The first north London derby of the season will take place on Sunday and the stage is set for a “blockbuster clash” (I guess, in some ways) as Arsenal FC welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Emirates. After winning their last three games, Mikel Arteta will be looking to add a fourth W to that streak.
On Wednesday, the Gunners scored a comfortable win over Wimbledon AFC which took them to THE EFL Cup fourth round. Spurs had a much harder game in midweek, but they managed to get past Wolves in a penalty shootout.
Arsenal vs Tottenham FYIs:
Premier League Watch Party/Book Signing: Come join The Sports Bank Founder, Paul M. Banks, at Fado in Chicago for the North London Derby on Sunday. He’ll be signing copies of his new book Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America.
Kick-off time: 4:30 PM GMT, 26 September Sunday
Starting XI Prediction: Arsenal Tottenham
Weekly Premier League Preview Podcast: go here
Team News: Arsenal Tottenham
Form Guide (All Competitions): Arsenal (WLWWW) Tottenham (WLDLW)
One Gunners player who will make his return to the squad here is Granit Xhaka, with the midfielder having completed his suspension. Thomas Partey played on Wednesday, coming back to full match fitness and he has no injury worries for this weekend.
Though Kieran Tierney had to be substituted off against Burnley, it is really nothing to worry about as the full-back only had a cramp. The Scot will be available for this game, along with Mohamed Elneny, who has now fully recovered from a hamstring issue.
Arteta has not always had the best of luck when facing Nuno Espirito Santo, but this game has the potential to be different.
The Gunners look strong at the back and that is certainly required when you are trying to stop the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.
What the hosts have to focus on right here is being clinical in front of the goal. If Arteta’s side don’t take their chances, they could easily end up losing this game. Spurs would like to sit back and wait for a counter-attack, so Arteta must ensure his players do not fall into this trap.
If Arsenal are able to get the three points on Sunday, it would send a statement to the rest of the league. Doing this will not be easy, but the Gunners have an attack and defence that is good enough to get the needed result in what his no doubt one of the biggest dates on their calendar.
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