position in the final Champions League qualification place of fourth will be unsurpassable for their neighbours should they win.

Victory for Antonio Conte’s side would throw open that coveted fourth spot in the Premier League standings – and Tottenham arguably have the easier of the remaining fixtures, hosting fourth-bottom Burnley before travelling to already-relegated Norwich.

The Sporting News is following the match live and providing live score updates, commentary.

Tottenham vs. Arsenal latest score

23 mins: Goal! Tottenham 1-0 Arsenal. Kane slots the penalty to Ramsdale’s left as the goalkeeper guesses the other way. Conte does not react. Kane’s spectacular record against Arsenal continues, and Spurs are ahead!

21 mins: Penalty to Tottenham! Kulusevski wedges an inswinging cross from the right towards the far post, where Son is nudged in the back by Cedric – Tierney points at the spot!

That was clumsy defending from Arsenal. Kane steps up against Ramsdale. 

19 mins: Sessegnon tries to hang in a cross from outside the penalty area to the left of centre. Arsenal clear. Neither goalkeeper has been properly tested yet.

18 mins: Arsenal clear Tottenham’s free-kick from the right. Conte is booked. Even when there aren’t lots of shots going in, the derby tends to be action-packed.

17 mins: Miscontrolling the ball when you’ve got Saka behind you and are near your own penalty area is not the wisest idea for a defender.

Ben Davies fluffs his lines and ends up on the floor trying to claw the ball away from Saka with his feet. He’s booked, and Arsenal have a free-kick in a dangerous area on the right.

16 mins: Martinelli breaks free down the left and wins a throw-in deep inside the Spurs half. Arsenal then move play back into their own half.

A reminder, as their patient tactics might suggest, that a draw would be a positive result for Arsenal, who would be four points clear of their opponents with two Premier League games left.

14 mins: It’s a potentially foolish suggestion to make in this game, but the action has calmed down a little since Arsenal tore at Spurs in the opening minutes and the hosts then fashioned a few openings of their own.

The visitors look freer at the back and seem to have more space, continuing to play passes around inside their own half. Spurs look like they won’t mind that, bearing in mind their speed of attacking threat.

12 mins: There’s a pattern emerging in the last few minutes: this time Holding brings Son down on the halfway line on Spurs’ left, and the pair engage in a spot of comical wrestling.

Tierney has a word with both players, and Tottenham do have a free-kick this time. Son has a formidable recent record in this fixture, and Arsenal need to make sure they don’t end up with players in the referee’s book early on.

11 mins: Conte has both hands up and makes his feelings felt after Odegaard interrupts another Son sprint down the left.

9 mins: Son goes on his first run down the left. No matter how many times you’ve seen him do it, his quick feet still dazzle once he sets off.

Elneny dispossesses him as he approaches the penalty area, and Son’s plummet to the floor piques protests from those partisan home fans. Referee Paul Tierney says no.

7 mins: Spurs cause Arsenal trouble with another run by Kulusevski down the right. Emerson Royal sends in a cross that causes confusion, and then another delivery from that flank results in a cacophony of calls from the home fans as Arsenal don’t deal with it convincingly.

5 mins: It’s taken longer than Conte – who has the collar of what looks like a polo shirt up – might have liked, but Spurs finally have an attack to their name.

South Stand. We hear you. pic.twitter.com/yQbgllhGcT

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 12, 2022

Kulusevski attempts to race into the Arsenal penalty area from the right-hand byline, and Gabriel holds him off with his back. Arsenal win the free-kick.

4 mins: Odegaard has the first shot on goal, firing a shot in from outside the penalty area to the right of centre. Lloris claims comfortably in his goalmouth.

That chance was fashioned by Arsenal harrying Spurs inside their own territory again and winning the ball back level with the penalty area on the right, Cedric feeding Odegaard for that chance.

3 mins: Spurs are still being starved of the ball. Arsenal are working hard to close them down when they do have the chance to keep the ball inside their own half.

2 mins: Arsenal are having all of the possession, knocking passes about to a din of boos from the home fans. A fine tackle from Dier on Nketiah ends the striker’s attempt to profit inside the penalty area – and he seemed to go down very easily there, without any contact from Dier.

1 min: Ramsdale advances well outside his penalty to receive a pass rolled back to him by Arsenal from kick-off.

The goalkeeper then tries to launch an attack upfield which fizzles out deep inside territory on the right.

2 mins to KO: Antonio Conte is gazing at the players as they size each other up around the centre circle. “We have to be better than Arsenal if we want the three points,” he told Sky Sports a little earlier. “We know they are a really good team.”

There is some atmosphere at a full house ahead of arguably the most important game of the 2021-22 season for both sides. We’re ready to go!

5 mins to KO: The players have emerged from the tunnel and are out on the pitch! Here’s how Arsenal looked a little earlier.

Kick-off: 1️⃣0️⃣ minutes

COYG! ✊#TOTARS pic.twitter.com/iSRuWtvJpj

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 12, 2022

15 mins to KO: Lots of encouraging noises as Spurs emerged from their inner sanctum for their warm-up. They really need to win tonight, as a draw would leave Arsenal needing only to win one of their two remaining games – away to Newcastle and at home to Everton – to secure fourth ahead of Tottenham.

Let’s get it ✊ pic.twitter.com/tb3xdS56w9

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 12, 2022

30 mins to KO: Arteta has just spoken about Saka’s return, Ben White’s availability and what he makes of a potentially seismic night in Arsenal’s season.

