Wenger's former pupil, Ikpeba makes bold prediction for Tottenham v Arsenal

Former African Footballer of the Year, Victor Ikpeba, who worked with legendary Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger at Monaco, has revealed that he is certain that the Gunners will not beat Tottenham Hotspur in Thursday's highly anticipated north London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It's unarguably the biggest north London derby in recent years as both teams are neck-and-neck in the race for the top four.

Victory for Mikel Arteta's team will see them secure Champions League football for next season with two games to spare, so it's a game Tottenham cannot afford to lose.

Arsenal suffered a blip in form which saw they lose three consecutive matches in the Premier League but returned to the Champions League positions after winning their last four league matches.

With Spurs desperate for a win and having in their ranks two of the top marksmen in the Premier League in the shape of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, Ikpeba has warned that Arsenal defenders have to be on their toes. 

Speaking on SuperSport's Monday Night Football, monitored by allnigeriasoccer.com, Ikpeba said : "Arsenal had their own blip when they lost three on the bounce. Nobody saw that three defeats in a row coming, that's what you get from inconsistency from young players.

"When you start getting to the finish line, how can you cope with the pressure, that's what happened some weeks ago.

"I think the win against Chelsea brought a little bit of fresh air and confidence into the team."

He added : "I think there's going to be more pressure on Spurs. Spurs on paper can beat Arsenal but if Arsenal defend very well, with Nketiah and Saka in form, they have these players to punish Spurs.

"I see this game ending in a draw. Either Tottenham win or it ends in a draw."

Antonio Conte's Tottenham Hotspur are currently fifth in the table with 62 points, four less than Arsenal.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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