Tottenham are bracing for an invasion from their rivals Arsenal this weekend, but it will be an invasion of the walking wounded.
With at least six players set to be unavailable and one more racing to be fit in time, Arsenal fans have an extra layer of fear going into this fierce London showdown. If Mikel Arteta ever needed a test of how battle-hardened his title contenders are, this is surely it.
Martin Odegaard: ankle sprain. Riccardo Calafiori: calf injury. Mikel Merino: shoulder fracture. Declan Rice: suspended. Takehiro Tomiyasu: knee injury. Kieran Tierney: hamstring injury. Gabriel Jesus has a groin injury and is a doubt for the game. You almost couldn’t write it — especially with three midfielders out who would have started the game.
It couldn’t come at a worse time, either. Arsenal dropped points in a 1-1 draw at home to Brighton last time out while their title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool have enjoyed 100 per cent starts. This tough derby clash will be followed by a trip to Atalanta in the Champions League just four days later, before heading to the Etihad to face City the following weekend.
There is room for optimism, however. New signing Raheem Sterling is raring to go and could start on the wing — with a possible midfield reshuffle that could see Kai Havertz drop into midfield and Leandro Trossard playing as the centre forward. Arsenal still have plenty of firepower to trouble Spurs, who are wounded in a much different way coming into this game.
Tottenham dominated their last game away at Newcastle but somehow lost 2-1, conceding two goals from three shots on target. Ange Postecoglou’s side had 65 per cent possession and 20 shots but couldn’t take advantage. The same thing happened in their 1-1 draw against Leicester on the opening day.
Spurs look like a team that’s still gelling. The club spent £126m on new players, but there’s a lot of inexperience and, aside from Son Heung-min, not enough key players to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. Unlike Arsenal, however, Tottenham’s injured players are on the mend. Micky van de Ven — so crucial in mopping up counter attacks in defence — missed the trip to Newcastle but is back for this one. New £65m signing Dominic Solanke has sat the last two games out but looks set to return here.
The omens are not good for Tottenham in this fixture, however — at least judging off the last four matches between these two bitter rivals. Spurs haven’t beaten Arsenal since May 2022 and have lost three of the last four, drawing the other. In this same fixture against Arsenal at home last season, Tottenham lost 3-2, having gone 3-0 down in the first half.
Tottenham vs Arsenal odds
Odds updated as of 8 p.m. BST Friday.
- Tottenham win: 19/10 (+190)
- Draw: 13/5 (+260)
- Arsenal: 5/4 (+125)
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — London
Time: 2 p.m. BST (9 a.m. ET), Sunday
Form guide
Tottenham: 1-1-1, 4 points (10th); L-W-D
Arsenal: 2-1-0, 7 points (4th); D-W-W
Match prediction
Tottenham 1-1 Arsenal
No one wants to lose a North London Derby, but the bragging rights are everything for both teams and their fans. It’s early in the season and there should be a cagey opening as Arsenal attempt to adapt with a ravaged team — with Tottenham eager not to collapse against their nemesis. This fixture usually offers crunching tackles, red cards and drama. Expect plenty of that, but with so much at stake early into the season, we could see these teams keeping things tight and looking to grind out a result.
(Photo of Bukayo Saka: Ryan Pierse / Getty Images)
