Arsenal vs Tottenham | Preview

By Tejas Sirohi, SportsCafe Editor

11/06/2016

Which North London club will get the bragging rights this weekend?

Spoils will be up for grabs this weekend as Arsenal host North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium. The marquee match will see the Gunners square off against a Spurs side that is the only unbeaten team in the league so far this season. Arsenal go into the game in good form, whereas the visitors have been unable to eke out a win in their last 6 outings.

Arsenal emerged triumphant in Sofia against unfancied opponents Ludogorets thanks to an exquisite winner from talisman Mezut Ozil in the 87th minute.Spurs, on the other hand, had a horror showing midweek as they slumped to a 0-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in their Champions League encounter which extended their Wembley woes.

Dubbed as the North London derby, the contest can have a major influence on the title charge of the sides, that finished in second and third place respectively last season. The teams drew twice in as many league meetings last year with scorelines of 1-1 and 2-2. The two sides also met in the League Cup where Arsenal’s Flamini turned out to be the unlikely hero scoring a brace and guiding the Gunners to a victory at White Hart Lane. Spurs had their best season in many years last season but still somehow managed to finish below Arsenal on the last day of the season. This marked the 21st season straight wherein Tottenham finished below Arsenal as the Gooners celebrated another St. Totteringham’s Day (a point in the season where Spurs can no longer finish above Arsenal).

One cannot underestimate Tottenham’s development under the mentorship of Mauricio Pochettino. Optimism is brewing at the club which is going from strength to strength under Mr. Pochettino. They look like a side with real ambition now and have trumped the Premier League’s so-called big teams quite often in the last few seasons. They also inflicted Pep Guardiola’s first defeat as City’s manager when they overcame the league leaders 2-0 at White Hart Lane. They’ve had the meanest defence so far this season conceding just 5 goals in 10 games. They lie 5th in the table, just 3 points off the top.

Spurs seem a bit lacklustre upfront without their star man Harry Kane as they’ve gone six games without a goal in open play. The England striker has been named in the squad for Sunday’s North London derby which promises to be a huge boost for the club. Kane has been out with an ankle injury and has not played in the last seven weeks. He last featured in the Spurs’ win over Sunderland where he scored the only goal of the game. However, the Spurs manager will have to take a call on whether to start with the sharp-shooter and Golden Boot winner or have him come off the bench. Kane has enjoyed a good scoring run against Arsenal and scored a screamer when the two teams last met in March. Rock-solid Belgian defender Toby Alderweireld and Erik Lamela will miss out on the derby.

Arsenal have seen their fortunes swing after seeing their season start with a 3-4 drubbing at home by Liverpool and are unbeaten in 14 games in all competitions since their opening-day defeat. They’ve gone on to spring some impressive performances ever since including a 3-0 thrashing of Chelsea. The weekend clash with local rivals Spurs may prove to be a litmus test for the Gunners who haven’t been able to grind out a win in their last 4 league meetings with their local rivals. Arsene Wenger has issued a warning to hot-headed central midfielder Granit Xhaka who recently received a red card in Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Swansea. The manager has heaped emphasis on the importance of discipline in derby matches and has admitted concerns over the Swiss national’s temperament. The Arsenal gaffer will also be sweating over the fitness of some of his first-team choices as Monreal, Walcott, Cazorla and Bellerin are “uncertainties”. Midfielder Aaron Ramsey is bullish about Arsenal emerging on top this weekend and ending the Spurs’ unbeaten start to the league.

Experts have tipped Arsenal to continue with their red-hot form and edge Spurs. For the record, Pochettino hasn’t yet been scathed by Wenger in a league encounter. Will favourites Arsenal emerge victorious or will Spurs deny them a win on home soil? The showdown on Sunday will surely be a cracking contest!

Get updates! Follow us on

Open all