Arsenal-Tottenham is a match on the sixth day of the Premier League and is played on Sunday at 3pm: TV, line-ups, predictions
Gunners and Spurs are set to write another chapter in London’s most important and heartfelt derby, despite the fact that it almost exclusively involves the north of the capital. A cross-city match of priceless fascination, regardless of the number of titles in their respective trophies, as we are certainly not talking about the two most emblazoned clubs in English football.
Arsenal, in any case, have almost always been a step above their hated cousins Tottenham. This is also evident in the number of derbies won: 81 victories for the Gunners against 61 for Spurs. Last season, Mikel Arteta’s team got the better of both the first leg and the return leg, thus avenging the narrow defeat in May 2022 that earned them a place in the Champions League (Antonio Conte was still on the Tottenham bench). This year, both teams are off to a great start and it is no coincidence that after five matches they have the same points in the standings: the spoils so far are four wins, one draw and no defeats. Only the all-time champions Manchester City, the only team with full points, have done better. But if for Arsenal such a start was to some extent predictable after last year’s long battle for the title with the Cityzens, the rocket start of Spurs, forced to start a bit from scratch, is surprising.
What a start for the Spurs
Tottenham, having put their disastrous season behind them and said goodbye to their captain and goal scorer Kane, seem to have solved the problems that plagued them last season.
Son
The “medicine”, in this case, was the proactive ideas of Ange Postecoglou, the Australian coach that Spurs “fished” from Celtic, in Scotland. Son and his teammates, thanks to this mini-revolution, are not making the current Bayern Munich centre forward regret, scoring 13 goals in total (third best attack in the tournament). Tottenham drew in the opener against Brentford, but since the next game – a win at home to Bournemouth – they have not stopped since, also taking the scalp of Manchester United. Arsenal, who, unlike Spurs, play in the cups, only missed the derby against Fulham (2-2) and are just back from a huge success against Psv Eindhoven (4-0) on the first day of the Champions League group stage. Arteta will not have Martinelli in the extra-city match: Trossard will again complete the attack. In midfield more Vieira than Havertz. Tottenham will be without Perisic, who has probably finished the season.
The Prediction
For Tottenham this is perhaps the first test: so far Spurs have not had an impossible schedule, with the exception of the challenge with United. Postecoglou’s men are confident and enthusiastic, but if they haven’t won in 13 years at home to the ‘enemy’ there must be a reason. Arsenal slightly favoured in a match that should provide goals and spectacle: at least three goals in total.
Arsenal-Tottenham matchday squad
- ARSENAL (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Vieira; Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Trossard.
- TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Pedro Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Richarlison.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 3-2
