Returning from the November national break, the charges will start Mikel Arteta's pretty tough. The Gunners will not have an easy time in the North London derby against Tottenham this weekend. For now, let's turn our attention to the derby, which English football fans know as the North London Derby. For fans of both teams from the northern part of the English capital, this derby is tantamount to a football holiday. Whatever the mood of these irreconcilable rivals going into the game, they go into the North London derby with one goal in mind, to win. JThis is a fight that is never played with gloves, quite the opposite. That is why the best description of the clash between Arsenal and Tottenham is „battle“. Will Arsenal confirm their dominance in north London or will Tottenham manage to conquer the Emirates Stadium? Find out everything essential about the NLD in today's blog.
Form
Another national break means we can start from scratch with the evaluation of the current form. So this time I will focus more on the long-term form and directly related to it the table position in the Premier League and Champions League.
Arsenal
Arsenal's winning streak, which lasted exactly 10 games across all competitions, came to an end at the Stadium of Light, where Arsenal came from behind to win in injury time. Does this mean anything crucial in terms of the form of Mikel Arteta's charges? I don't think so. One point of view is that Arsenal conceded twice against Sunderland, failed to hold the lead and lost two important points. On the other hand, the Gunners have extended their unbeaten streak and despite a large squad have not lost at the ground of the currently fourth Premier League team. So much for Arsenal's last game before the national break. I wouldn't like to make more out of the draw at Sunderland. So I'd rather move on to a summary of the form in a broader context.
Looking at the last five competitive games Arsenal's record is still very solid. Four wins and a single, aforementioned draw with Sunderland. In addition, Mikel Arteta's men managed to keep a clean sheet in four of these five games. Although it may seem unbelievable, Arsenal has the same record in terms of results and clean sheets in the last five league games. As I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, current form is very difficult to assess after the break, but if I were to to assess the Gunners' form before the break, I would spare no praise.
Looking at table in not only the Premier League, but also in the Champions League It is quite evident that Arsenal have been putting in quality and, more importantly, consistent performances this season. In the domestic competition, after eleven rounds played, Arsenal are in first place with a four-point lead ahead of second-placed Manchester City. In the millionaire's competition, the Gunners are in the second place with full points after four rounds played .Arsenal are only behind the leader Bayern Munich because of a worse score (more precisely, because of fewer goals scored). What does all this imply? Arsenal are making it clear to all opponents that they are even stronger this season than in previous seasons.
Tottenham
Tottenham are under new manager Thomas Frank, generally presents solid performances and results. Before the national break, however, Spurs' form deteriorated significantly. In the last five games Tottenham won twice, drew once and lost twice. The same applies to the last five league results. While it is certainly not a disastrous record, at the same time, Spurs' recent results cannot be described as hilarious either. I would probably assess Tottenham's form before the national break as average, maybe even slightly below average.
As for the table position, Tottenham are fifth in the Premier League trailing their biggest rival by eight points ahead of the derby. In the Champions League, the Danish manager's team is „up“ after four rounds.“ in tenth place, but with a record of two wins and two draws has a good starting position to advance to the knockout phase the most prestigious club competition in the world. Tottenham have also featured in the EFL Cup this season. Unlike their city rivals, they have already dropped out of the competition when lost to Newcastle in the eighth round. And that's about it in a nutshell. If I had to summarize Tottenham's performance so far this season is decent, but the recent results are a bit weaker.
Team and expected line-up
One of the most discussed topics before Arsenal's match with Tottenham is the Gunners' playing squad. More specifically, the return of players from the sideline. The Spanish manager is expected to have several returnees available for the North London derby. What could Arsenal's line-up look like for Sunday's game against their city rival?
David Raya
There is nothing to solve between the three bars. There's no question will be in goal for Arsenal in the North London derby David Raya, no one doubts at all. The Spanish international is one of the cornerstones of the Gunners' defensive success, and therefore will certainly not be missing from the starting line-up in such an important match.
Jurriën Timber
I myself am curious to see how Mikel Arteta will handle the situation on the right edge of defence in the coming games. The number one position was deservedly won by Jurriën Timber. Ben White's health problems, which have been with him since last season and practically until now, have played a part in this to some extent. But now both are available, and the real battle for a spot in the starting lineup can begin. I think that the Spanish manager will now rely more on Jurriën Timber in the biggest games, so we should see the Dutch international in the starting line-up in the North London derby as well. However, that doesn't mean that the hierarchy on the right edge of defence can't change later in the season. I am confident that we will see Ben White on the pitch in sufficient numbers.
