It is the Premier League season’s second installment of the North London derby on Wednesday evening, as hosts Arsenal take on fiercest rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners quickly need to get their act together, having lost 2-0 at home to Newcastle United in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final last week, before 10-man Manchester United eliminated them out of the FA Cup on penalties at the weekend.
Mikel Arteta’s men drew 1-1 with Brighton and Hove Albion in their last Premier League outing, leaving them six points behind league leaders Liverpool having played a game more. The Spanish tactician will be expecting a rousing response from his boys against Spurs, who head across North London with two cup wins on the spin.
Arsenal Team News
Arsenal have been dealt a major blow with Gabriel Jesus facing a long spell out with a suspected ACL injury. The Brazilian striker suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester United, joining the likes of Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White on the sidelines.
Jorginho and Jurrien Timber came off during the FA Cup third round, but Mikel Arteta has confirmed that both are expected to be fit for Wednesday’s game against Tottenham. Riccardo Calafiori, however, could miss out again after sitting out the FA Cup third-round clash with Man United due to a small injury.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Tottenham (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper
David Raya barely came close to saving any Manchester United penalty during the shootout. The Spaniard will be hoping to produce a better display and keep a clean sheet in the derby.
Defence
In front of Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes will continue his strong central defensive partnership with William Saliba. They will have to be at their best to tame Spurs striker Dominic Solanke.
Jurrien Timber is expected to be fit after going off against Man United in the FA Cup. He should retain his position at right-back, with youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly starting at left-back once again ahead of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney.
Midfield
Declan Rice should start this fixture, and his quality on the ball, energy, defensive prowess and leadership skills will be key in helping Arsenal win the derby. The England international is expected to be joined by Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard in the engine room, with Mikel Merino and Jorginho dropping to the bench after starting the FA Cup fixture against Man United.
Attack
With Gabriel Jesus set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Arteta has no option but to go with Kai Havertz up top. Raheem Sterling could start his first game since mid-December, with Gabriel Martinelli hoping to enjoy a productive night off the left flank.
Leandro Trossard will be a good option to bring off the bench against a tiring Spurs defence.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
