Arsenal welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Emirates Stadium in a blockbuster North London derby.
Victory will see Arsenal stay top of the table for a sixth consecutive matchweek, whereas Tottenham can leapfrog their North London rivals and go top until at least Sunday teatime.
Team News
Kieran Tierney is set to be available for Arsenal after he was sent home early from Scotland’s squad due to concussion picked up against Republic of Ireland.
Cedric Soares (knock), Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf), Thomas Partey (thigh) and Reiss Nelson (muscle) face late fitness tests but Emile Smith Rowe (groin) and Mohamed Elneny (hamstring) remain absent.
Tottenham could have Ben Davies available after he withdrew from international duty for Wales with a knee injury.
Lucas Moura (tendon) is set to return but Hugo Lloris (quad) and Dejan Kulusevski (muscle) are doubts and face late fitness tests.
Stat Attack
- Arsenal have won just two of their last seven meetings against Tottenham (W2, D2, L3).
- Tottenham are winless in their last 11 league visits to Arsenal (D4, L7).
- Arsenal have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight league meetings at home to Tottenham – which came in a 2-0 win in November 2017.
- All four goals that Arsenal have conceded at home this season came after half-time.
- Three of Spurs’ five away goals in the Premier League this season were scored by Harry Kane.
Prediction
Following a brilliantly controlled dominant win at Brentford a fortnight ago with great intensity and defending, Arsenal can come into this match high on confidence knowing that Spurs’ defence can be vulnerable at times.
Tottenham though were ruthless in their clinical dismantling of Leicester last time out with clinical finishing throughout, amidst shaky first-half defending which conceded two goals so their priority has to be stablising their defence consistently across 90 minutes.
In fact, Spurs’ defence could well be the key element in determining the outcome of this match because if Arsenal play like they did at Brentford, Tottenham will need to be at their absolute best defensively otherwise North London will be red but I do expect goals at both ends.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham
Result: Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham
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