Arsenal team captain Martin Odegaard was thrilled with how his side performed last night in their UEFA Champions League opener. He believes his Gunners side can make a deep run on the continent. “You saw the motivation and energy right from the start,” the Norwegian said.
“To be back in this competition is huge for this club. We are in this competition to compete and fight to go all the way.”
North London Derby FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. Sept. 24, 2pm, Emirates Stadium, London, UK
Starting XI Predictions Arsenal Tottenham Hotspur
Team News: Arsenal Tottenham Hotspur
PL Form: Arsenal WWDWW Tottenham Hotspur WWWWD
PL Standing: Arsenal 4th, 13 pts Tottenham Hotspur 2nd, 13 pts
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Google Result Probability: Arsenal 56% Draw 22% Tottenham Hotspur 22%
While the road will get rougher down the line, inevitably and eventually, it’s true- the Gunners can make a lot of noise in this European tournament. In the meantime though, we have a massive North London Derby on our hands! It’s a clash of two of the four remaining unbeatens in the Premier League. This could be a classic edition in the series, maybe even on par with what 2008’s version had to offer.
In the meantime, here is our best prediction of what lineup manager Mikel Arteta will start with in this one. We’re predicting Kai Havertz gets dropped again (or at least he deserves to be), Leandro Trossard is now undroppable (yes, we know that is not an actual word) and Aaron Ramsdale comes in for David Raya as the rotation continues.
Arsenal Starting XI Prediction vs Tottenham Hotspur
Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Fabio Vieira; Leandro Trossard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager 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’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.
