The battle for north London, Arsenal take on Tottenham

North London Derby. There's no bigger game in north London than the one between Arsenal and Tottenham. The good news is that we won't have to wait long for this battle, as the two teams will clash this Sunday in the twenty-seventh round of England's top competition. Setting aside for a moment the fact that this is a major derby, which is a major event in itself, both teams have a lot to play for. Since the beginning of the calendar year, Arsenal have already lost points several times in matches in which they should not have lost them, thus significantly complicating their situation at the top of the table. Tottenham, on the other hand, must pick up points to avoid having to deal with rescue worries soon, as the relegation zone is getting dangerously close. One thing is for sure, we definitely have something to look forward to!

Form

I won't comment too much on Arsenal's form, especially the recent one in the Premier League.You can see the Gunners' results for yourself in the table below. Fortunately for Arsenal, even its biggest rival isn't doing too well. Thomas Frank paid the price for Spurs' disappointing results, as he was removed as manager with immediate effect. New interim manager Igor Tudor will be on the Tottenham bench this weekend.

Arsenal

📈 Current form: 🟡 🟢 🟡 🟢 🟢

⚽️ Results: Wolverhampton 2:2 Arsenal (PL), Arsenal 4:0 Wigan (FA Cup), Brentford 1:1 Arsenal (PL), Arsenal 3:0 Sunderland (PL), Arsenal 1:0 Chelsea (EFL Cup)

🏆 Premier League position: 1. (58 points)

Tottenham

📈 Current form: 🔴 🔴 🟡 🟢 🟡

⚽️ ResultsTottenham 1:2 Newcastle (PL), Manchester United 2:0 Tottenham (PL), Tottenham 2:2 Manchester City (PL), Frankfurt 0:2 Tottenham (CL), Burnley 2:2 Tottenham (PL)

🏆 Premier League position: 16 (29 points)

Team and expected line-up

After the results Arsenal have been racking up in the league since the start of the calendar year, I don't think the Spanish manager plans to experiment with the line-up in any way in the North London derby. The biggest question is whether a pair of Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz. If so, whether they will start in the starting line-up or start on the substitutes' bench. The remaining positions should be clear.

Expected line-up

I wrote about this in my last blog, but I'll mention it this time. The defensive line will be at its strongest possible. In practice, that means nothing will change between the three posts. David Raya. At the heart of the defence will be a pair of William Saliba and Gabriel. On the right edge of the defence, the Jurriën Timber, it will return to the left Riccardo Calafiori. In the long term, I have the feeling that the Spanish manager considers this defensive line-up to be the strongest, which is why I think we will see him at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

In the centre of the midfield this time it will be without experiments. In the role of the sixth man, despite very solid cup performances Christian Nørgaard start Martín Zubimendi. There's nothing to discuss in the figure eight position. Declan Rice is one of Arsenal's most important players and I personally can't imagine him not starting from the first minute in the North London derby. The biggest question mark hangs over the playmaker position. Will Martin Ødegaard return to the starting line-up or will his role be taken over by Eberechi Eze, who shone in their first match against Spurs? It is also possible that the offensive all-rounder Kai Havertz will appear as a sub. If I were to pick the most likely option for myself, I'd put my money on Eberechi Eze.

Also, offensively, I expect a safe bet. What does that mean? On the right wing. Bukayo Saka, and on the left one Leandro Trossard. Both should be fit after the Molineux game, so it is highly likely that they will start from the first minute in the derby. The Swedish international will complete the offensive trio Viktor Gyökeres, who will be at the top of the Arsenal line-up.

Absences

Only the Spaniard is currently on the long-term injured list Mikel Merino. As I wrote earlier today, both Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz will most likely be part of the nomination for the Tottenham game, so a look at the Emirates Stadium squad looks positive. However, unfortunately not all A team players will fit into the nomination for the North London Derby. I think the team that will travel to the nearby Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be missing Myles Lewis-Skelly, Christian Nørgaard and Max Dowman.

Opponent

🏟️ Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London (capacity 62 850)

👔 ManagerIgor Tudor

🧤 GoalkeepersGuglielmo Vicario, Antonín Kinský

🛡️ Defenders: Junai Byfield, Kevin Danso, Ben Davies, Radu Dragusin, Archie Gray, Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Souza, Djed Spence, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven

🎯 MidfieldersRodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, Yves Bissouma, Conor Gallagher, Mohammed Kudus, João Palhinha, Pape Matar Sarr, Xavi Simmons

⚽️ ForwardsRandal Kolo Muani, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, Mathys Tel

Match

Now there is no room for hesitation. Whatever Tottenham's position in terms of table position and form, Arsenal simply have to win. Whether it's an unconvincing close win or a dominant win probably doesn't matter in the end. The important thing this time is really just getting three points. I believe that the situation is similarly perceived Mikel Arteta, so I hope he prepares his charges for a football war. I expect all Arsenal players to come into the game with maximum commitment. That means they will play with courage and fight for every ball from the first to the last minute. I don't want to see any other scenario. With the quality that Arsenal possesses, provided the players adhere to everything mentioned above, the Gunners should finish the match with a winning ending.

I would be a little more cautious with the expected course of the game this time. Why? A derby is a derby and it's on Tottenham's ground, so I don't think Arsenal will dominate from the first to the last minute on Sunday. On the contrary, I dare say the game will be relatively even. The details will be the deciding factor. It should mean one thing to the crowd, attractive spectacle. Anyway, I believe that taking into account all the essential factors such as the quality of the team, form or the squad, Arsenal players will take all the points from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. I predict Arsenal to win 3:1.

Next match

In the next game Arsenal will play for the next London derby. This time, Mikel Arteta's charges will welcome home Chelsea. The battle of city rivals, who recently met in the EFL Cup semi-finals, is on the agenda Sunday 1st of March 2026 from 17:30 (CET).

See you next time, I'll look forward to it!

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