Tottenham will entertain bitter rivals and league leaders Arsenal as they aim to balance results and derail Mikel Arteta’s title charge.
A mixed-bag season so far has Tottenham fans questioning whether Antonio Conte is the right choice for the club ahead of the game against Arsenal. Despite some drab football on the pitch, Spurs were able to conjure up results and ensure they had the best start to a Premier League season in their history.
But faltering results have resulted in them dropping plenty of points to Conte’s dislike. Those problems have seen them slip down the table and sit in the fifth spot. The Italian tactician would like to reclaim a top-four place and keep the charge going. And Tottenham have their recent form for hope.
Spurs made a difficult start after the World Cup ended. First, they drew with Brentford and then suffered a bad defeat at home to Aston Villa. They have since revived their fortunes with a stunning 4-0 win at Crystal Palace and ensured progression in the FA Cup. Now, Tottenham will be ready to face bitter rivals Arsenal at home, with plenty at stake for Conte’s side.
Mikel Arteta was in a buoyant mood ahead of the North London Derby as the Arsenal manager emphasised the special nature of this fixture. The Gunners have every right to come into this clash in a confident mood as they lead the Premier League by five points and are on an unbeaten streak since the defeat to Manchester United.
Four matches. Four wins. Ten goals. ✅@PremierLeague Manager of the Month 🥇
Big congratulations to Mikel and his staff ❤️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 13, 2023
Having secured maximum points after the restart with wins over West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion, Arsenal dropped valuable points at home to Newcastle United. They returned to winning ways with a comfortable victory over League One side Oxford in the FA Cup.
Arteta will hope there is no repeat of the performance at Tottenham from last season, which eventually ousted them from the top four race. This time around, Arsenal will carry a strong squad to their rivals’ ground, hoping to keep momentum in the title race and end their NLD hoodoo away from home.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham have more good news than bad when it comes to returning players. Lucas Moura is certainly out of contention for the North London Derby. But the Tottenham manager could have Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, and Richarlison close to a return.
🎙 “Kulusevski is going to be ready to play”
Antonio Conte with the latest team news! ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/v8SDWCdtJr
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 13, 2023
Conte did confirm Kulusevski is ready to play, although much will depend on the last training sessions before the game. It would be safe to assume the Swede would start, although Bryan Gil could deputise once more if the manager decides on keeping the winger under wraps.
As for Bentancur and Richarlison, they are back in training but may remain out of the starting eleven for this game. In the Uruguayan’s place, Bissouma could start alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Conte will continue to deploy three at the back, with Cristian Romero, Eric Dier, and Clement Lenglet his current choice in central defence.
Matt Doherty and Ivan Perisic will continue in the wing-backs roles, while Kulusevski could start in the attack. Harry Kane will lead the line for Spurs, with Heung-min Son completing the attacking setup for the home team.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Lloris; Romero, Dier, Lenglet; Doherty, Hojbjerg, Bissouma, Perisic; Kulusevski, Kane, Son
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta will have his best possible squad to take on Tottenham, with Gabriel Jesus and Reiss Nelson the only absentees for Arsenal. The Spaniard also allayed fears regarding Bukayo Saka after the winger went down against Oxford. He said the attacker was fine and would be ok for the game.
Fully focused on Sunday 👊
📍 London Colney pic.twitter.com/Xp1bT2kEpJ
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 13, 2023
Meanwhile, the FA Cup win over Oxford United also marked the return of Emile Smith Rowe from injury. The attacker’s presence on the bench will come as a massive boost for Arteta, who has relied heavily on Saka and Gabriel Martinelli since the restart.
There are no other concerns with the squad, and the team essentially picks itself as things stand. Aaron Ramsdale will be in goal, with a back four of Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Oleksandr Zinchenko protecting him.
Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka will hold the midfield together, with Martin Odegaard playing the advanced role. Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will form a front-three partnership with Eddie Nketiah, who will continue to lead the line in Jesus’ absence.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Nketiah
Key Stats
- Tottenham have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven home matches against Arsenal in all competitions.
- Harry Kane has scored seven penalties against Arsenal – the joint-most by one player against a single opponent in Premier League history, along with Shearer v Everton.
- Arsenal are undefeated in their last 11 matches in the Premier League.
- Arsenal have won just one of their last 14 Premier League away games at Spurs (W1 D4 L9) and none of the last eight (L6).
- Arsenal have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last ten Premier League games against Tottenham.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
The Tottenham talisman will come into this game after regaining his form in recent games. Arsenal are one of the striker’s favourite opponents, and he has 14 strikes against them in the Premier League. Kane always finds a way to score in these derbies, and Sunday will not be any different.
There is also an additional incentive for the talismanic striker on Sunday. He needs one goal to surpass Jimmy Greaves as Tottenham’s all-time top scorer and two more to score his 200th Premier League strike. At a time when Manchester United are showing interest in him, Kane will hope both those records come against Arsenal. And it is quite possible if he hits top gear.
Prediction
Tottenham 1-2 Arsenal
Tottenham have not lost at home to Arsenal in the Premier League since the 2013/14 season and remain unbeaten against the Gunners at the new stadium. Despite their strong record, this is a different Arsenal side Tottenham will face in the NLD, with Mikel Arteta’s men much more robust than before.
Arteta must have seen the weaknesses in this Tottenham side and will look to exploit the same. Moreover, his attackers, despite the absence of Jesus, are in hot scoring form. And the trend could continue in the NLD. The Gunners come here with more to gain. As they have shown this season, Arsenal will get three points against Tottenham and keep their charge on the title in motion.
