Arsenal and Tottenham will contest a thrilling North London Derby at the Emirates, with both clubs looking for an upturn in form.
Mikel Arteta was visibly surprised at the fact that his Arsenal side could not win their FA Cup third-round encounter at home against Manchester United as they get set for another blockbuster affair, this time against Tottenham. The game sparked to life with the Red Devils taking the lead in the second half and subsequently going down to ten men after Diogo Dalot’s red card.
Gabriel Magalhaes pulled one back immediately, and then Arsenal could have taken a lead after Kai Havertz won a penalty. Skipper Martin Odegaard saw his spot-kick saved by Altay Biyandir, as Manchester United managed to take the game to extra time and then to a penalty shootout, as they ousted the Gunners in that round.
Back to matters in the Premier League, Arsenal will be hoping to keep up the pressure on leaders Liverpool at the top of the table as they embark towards another North London Derby. The Gunners did draw their most recent game in the league away to Brighton, although there’s a visible need to improve their form in front of goal, as Arteta will hope to see a resurgent performance from his players on Wednesday.
Tottenham, on the other hand, surprisingly endured a rather difficult time away at National League side Tamworth. The English minnows were able to hold off a Spurs side for ninety minutes and only lost out in extra time, as the north Londoners put three past their hosts in that period.
Tottenham were expected to win comfortably there, especially following their win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semifinal. In any case, there’s a big North London Derby to contest for Ange Postecoglou, as he will hope to secure his first-ever win over Mikel Arteta’s side in the fourth time of asking, with the other three resulting in two wins for the Gunners and a draw for Spurs, which incidentally came last season at the Emirates.
For Spurs, the initial target would be to put in consistent displays and get some wins under their belt to begin their charge for a top-four place. They are currently sitting 12th in the table and some 12 points behind 4th-placed Chelsea. A win over the Gunners will certainly boost their confidence to do well in the second half of the current season on all fronts.
Team News & Tactics
Arsenal
The big news coming from the Arsenal camp is regarding yet another injury ahead of the visit of Tottenham, and it appears that Gabriel Jesus’s issue is a rather serious one. The Brazilian was stretchered off following a challenge with Bruno Fernandes, as it might be a season-ending ACL rupture.
The Gunners are already short of options in the attacking third, with Bukayo Saka still expected to miss a considerable period. The absence of Jesus should force Arsenal into bringing a new forward in this month’s transfer window, although Mikel Arteta might have to make the right use of his current available players.
Ethan Nwaneri is also missing from action with a muscular problem, although there is a likelihood that Riccardo Calafiori could return. Arteta claimed the latter’s problem was not a big one after he missed out on the FA Cup third-round clash. He could potentially start at left-back as Myles Lewis-Skelly started at the weekend.
Declan Rice and Thomas Partey are expected to start following their roles on the bench on Sunday. Raheem Sterling impressed on the wings on Sunday, meaning he is in line to start ahead of Leandro Trossard on the right side of the attack. Gabriel Martinelli will keep his place on the left, while the heavily criticised Kai Havertz will lead the line for the Gunners.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Sterling, Havertz, Martinelli
Tottenham
Spurs are also dealing with a long injury list ahead of this pivotal North London Derby at the Emirates. Ange Postecoglou has been missing his main central defenders for many weeks now and that might stay the case ahead of Wednesday, as Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray are expected to start once again.
Richarlison is the only positive news for Postecoglou as the Brazilian international could make a return to the matchday squad. Young Czech keeper Antonin Kinsky has been impressive in his first two starts for Tottenham since his move earlier this month, as the stopper is likely to start in goal against Arsenal, even though Fraser Forster is closing in on a return.
Postecoglou kept his three starting forwards, Dominic Solanke, Son Heung-min, and Dejan Kulusevski, on the bench for Sunday, and the trio is expected to start on Wednesday. Yves Bisouma will feature at the base of the Tottenham midfield, with Pape Matar Sarr and James Maddison to feature on either side, while Rodrigo Bentancur’s status remains unclear after a concussion problem.
Pedro Porro and Djed Spence are the preferred options in the full-back roles, as Sergio Reguilon failed to impress following an outing on Sunday. Timo Werner is the only fresh casualty for Spurs with a hamstring problem picked up against Tamworth, as the German joins over half a dozen first-team stars in the treatment room.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kinsky; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, Son
Key Stats
- Arsenal are undefeated in their last ten matches in the Premier League.
- Arsenal are undefeated against Tottenham in their last five Premier League games.
- Arsenal have scored at least two goals in their last five home matches against Tottenham in all competitions.
- Tottenham are chasing two straight wins in all competitions for the first time since October.
- Tottenham have conceded in their last 25 away games against Arsenal in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Kai Havertz
The German forward received a lot of criticism following another profligate display in front of goal after missing some gilt-edged chances against Newcastle United and then Manchester United. With Gabriel Jesus now injured, the pressure is truly on Havertz to deliver on the attacking front.
Moreover, the pressure is also on Mikel Arteta to address their shortcomings in the attack by signing a forward, meaning Havertz will have to show they do not miss a striker, at least in the short term. A top notch display in the north London Derby will help build his confidence ahead of the second half of the campaign on all fronts.
Prediction
Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham continued to show their inconsistencies on the pitch following their struggle to win against National League side Tamworth. One thing Ange Postecoglou’s side have done is put in solid performances against the big sides, although winning away at Arsenal will prove difficult for Spurs.
Meanwhile, Arsenal will view their games against Newcastle United and Manchester United as unlucky as they did not fail to create dangerous chances. Mike; Arteta will have addressed their issues in finishing chances back in training, and that alone could ensure they take three points against Spurs on Wednesday. The Hard Tackle predicts Arsenal to beat Tottenham 2-1 on Wednesday.