Only three fixtures in Premier League history have provided more goals than the north London derby and it could go clear at the top on Saturday.
Arsenal will retain their position at the top of the table should they avoid a defeat, but Tottenham in third can overhaul them if they claim a first league win on their arch-enemy’s turf since 2010.
Given the game’s importance, neither manager was prepared to reveal too much about their plans in their pre-match press conferences. Emile Smith Rowe will be absent for the hosts after undergoing groin surgery this week, but Mikel Arteta suggested that Oleksandr Zinchenko, Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney could all be involved after injuries.
“They are part of the team,” Arteta said when quizzed on the trio’s fitness levels. Partey’s availability would be significant given his influence so far this campaign: the Ghanaian has made more tackles per game (2.5) than any other player in Arsenal’s squad and his discipline at the base of midfield has allowed Granit Xhaka to flourish in a more adventurous box-to-box role.
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Antonio Conte, meanwhile, is keen to keep Arteta guessing. “Honestly, I don’t want to speak about injuries, because I don’t want to give an advantage to Arsenal,” was his honest admission.
The Italian did admit that Spurs have some “physical problems” and in particular, Hugo Lloris, Ben Davies and Dejan Kulusevski are at risk of not playing. Lloris withdrew from France’s Nations League squad due to a thigh problem, Davies missed Wales’ fixtures after suffering a hairline fracture to a bone under his knee against Sporting Lisbon, and Kulusevski has a suspected hamstring injury.
Kulusevski’s potential absence could help facilitate a tactical shift from 3-4-3 to 3-5-2.
While it has been obvious that Conte has ordered his defenders to pass out from the back, wing-backs to stay high and forwards to sit narrower and interchange, Spurs’ central midfield is still something of a mystery. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur have been routinely overloaded in the middle which partly explains why Spurs have faced the fourth-highest number of shots on their goal in the league this season.
An unbeaten start and a goals against tally of seven goals in as many games suggests it hasn’t been a major issue but given the quality of Arsenal’s forwards, Spurs could be punished if their midfield is bypassed as easily at the Emirates. Yves Bissouma accompanied Hojbjerg and Bentancur for the final 20 minutes against Leicester – coinciding with all three of Son Heung-min’s hat-trick goals – and may do so from the start this weekend, with Richarlison tasked with making an impact off the bench.
“For sure it could be a good option because we have midfielders who are good also to play in a three,” acknowledged Conte. “Bissouma when he came in against Leicester played well and he was really good integrating with Pierre and Rodrigo Bentancur. This could be an option not only for tomorrow but for the future if we need to rest players.”
Arsenal’s predicted 4-2-3-1 line-up: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Jesus.
Tottenham’s predicted 3-5-2 line-up: Lloris; Romero, Dier, Lenglet; Emerson, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Bissouma, Perisic; Kane, Son.
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