▪️ Composure
▪️ Bukayo Saka
▪️ What to expect

It’s time to grab a pre-match word from the boss 👇#TOTARS pic.twitter.com/xfqUZTMhdI

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 12, 2022

45 mins to KO: Here’s how the teams line up! Tottenham make one change: Davinson Sanchez starts and Cristian Romero is not included in the squad.

Arteta names the same team that started the 2-1 win over Leeds on Sunday. Saka was a doubt but starts.

Your #NorthLondonDerby starting XI! ✊ pic.twitter.com/mbnjfic7fO

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 12, 2022

🚨 NLD TEAMNEWS!

🇯🇵 Tomiyasu at the back
💪 Elneny x Xhaka in midfield
🌶 Bukayo Saka starts! #TOTARS pic.twitter.com/daGofbP1Ps

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 12, 2022

1 hour to KO: Here’s how Harry Kane and Tottenham arrived as they aim to avoid Arsenal doing the double over them this season.

The England captain’s 11 goals in 16 matches make him the top scorer in the history of this fixture.

Checked in 👊 pic.twitter.com/zSuVMm66Yi

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 12, 2022

1 hour 15 mins to KO: Ex-Spurs and Netherlands playmaker Rafael van der Vaart knows about this game – he scored four times and provided two assists in four Premier League games against Arsenal during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.

Both of those assists – as well as one of his goals – came at the Emirates in November 2010, when Spurs recovered from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

COYS 💪 https://t.co/ugP1dgvvfl

— Rafael van der Vaart (@rafvdvaart) May 12, 2022

1 hour 30 mins to KO: Arsenal have arrived! A win tonight would ensure they finish above Spurs in the Premier League for the first time since 2016.

Spurs are on a good home run though, winning four of their last five matches here including a 3-1 victory over Leicester that was as comfortable as the scoreline makes it sound last time out. Their only blip was a limp 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on May 16.

The Arsenal are in the building 🏟

Let’s do this! 💪 #TOTARS pic.twitter.com/ovZtfl45cN

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 12, 2022

1 hour 45 mins to KO: Son Heung-min figures prominently in this Premier League mini-preview of this game, and the striker has had an exceptional calendar year as well as a record in this fixture that is ominous for Arsenal, with three goals and two assists in his last four derby appearances.

The 29-year-old has scored and been involved in the most goals – 12 and 17 are his numbers for those – of any player in the Premier League in 2022.

He is the second Spurs player to score 20 Premier League goals in a season without any of them being penalties – Gareth Bale is the only previous holder of that accolade, with 21 during the 2012-13 campaign.

North London, do you copy? 📞#TOTARS pic.twitter.com/ELIZfVu2Fr

— Premier League (@premierleague) May 12, 2022

2 hours to KO: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ coverage of a north London derby that is keenly anticipated even by the standards of this showdown between two of the Premier League’s most familiar and fierce rivals.

When Spurs last hosted this fixture, in December 2020, they were managed by Jose Mourinho and won 2-0 to go top of the table, above Liverpool on goal difference and six points clear of Manchester City.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was under a year into his tenure and was in charge of a side who were 15th in the table at the time. Now they can end Spurs’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League and seal fourth position in the table by winning at Tottenham for the first time in eight attempts.

Their arch-rivals need little more incentive to ensure there is no gloating and move a mere point behind them with three points of their own. Buoyed by an impressive draw at Liverpool on Saturday as part of a run of one defeat in eight games, this is an opportunty for Spurs to show how much they have improved since losing 3-1 at Arsenal in September.

How to watch Tottenham vs. Arsenal

UK: The north London derby is available in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, and streamed on NOW TV.

USA: Thursday’s match is available in the United States on USA Network (English) and Universo (Spanish), which can both be accessed via fuboTV with a free trial available for new users.

Canada: In Canada the match is available via DAZN on streaming platforms.

Australia: Fans in Australia can watch the match on Optus Sport on streaming platforms.

MORE: Premier League top goalscorers for 2021-22 season

Tottenham vs. Arsenal lineups

Tottenham starting lineup (3-4-3): Lloris – Royal, Sanchez, Dier, Davies – Sessegnon, Bentancur, Hojbjerg – Kulusevski, Son, Kane

Arsenal starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale (GK) – Tomiyasu, Holding, Gabriel, Cedric – Xhaka, Elneny – Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli – Nketiah

MORE: Will Arsenal finish top four in the Premier League table?

🎥 Watch @JasonBell33 preview tomorrow’s North London Derby with Hugo, @Sonny7 and @daosanchez26. (18+) pic.twitter.com/3VED2iHywp

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 11, 2022

Tottenham vs. Arsenal betting pick & prediction

Odds via DraftKings (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), & SkyBet (UK)

With so much on the line and often very little to separate the two, it’s a tough one to predict but the betting markets give Spurs the slight advantage as the home side.

As far as how the match might play out stylistically, it’s worth pointing out that the odds favor the over 2.5 total goals and both teams to score. So goals are expected even though Spurs and Arsenal have shown they can defend effectively in high-stakes situations.

Here are the stats to keep in mind: The home team has not lost a match between these two sides in Premier League play since a Spurs home defeat back in March of 2014. That streak spans 15 games, with Spurs winning five (all at home), Arsenal winning four (all at home), and six draws. In addition, no team has won three in a row in this league fixture since an Arsenal run way back in 1987-89, and with the Gunners having won twice on the trot, Spurs could be expected to bounce back.

The lean here is in favor of the hosts and the under total goals with four of the last five north London derbies hosted by Tottenham seeing two or fewer goals. The matches at the Emirates are usually the wilder ones.

Pick: Tottenham or draw & under 2.5 (+110 on DraftKings)

Prediction: Tottenham 1-1 Arsenal