Best Odds: 4/5
Bookmaker:
With all eyes falling on north London this weekend, Arsenal will welcome Tottenham to the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.
Arsenal
Starting with the hosts, while Arsenal might have suffered title heartbreak last season as they missed out on the chance to get their hands on a first Premier League crown since 2004, the Gunners aren’t showing any signs of a hangover. Opening their Champions League adventure with a thumping performance in midweek as they cruised their way to a 4-0 romp against Dutch giants PSV, Mikel Arteta’s young squad should find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high. Marking their return from September’s international break with a rugged 1-0 victory away at relegation scrappers Everton, Sunday’s hosts will be desperate to lay down a heavyweight marker here. Mustering 13 points from their opening five Premier League appearances this season, it should also be noted that Arsenal have suffered just a single Premier League defeat at the Emirates from their previous 11 showdowns a run that stems all the way back on February 15th.
Team News
Missing out against PSV on Wednesday night after picking up a hamstring injury away at Goodison Park last weekend, Arsenal are expected to once again be without Gabriel Martinelli here. The Brazilian attacker will be joined on the sidelines by the duo of Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey.
Finding the net on his full return to Arteta’s starting XI in midweek, former Manchester City star Gabriel Jesus will be hoping to keep his spot leading Arsenal’s charge here. Likewise, now getting on the scoresheet in back-to-back appears since returning from the international break, Leandro Trossard could have another key role to play.
Tottenham
As for the visitors, entirely missing out on European football last season, Tottenham certainly had plenty of pressure on their shoulders when opening the 2023/24 campaign. However, only continuing to impress since they welcomed Ange Postecoglou to north London over the summer, Spurs are riding a real wave of momentum. Marking their return from September’s international break with a stunning last-gasp comeback on home soil as they claimed a 2-1 victory against Sheffield United, the former Celtic boss finds his squad currently sat second in the standings. In fact, heading into the fortnight interval with an action-packed 5-2 win away at Burnley, Tottenham have now won each of their previous four Premier League appearances. However, hit with a 2-0 loss when they last met their bitter local rivals back on January 15th, Spurs have lost three of their previous four showdowns against Sunday’s hosts.
Team News
Although ex-Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur might have recently returned to training following a long-term knee injury, the 26-year-old is not expected to feature here. In what is a major blow for Spurs, they have announced that Croatian international Ivan Persic will miss the remainder of the season after suffering an ACL injury during training.
Coming off the bench against Sheffield United last week and notching his first Premier League strike of the season, Richarlison could be handed a full recall on Sunday afternoon. Summer arrival Brennan Johnson will be hoping to make his full Tottenham debut at the Emirates.
Key Factors to Consider
