Tottenham Hotspur will visit the Emirates on Sunday after a tough game against Wolves in the EFL Cup. Facing Arsenal is not going to be easy, but manager Nuno Espirito Santo will be quietly confident of getting one over on Mikel Arteta.
Spurs have some thinking to do after losing their last two games in the Premier League. More than the results, it was the overall performance that worries the boss right now (admittedly) and he wants a much-improved display at the weekend. So who are the players that could miss this game?
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
Weekly Premier League Preview Podcast: go here
Starting XI Prediction: Arsenal Tottenham
Team News: Arsenal Tottenham
Form Guide (All Competitions): Arsenal (WLWWW) Tottenham (WLDLW)
The good news for the visitors is that Heung-min Son is fit to start after being on the bench on Wednesday. Having the winger in their ranks is sure to give the north Londoners a huge boost. As for absentees, Steven Bergwijn will miss the game, but Lucas Moura is back in contention.
Nuno also has to make some decisions in the centre of defence, with either Davinson Sanchez or Eric Dier vying for a spot alongside Cristian Romero.
Otherwise it should pretty much be the same team that faced Chelsea.
Spurs will be confident, because of their recent results against the Gunners, which have seen them often come out on top. The likes of Harry Kane and Son will be essential towards getting the three points as their speed and intelligence is key in getting behind the hosts’ defence.
As for Arsenal, their primary attacking threat will come from Golden Boy award candidate Bukayo Saka, and Reguilon will have to be wary of not giving the youngster too much space. It would help the visitors if they were patient and waited for a chance to open up.
Tottenham started the season so brightly, top of the table at the international break, but they are in danger of letting it slip away. To prevent that, they need to get a positive result against Arsenal like they have done in the past. Spurs have the talent and ability to beat their rivals and must not let this opportunity slip.