Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur

Sunday, September 26, kick off: 430pm

Tottenham travel to the Emirates on Sunday having won just one of their last 28 away league games against Arsenal.

The North London Derby is always a mouth-watering fixture in the football calendar but this year the rivalry between Arsenal and Tottenham has added emphasis.

Not only are both teams potentially vying for similar spots in the Premier League, but they are also, at this moment in time, both experiencing polar opposite starts to their seasons.

After starting so strongly in August with three 1-0 victories, Tottenham have begun to fall over their own feet, succumbing to two successive 3-0 defeats to London rivals Crystal Palace and Chelsea.

Defeat to Arsenal this Sunday could heap further pressure onto new Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo. 

By comparison Arsenal, having opened their Premier League campaign in such dismal fashion against Brentford, Manchester City and Chelsea, are now showing good form. 

Hard-fought victories against Norwich and Burnley have boosted this Arsenal team.

Gabriel’s return to the Gunners defence has played a huge part in this regenerative surge. His poise and tenacity gives the back four a greater sense of impregnability and fighting spirit. And his relationship with new No1 Aaron Ramsdale on the field looks similar to that of two warriors roaring into battle side by side.

Ramsdale’s swift promotion to the starting line up has left Bernd Leno reeling but has impressed the Arsenal faithful. Mikel Arteta has commented on how he wants a “specialist for every position” and it look as though he has found that in Ramsdale.

The way in which the young Englishman dealt with the perpetual aerial attacks into the box against Burnley made him the deserving recipient of the player-of-the-match award.

Harry Kane’s summer transfer saga has not helped the side and his persistent retreats to the midfield have severely hindered Tottenham’s proclivity to attack.

Son’s return to the matchday squad after a short injury break will aid the side’s attacking threat but the concern continues to be the source of their creativity.

Tanguy Ndombele should be filling the No8 role but his performance midweek against AFC Wimbledon was riddled with errors, which will have frustrated manager Nuno Espírito Santo.

Both sides won their midweek Carabao Cup fixtures, but Arsenal are the form side in the league at this minute.