Alan Smith has weighed in ahead of the north London derby, offering his prediction for the big game between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.It does not get much bigger than a north London derby fixture during the course of the league season for both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, given the intense rivalry between the two sides.The Gunners come into their clash against Thomas Frank’s men sitting right at the top of the Premier League table, with a four-point lead over Manchester City.Arteta’s men have won four of their last five outings, with a single draw in that period coming against Sunderland in their last league fixture, and they head into this one in confident mood.Photo by SpursWebAlan Smith gives Tottenham vs Arsenal prediction ahead of derbySpurs, on the other hand, have been inconsistent, with two wins, two losses and a draw in their last five games in the Premier League.Last time out, they clawed their way from a goal down to take the lead late on against Manchester United, but De Ligt’s goal at a later time ensured that the points were shared in what felt like a missed opportunity for Frank’s side.Former Arsenal forward Alan Smith has now given his prediction for this clash, and he believes that Arsenal have the edge based on recent performances and Tottenham’s fitness issues. Speaking via BestBettingSites.co.uk, he said: “Arsenal are strong, and they will be wanting to bounce back after Sunderland. “Spurs are in a bit of a strange position where you never quite know what you are going to get. It is lacklustre. The game against Man United certainly was. “They have got too many players underperforming. The new lad has come in – Xavi Simons is really struggling. Kolo Muani does not look properly match fit. Tels, the same, struggled to settle. “So with the injuries that they have got with Solanke, Kulusevski, Maddison, and that, they are finding it hard to really go at teams and ask questions and score goals. “So I do not see them having enough. But it is a derby at the end of the day, and the gap can be closed in derbies. Having said that, I do not think Arsenal are going to be troubled too much.”Spurs form and Arsenal injuries ahead of north London derbyTottenham have not beaten Arsenal in their last six encounters with the Gunners, as their last victory came back on 12 May 2022, and that run will give Arteta’s side confidence heading into this contest.However, this time, injuries could play a role in the outcome of this encounter, with both sides managing issues that have tested their squads throughout the start of the campaign.But during the break, Arsenal picked up a few more injuries, with Gabriel and Calafiori doubts for this fixture.Arteta’s men have been resilient at the back, keeping plenty of clean sheets already this season. If the back four loses two of its members, then Tottenham could capitalise on this.READ MORE: Thomas Frank receives biggest hint yet that Wilson Odobert should be Tottenham starterThe post Alan Smith makes confident North London Derby prediction for Arsenal vs Tottenham appeared first on Spurs Web.