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Football Preview | Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur

The first North London derby of the season

Arsenal, currently top of the league, host Tottenham, who are currently fifth.

Author | DJ

Stadium | Emirates Stadium

Premier League | Arsenal v Crystal Palace | Pre-match atmosphere

Arsenal supporters will have reason to be optimistic, given that their team has beaten Tottenham in five of their last six encounters, with the remaining match ending in a draw. 

The visitors, however, have been noticeably stronger away from home than on their own turf. Heading into the weekend, they sat fifth in the table and boasted the best away record in the Premier League so far this season, with four wins, one draw and no defeats. This could be a fascinating match.

Arsenal look to extend unbeaten run

Their 10-game winning streak came to an end against Sunderland just before the international break. The Gunners, who had kept eight consecutive clean sheets, were finally breached twice in an entertaining 2-2 draw with the Black Cats. Manchester City took advantage of Arsenal’s slip to reduce the gap at the top of the table to four points. This week could prove decisive for the Gunners’ season.

The intense seven-day schedule begins with a North London Derby and ends with a short trip to face London rivals Chelsea. Between these league fixtures comes a pivotal Champions League clash against Bayern Munich. Securing maximum points across all three matches could cast Arsenal as favourites in both competitions. 

In more negative news, the international break has compounded Arsenal’s injury concerns. In his press conference, Mikel Arteta has provided an injury update on Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori. Both could return for this, but longer-term absentees Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, and Viktor Gyokeres will definitely miss out again.

The Tottenham perspective

The beginning of Thomas Frank’s tenure at Tottenham Hotspur is still too early to judge with certainty, but the coming six weeks should offer a clearer picture. On one hand, the club sits in a respectable position in the Premier League (5th) and Champions League (10th) tables. On the other hand, there are concerns from fans over uninspiring football. 

In their last game against Manchester United, they were leading 2-1 with only seconds left before Matthijs de Ligt scored an equaliser. Despite previously trailing 2-1, this would have been seen as two points dropped.

Frank did issue some positive news in his press conference. Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Mo Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani and Pape Matar Sarr are all expected to return to the squad as they make the short to the Emirates Stadium.

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