William Saliba
Despite the great competition, it has William Saliba thanks to his undeniable qualities, a place in Arsenal's starting eleven is virtually assured. In Gabriel's absence, not only his teammates and manager, but also all the fans will rely on him even more. The French stopper will start against Tottenham from the first minute.
Piero Hincapié
In the highly probable absence of Gabriel the Spanish manager will have to choose a new suitable partner for William Saliba for the NLD. Fortunately, Mikel Arteta has a wide enough squad this year to have several options at left-back. Personally, I think it's going to come down to a pair of Piero Hincapié and Cristhian Mosquera. In my opinion, Piero Hincapié is a little bit more experienced and has an advantage over Mosquera in that his left foot is his dominant one. If Gabriel is really going to be missing, I am leaning towards the Ecuadorian footballer replacing him.
Riccardo Calafiori
Riccardo Calafiori although he travelled with the Italian national team to the reunion, he did not appear on the first match roster and even left the national team before the second match and returned to London. The reason was side injury, which is not serious and multiple sources have now confirmed that Calafiori will be 100% ready for the North London derby. If this information is true, the Italian international should not be missing from Mikel Arteta's starting line-up.
Martín Zubimendi
Perhaps praised and praised by all Martín Zubimendi should definitely not be missing from Arsenal's line-up in a game like this. I've written about his contribution to Arsenal's game several times before, so I don't want to repeat myself. The diminutive Spaniard fit into Mikel Arteta's starting lineup almost immediately and looking at his performances, it's no wonder. In a good way, Zubimendi has made the departure of Thomas, who was his position at Arsenal for years, very quickly forgotten.
Declan Rice
Those of you who read my blogs regularly know very well that Declana Rice I consider him one of the best, most consistent and most important players at Arsenal today. He can defend, attack, play precise standard situations and much more. In Mikel Arteta's starting line-up, the English footballer has a privileged place, and that's why won't be missing from the field from the first minute of the famous North London Derby.
Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze, who had a successful national team reunion, will take on the North London derby keeps his place in the starting line-up and in the centre of the midfield. That's my personal tip. Only Mikel Arteta himself knows how it will be with the English national team after the complete return of captain Martin Ødegaard. It's more than likely that we'll see Eze more on the fringes than in the centre of midfield, but there's not much point in dwelling on that now. He will start against Tottenham in a playmaker position.
Bukayo Saka
Like Eberechi Eze, also Bukayo Saka reigned in the England national team jersey, in which confirmed his good form from the last few weeks. Not only his good form, but his tremendous quality, leadership skills and his position in the team in general make Saka an indispensable player for Arsenal. The England international will lead his team into Sunday's North London derby with the captain's armband.
Leandro Trossard
Although Arsenal's squad is slowly but surely starting to empty out, the against Tottenham, I think he will start in the starting line-up Leandro Trossard. The Belgian international may not be Mikel Arteta's first choice at left wing, but on the other hand he is a valuable member of the team. In addition, Trossard has been presenting solid performances lately, so I don't see why he should be missing from the starting 11. Healed returnees (e.g. Gabriel Martinelli or Noni Madueke) will enliven the game from the bench.
Viktor Gyökeres
When Viktor Gyökeres, he finally started to get into proper playing and shooting form, but a muscle injury stopped him in his stride. The injury forced him to withdraw during the Burnley game. Subsequently, the Swedish striker missed Arsenal's Champions League game against Slavia and then the Premier League game against Sunderland. Viktor Gyökeres should be ready for the Sveroldy derby. Can the fit striker build on his good form before the injury? Personally, I believe so and that he will take down the rivals from Tottenham as soon as he returns.
Substitutes
On the substitutes' bench several major comebacks are expected. If the recovery or the preparation for the Tottenham game goes according to plan for the players returning from sick leave, the bench should be really stellar. In particular, the substitutes should not be missing Kepa Arrizabalaga, Cristhian Mosquera, Ben White, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Mikel Merino, Ethan Nwaneri, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz. If we really see a mass return of players after injuries, there will be a situation that someone will be left out of the match nomination. At the moment, it looks like they wouldn't fit into the roster (except for the injured) Christian Nørgaard and Max Dowman. Anyway, with almost a week to go until the game, which is a long time in football. A lot can change, so I will expand the lineup section this time with an update subsection if needed.
