Little over a week ago, we saw a match, Manchester United vs. Liverpool, which epitomized the “throw out the records when these two sides together” cliche. Will that happen again in the North London Derby? After all, Arsenal FC are true Premier League title contenders while Tottenham are buried on the second page of the standings.
The Gunners cannot afford to slip up here, as dropping points would be extremely damaging to their title aspirations.
North London Derby FYIs
Kickoff: Jan. 15, 2025, at 8pm UK at Emirates Stadium
Team News: Tottenham Arsenal FC
Starting XI Prediction: Arsenal FC Tottenham
Google Result Probability: Arsenal FC 70% Draw 17% Tottenham 13%
PL Position, Form Guide: Arsenal FC 2nd, 40 pts DWWWD Tottenham 12th, 23 pts WLLDL
What would be the optimal first choice lineup for trying to prevent that?
It’s difficult to say, given all the injuries that Arsenal are dealing with in the final third right now, but this is what we’re predicting it should look like.
Arsenal FC Starting XI Prediction (North London Derby)
David Raya, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Lewis-Skelly, Martin Ødegaard, Declan Rice, Thomas Partey, Raheem Sterling, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.