Tottenham Hotspur face Arsenal in the first north London derby of the season on Sunday, as the Premier League continues its return after the international break.
Ange Postecoglou’s side have had a mixed start to the new season, with a draw in their opening fixture followed by a convincing win against Everton and a disappointing loss to Newcastle. And they host an Arsenal side who started the season in fine fashion – with two commanding wins from two – before slipping to a frustrating draw against Brighton in the last match before the international break.
Mikel Arteta’s side will be without Declan Rice and potentially Martin Odegaard, but both sides should otherwise be at full strength as they gear up for what promises to be a fiery contest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Follow all the latest build-up, score updates and reaction from the Premier League fixtures below.
The key difference between Ange Postecoglou and Mikel Arteta that will decide the north London derby
They’re the sort of problems Mikel Arteta enjoys figuring out, even if he hates the reason he has to do it. With the Arsenal manager potentially missing his entire first-choice midfield on Sunday, he and his staff have been assessing the data on how long it would take Tottenham Hotspur to get up the pitch if the ball is lost in a certain area. They’re now conscious of the power of Ange Postecoglou’s own midfield. Those who know Arteta say this is an underappreciated aspect of his approach to football. He sees a lot of it in terms of pure maths. If space is left in one area, it’s about the speed with which the opposition can use it. The different numbers influence formation shape, down to where a midfielder sits.
They also influence numbers of a more simple kind, which may frame this north London derby. That is both managers’ approach to keeping goals out. Sunday will be last season’s best defence against one that is distinctly mid-table, a mere 29 goals conceded against a massive 61. For all the focus on midfields, this match may well come down to different interpretations of how you defend.
That difference is all the more striking since both Arteta and Postecoglou have been significantly shaped by the same broader ideology. They both apply principles of the Pep Guardiola Dutch-Spanish approach that has come to dominate modern football, and has been so fully integrated by City Football Group.
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will have ‘unbelievable energy’ against Tottenham
“That game sets the tone in many moments in the season when you play those big matches, big stages, and there’s a lot at stake,” he admitted.
“It’s a very emotional game as well. When you are able to perform, able to deliver and win those games, it’s a huge boost, we know that and that’s why we’re going to try so hard.
“We have certain limitations that we know about. There are certain things that we cannot control and what happened in the last two weeks is extremely unlucky. We have to face it, but hopefully during the season it will be very different.
“I want to have the energy, the enthusiasm for the next day, the next game and prepare that in the best possible way and that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to go to Spurs with unbelievable energy and believe that we’re going to go there to be ourselves and try to win the game.” said Arteta.
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will have ‘unbelievable energy’ against Tottenham
Mikel Arteta has warned Tottenham that his depleted Arsenal side will arrive for Sunday’s north London derby with unbelievable energy and belief that they will beat their rivals.
Arsenal are set to kick off a pivotal week in their quest for silverware, with a trip to Spurs followed by their Champions League opener at Atalanta. They will then head to Manchester City a week on Sunday.
But the Gunners will do so without Declan Rice – suspended for the game against Tottenham after he was controversially sent off in the draw with Brighton at the Emirates – and summer signing Mikel Merino, who is sidelined with a fractured shoulder.
Captain Martin Odegaard is also set for a spell on the sidelines after sustaining an ankle injury on international duty with Norway. Arteta has so far been coy on the length of Odegaard’s absence.
It leaves the Spaniard facing a serious rejig ahead of a fixture which he admitted will lay the foundations for a period already being described as make-or-break for Arsenal.
Ange Postecoglou’s improving Spurs ready for Arsenal challenge
Spurs are hoping to respond after a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle in what has been an indifferent start to the 2024/25 campaign with one win, one draw and one defeat from their three matches so far.
The derby is a crucial fixture every season and Tottenham have a slight advantage given they are playing at home and Arsenal are undergoing something of an injury crisis but Postecoglou believes the Gunners will be a ‘tough nut to crack’.
“We want to be a club that can challenge everyone, that’s what we are trying to aim to become.” said the Tottenham boss in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
“To do that, you’ve got to perform at a certain level, at a consistent basis, the squad’s strong enough to do that. We’ve started the season fairly solidly, from a performance perspective. The results haven’t reflected that but I think we’re in a good place to push on from last year and improve on all areas. There’s no reason why we can’t [challenge] this year.”
Mikel Arteta has only made two changes to the side that drew to Brighton in controversial circumstances before the international break.
The suspended Declan Rice makes way for Jorginho, while the injured Odegaard is replaced by Gabriel Martinelli. The Brazilian goes straight to the left wing, with Havertz dropping back into midfield and Leandro Trossard leading the attack.
Spurs team news
For the home side, there are four changes to the side that lost against Newcastle last time out.
In defence, Micky van de Ven comes in for Radu Dragusin, while in midfield, Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma drop out for Bentancur and Kulusevski.
Wilson Odobert is replaced by Brennan Johnson in attack, with Kulusevski dropping back into midfield as Dominic Solanke returns.
Arsenal line-up
Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber; Partey, Jorginho, Havertz; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.
Subs: Neto, Kiwior, Kacurri, Heaven, Lewis-Skelly, Sterling, Nwaneri, Jesus, Kabia.
Spurs line-up
Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son.
Subs: Forster, Spence, Davies, Dragusin, Gray, Sarr, Bergvall, Odobert, Werner.
How will Mikel Arteta set Arsenal up?
The big question today is how Arsenal set up without Declan Rice and likely without their captain, Martin Odegaard.
Jorginho will likely come into midfield to ease the loss of Rice, and he would probably start alongside Thomas Partey.
Odegaard is arguably a bigger loss though, with the Gunners captain also acting as their main creative spark. One interesting option – especially if Gabriel Jesus is fit – could be dropping Havertz into Odegaard’s role, or in a more attacking role as a traditional ‘10’ – where the German started his career for Bayer Leverkusen.
Alternatively, Leandro Trossard could play the advanced midfield role, or even start up top if Havertz was moved back. An even more surprising move would be if Arteta were to have faith in 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, who has long been rated as one of the most promising prospects at the club.
Additionally, it will be interesting to see if we get the first glimpses of Raheem Sterling in an Arsenal shirt today.
Line-ups are expected at around 12.45pm.
Talking points: Can Spurs build on a mixed start to the season?
Spurs have won one, drawn one and lost one in their first three games this season, so it is a mixed start for a side that promised much in Postecoglou’s first season in charge.
But, like last season, Spurs have played well for the most part but have had lapses in concentration and quality that have cost them.
A disappointing draw in their opener away at Leicester was followed by a thrilling 4-0 win over Everton, but Spurs then slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle before the international break.
Today will be their toughest test so far, but it would certainly be a marker to their rivals if Spurs could grab a win.
However, it would pose more questions around the side and Postecoglou, mainly regarding why their form is so up-and-down for prolonged periods despite having a squad that boasts plenty of quality.
Source: independent.co.uk
