TEAM NEWS
The Gunners named an inexperienced side against Vorskla Poltava on Thursday and will recall their senior players, though it remains to be seen whether Mesut Ozil earns a starting role.
Arsenal will monitor striker Alexandre Lacazette, who missed the win at Bournemouth with a groin injury. Tottenham defender Juan Foyth returns after being ineligible for Wednesday’s win against Inter Milan.
Fit-again Jan Vertonghen could play his first league game since September.
Christian Eriksen, who has been managing an abdominal injury, came off the bench to score the winner against Inter and may return to the starting line-up.
However, midfielder Erik Lamela will be assessed after suffering a thigh injury in their last game, while Kieran Trippier is still sidelined by a groin problem.
MOTD COMMENTATOR’S NOTES
Jonathan Pearce: In 31 years of commentating on North London derby riddles I’ve never found clues easy to find.
Arsenal are unbeaten in 18 games. Tottenham have earned six big wins in a row. Form flies out of the window for this though.
The Gunners have lost just one of 25 top-flight home matches against Spurs, who’ve lost just one of the last eight league meetings. Hmm!
Tottenham were at home in Europe with an extra day to prepare, but Arsenal will probably make 10 changes from their teenager-inspired win in Kiev. No advantage there.
But experience of this match is crucial. The Tottenham XI could have up to three times the number of appearances in it and Harry Kane has seven goals in seven league clashes with the Gunners. If he nets again, they’ll win.
VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino: “We have the belief and that is the most important thing in football and the faith that you can beat any team away from home.
“It’s a special game, it’s tough to play this sort of game, it means more. We know that it means to our fans this game.
“The players feel that and are aware what it means. We have a lot of players that have arrived to the first team from the academy and they know what it means.”
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
Arsenal have not really been convincing whenever I have seen them recently, but that just makes it even more impressive that no-one can beat them – they are 18 games unbeaten and ticking along quite nicely.
But that is just an extra thing for Spurs to aim at on Sunday. Not only can they take the three points, they can end Arsenal’s run too – and they would really enjoy that.
Prediction: 1-2
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Arsenal beat Tottenham 2-0 at the Emirates last season, but that is their only win in their last eight league games against Spurs (D4, L3).
- Spurs have only won one of their last 25 top-flight games away to the Gunners (D10, L14), with their solitary success a 3-2 victory in 2010.
- Tottenham have dropped 37 points from winning positions in Premier League games against Arsenal – the worst record of any club against a single opponent.
- Arsenal have scored in each of their last 22 home games against Tottenham in all competitions, last failing to find the net against them in a 0-0 draw in November 1998.
- The sides have met 195 times in all competitions, with Arsenal leading by 81 wins to Tottenham’s 63.
Arsenal
- The Gunners are unbeaten in their last 11 league games (W8, D3), with their most recent defeat coming at Chelsea in August.
- Arsenal have won three of their last 28 league games against other sides from the established top six (D10, L15).
- Only two of the last nine Arsenal managers (including caretakers) have won their first league game against Spurs – Don Howe in 1983 and Arsene Wenger in 1996.
- Arsenal are one of only two teams yet to lead at half-time in a Premier League match this term (alongside Cardiff) – though the Gunners have gone on to win eight of those 13 fixtures.
- Unai Emery’s side would be 18th if games ended after 45 minutes, and second (two points behind Manchester City) if only second-half goals counted.
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored with his last eight shots on target in the Premier League – the last keeper to save one from him was West Ham’s Lukasz Fabianski in August.
Tottenham Hotspur
- Victory would give Tottenham their highest-ever points total after 14 games of a Premier League season, while a draw would mean they equal their best haul of 31 points in the 2011-12 campaign.
- Tottenham have won seven consecutive league games against London rivals, one short of the club record in the top flight (set from October 1950 to August 1951).
- Victory would also see Spurs equal a club record by claiming six consecutive Premier League away wins.
- Harry Kane has scored seven goals in seven Premier League games against Arsenal, only failing to net against them in one appearance (the corresponding fixture at the Emirates last season).
- Kane is one shy of equalling the record for most Premier League goals in north London derbies, held by Emmanuel Adebayor.
Source: BBC News
