Arsenal-Tottenham is a match for the ninth day of the Premier League and is played on Saturday at 13:30
The ninth day of the Premier League starts with a bang. It kicks off at lunchtime on Saturday with a high-flying North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham. The Emirates Stadium is already buzzing: the historical rivalry between the two most important clubs in the north of the English capital has become even more acute following the fierce duel for fourth place (and the Champions League) in the last championship, with Spurs overtaking them thanks to the decisive victory in the direct clash, which came on the third last day, practically at the photo finish. This year the Gunners are off to a better start, topping the table after the first seven rounds with 18 points, one more than Tottenham, paired on 17 with defending champions Manchester City, the only ones still unbeaten.
Antonio Conte therefore has the chance to overtake Mikel Arteta’s side if he succeeds, but the statistics are not on the side of the Salento coach as the away side have been unable to win in this away game since 2014. Arsenal dream of a victory that would inevitably have the flavour of revenge after what happened last May. The Spanish coach, however, will have to dispel a taboo: in his career he has never got the better of his colleague Conte.
The Gunners immediately bounced back at home to Brentford in the last match before the break for the national teams: a net 0-3 to the Bees, indispensable to forget the defeat of seven days before against Manchester United, so far the only one of his season. Tottenham had also closed with a victory, overwhelming (6-2) the unfortunate Leicester: the best way to file away the Champions League slip with Sporting. In the middle, Arteta will line up Lokonga in place of Partey, who is still not at his best, while Odegaard returns to the front three from the first minute. Conte, on the other hand, will probably have to do without goalkeeper Lloris, who was injured in the national team: Forster is ready in his place.
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The Prediction
It will be a chess match between the two teams who have made a great start in the league. For Arsenal it is the second level test after the one with Manchester United. The Gunners might suffer from Spurs’ lethal restarts, but especially their aggressiveness; at the same time Conte will have to find countermeasures to the quality youngsters Arsenal can field from the midfield up. Without expounding on the final result, we assume a spectacular match in which both sides will score at least one goal each.
Arsenal-Tottenham
probable line-ups.
- ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu; Xhaka, Lokonga; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Gabriel Jesus.
- TOTTENHAM (3-4-2-1): Forster; Romero, Dier, Lenglet; Emerson Royal, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Sessegnon; Kulusevski, Son; Kane.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
