Arsenal are purring with confidence heading into the North London Derby against a Tottenham side eager to regain supremacy in this fixture.
Arsenal had a momentous week and are confidently purring ahead of a crucial North London Derby against Tottenham, the first of this season. Mikel Arteta will want his players fired up for this fixture, as there is plenty at stake, including pride and the chance to push ahead of their neighbours in the standings.
Arsenal produced a controlled performance against Everton last weekend at Goodison Park. It was also Arteta’s first victory on the ground as the Gunners’ boss, and despite only Leandro Trossard’s goal separating the two sides, the North Londoners never looked in doubt to slip up.
This team is special ✨ pic.twitter.com/3IUupwqzoY
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 20, 2023
Then, in midweek, Arsenal flexed their muscles upon returning to the Champions League after six long seasons and swept aside PSV Eindhoven quickly at the Emirates. Now, they will hope for a similar attacking performance against their arch-rivals Tottenham and ensure they keep stamping their unprecedented authority on this fixture as they have since last season.
Ange Postecoglou has undoubtedly brought about some much-required change in the environment within the Tottenham camp. Against all odds, and with some doubts at the beginning, Spurs have performed exceptionally well under the Australian as they sit second after an unbeaten start to the campaign.
Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom lamented the extended added time about last weekend’s result. Those extra minutes at the end cost the Blades, as Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski scored two quickfire goals to turn the game around in Tottenham’s favour.
Spurs will have had eight days to prepare for this North London Derby as they do not have European commitments this season. While Tottenham come into this fixture in the best mindset and run of form, they are under pressure to make things right, having lost both their games against Arsenal last season.
Team News & Tactics
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta did not spring up any new surprises during his pre-game press conference. The manager confirmed the absence of Thomas Partey and did not give out the exact timeline for the midfielder. Meanwhile, he did not rule out Gabriel Martinelli with absolute surety, meaning the Brazilian still can make the squad for the NLD.
Mikel has provided an update on Gabriel Martinelli ahead of Sunday's north London derby 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 22, 2023
However, with Leandro Trossard in sensational form, scoring against Everton and then PSV, Arteta will likely keep the Belgian on the left flank. Gabriel Jesus has also hit top form in recent games and will probably replace Eddie Nketiah to lead the line for Arsenal.
On to the goalkeeping situation, while there has been plenty of chatter around Arteta’s decision to play David Raya instead of Aaron Ramsdale for their Champions League opener, the Spaniard should comfortably keep his place for his first NLD.
Besides that, the team picks itself, with Kai Havertz likely to be preferred in midfield, where he did well during mid-week. Martin Odegaard should lead the attack setup from his position, while Declan Rice will keep hold of the midfield behind the Norwegian.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Trossard
Tottenham
Tottenham suffered a blow with the ACL injury to Ivan Perisic in training earlier in the week, with the Croat set to miss the remainder of the season. Perisic has yet to start regularly but is viewed as a high-quality bench option and did impress in the win over Sheffield United.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 22, 2023
He joins Rodrigo Bentancur, Giovani Lo Celso, Ryan Sessegnon and Bryan Gil in the treatment room. Beyond the veteran Croat, Ange Postecoglou confirmed there are no fresh concerns with his squad, which allows the Australian to tinker with his starting selection for the NLD.
The big dilemma is the central striker position. On the one hand, Son Heung-min has performed well while leading the line. But Richarlison’s performance against Sheffield United also calls for his inclusion. Hence, the Brazilian might lead the line, with the South Korean in his customary left-sided role.
Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma should sit at the base of Tottenham’s midfield, with James Maddison in the advanced midfield role. At the back, Postecoglou should prefer Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven to continue their central partnership, with Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie likely to push up on either flank.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Richarlison
Key Stats
- Arsenal (W2 D2) and Tottenham have only met four times in the Premier League when both sides were in the Top 4 during the fixture.
- Arsenal have only kept one clean sheet in their last nine Premier League games at home against Tottenham.
- Arsenal are undefeated in 27 of their last 29 home matches against Tottenham in all competitions.
- Tottenham scored at least 2 goals in their last 6 matches and won all their last 4 games in the Premier League.
- Son Heung-min has scored four and assisted two more goals in his last seven Premier League games against Arsenal.
Player to Watch
Martin Odegaard
Odegaard 🤝 The Arsenal pic.twitter.com/LnoazgWidu
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 22, 2023
The Arsenal captain had a fantastic week on and off the pitch. Having put up a show on the team’s return to the uefa Champions League with a man-of-the-match performance, the club rewarded their skipper with a new long-term contract, duly signed and delivered by the Norwegian.
It is an added boost for Odegaard, especially before an important NLD, as he would want to repeat the performance from midweek on Sunday. He is also developing a reputation as a big game player after some stellar displays against top teams, especially Spurs, from last season. All eyes will be on the Norwegian and his battle with Maddison, where the Arsenal man will likely come out on top.
Prediction
Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur
It is one thing Tottenham starting the season in the way they have done, but another about facing a top team in Arsenal. They must have an unbeaten run to show for their cause, but their style of play against the Gunners could prove counter-productive.
For all of Ange Postecoglou’s expansive football, Arsenal showed during midweek what happens when teams play openly against Mikel Arteta’s side. As the Spurs boss insisted he will not change his style for this fixture, it could eventually hurt them, as the Gunners have the overall superior quality to hurt them, and they will. The red side of North London will take all three points and score plenty in this clash.