Probably the biggest question mark hanging over the captain Martin Ødegaard, who looks like he will not be able to play his rivals from Tottenham yet. The fact that instead of recovering and training, he went to the national team meeting with the Norwegian team as a moral support suggests that he will not. Nor do I expect him to be part of the nomination Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian striker did start training with the team before the announced break, but due to the nature of his injury, I'm inclined to think that Mikel Arteta will be a bit more cautious with his integration back into the match pace. So the national break has come in handy for Arsenal as it looks like the team's squad has emptied out considerably, but there is one but. That is the injury Gabriel, who suffered a hamstring injury in the friendly against Senegal, which was played at the Emirates Stadium. The club has not yet confirmed how serious his injury is. Hopefully, the Brazilian defender will not be missing for long.
Update
Brazilian stopper Gabriel will miss Arsenal for one to two months, according to early reports, so he won't really be involved in the Tottenham game. Some sources say that Kai Havertz had to deal with minor issues during his recovery, which will slightly delay his return to the field. The question remains whether these reports will be confirmed. And now, finally, on to more positive news. There are rumours on social media that the Martin Ødegaard joined the team in training, who will presumably be available for the North London derby. Mikel Arteta is expected to be part of the nomination Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyökeres.
About the opponent
Leaving aside the rivalry. Tottenham have certainly been one of the best English football has to offer for a long time. I wouldn't put him among the most elite teams in the Premier League, but I would put him somewhere close behind. Last season, which ultimately cost Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou his job, was full of twists and turns. Until seventeenth place in the Premier League is Tottenham's worst league result in a very long time. Tottenham were last relegated from England's top competition in the 1976/1977 season and last season were not far from that unflattering feat. At least in terms of table position. Ironically, Tottenham managed to salvage at least part of the season by winning the Europa League, which also secured him a ticket to this year's Champions League. However, even that was not enough to keep now former manager Ange Postecoglou on the Spurs bench. Experienced Danish manager Thomas Frank took over his position from the 2025/2026 season.
There are a number of interesting players on the Spurs roster. I can start with the goalkeeper position, where the number one position is held by Guglielmo Vicario. And speaking of goalkeepers, I can't forget the Czech representative, who is Antonín Kinský. However, the Czech youth representative is in a difficult situation at the moment and his way into the line-up over his Italian rival will be more than difficult. Let's move on. Among the defenders, a pair of stoppers stand out Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero. The Danish manager also has interesting players on the flanks of the defence, including Pedro Porro, Djed Spence or Destiny Udogie. New summer signings stand out among the offensive players, at least on paper Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simmons. There are other interesting players in the Spurs squad, especially young players with great potential. I can mention for example Lucas Bergvall or Mythyse Tela.
Match
Although in a derby all form, table position and many other factors go by the wayside, some facts certainly cannot be ignored. The North London derby is definitely one of the biggest in England and we can look forward to a match that will spark. For both Arsenal and Tottenham, the North London Derby is always, at least to some extent, the highlight of the season. It's a game in which is not only playing for points, but mainly for honor. The matches between Arsenal and Tottenham have long served up an attractive spectacle and I dare say it will be no different this time.
Arsenal should be in control of the match, especially since it's being played at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal are currently one of the best teams not only in England but in Europe. In terms of the width of the squad, it is no different. I've written about form and table position several times today and despite the fact that I don't think they will play a big part, they will still affect the psyche in both camps to some extent. All in all, the home side will go into the North London derby as clear favourites, as confirmed by the bookmakers' odds. I expect the game itself to offer an attractive offensive spectacle, a fight for every ball and a boisterous spectator scene. Everything a football fan expects from such a derby. I just hope you Michael Oliver, who will be the main referee of the match, will choose one of his better days. As for the result, of course I believe the Gunners. I predict Arsenal to win 2:1.
Next match
As I wrote in the very beginning of the blog, Arsenal have a tough schedule ahead. After the Tottenham derby, Mikel Arteta's charges will face another tough test at the Emirates Stadium. On Wednesday 26 November 2025 at 21:00 (CET) Arsenal will welcome Bayern Munich of Germany in the Champions League. So there will be a duel not only between the first team and the second team, but also between the two teams that have so far been 100 percent. Football fans will not be bored in north London.
See you next time, I'll look forward to it!
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Editor, administrator and editor of the True Gunner Diary website, but above all a devoted Arsenal fan. I started with sports articles at the Tipsport bookmaker, where I have published more than 100 blogs. If you want to know more about me, check out the section of the same name here on the site.