Preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal – stats, team news, line-ups
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium forms the backdrop for Sunday’s blockbuster Premier League showdown as Tottenham Hotspur host Arsenal in a mouth-watering north London derby.
With the international break now in the rearview mirror, both clubs will look to get their campaign back on track after dropping points before the brief hiatus.
Ange Postecoglou’s side head into the contest on the back of a gut-wrenching 2-1 defeat against bogey side Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.
Mikel Arteta’s side also dropped two points after playing out a disappointing 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion, although their task was more complicated as they were forced to see out the game with ten men.
Both sides will be keen to get back to winning ways this weekend, knowing a positive result in a huge clash like the north London derby could spark their campaign back to life.
The high-stakes nature of the game means Tottenham vs Arsenal tickets could be sold at a premium, but Seatsnet.com offers fans a chance to book their seat in the stands at competitive prices.
Both sides will battle for points and bragging rights in one of the most eagerly anticipated capital derbies in the country, with plenty of fireworks expected from the box office showdown this weekend.
Match Preview
Arsenal had a fantastic start to last season, setting a new record for points and showing they had matured since their capitulation in the second half of the 2022/23 season.
Despite their strong form, they still fell short of winning the Premier League title as reigning champions Manchester City beat them to the punch by two points.
Now, after dropping points against Brighton inside the opening three games of the 2024/25 season, their quest for a first league title in 21 years could be in jeopardy once again.
The Gunners know how relentless Man City can be with Pep Guardiola at the helm, especially after being forced to settle for the runners-up spot in each of the last two seasons.
The defending champions are currently one of only two sides (alongside Liverpool) that can boast a perfect record, claiming nine points from the opening three games.
They rarely falter in the second half of the season and tend to drop points early on when their thin squad is at its most vulnerable.
However, Arsenal have already missed out on a perfect start and with key players like Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne returning to the fold for Man City, the Gunners might face an uphill challenge to keep up with the champions.
Adding to their worries, Arsenal will face a tough test against Tottenham without Declan Rice, whose sending-off put Arteta’s side in a precarious position against Brighton.
His absence puts pressure on players like Thomas Partey Jorginho to step up in order to bolster Arsenal’s chances of coming away with maximum points.
Meanwhile, new signing Mikel Merino will miss out on the action due to a broken arm, making the midfield battle even more critical in deciding who comes out on top.
Arteta will be without a number of key players, including captain Martin Odegaard, who picked up a knock on international duty, so he needs to get his tactics spot on to help his weakened side claim a scalp against Spurs.
Meanwhile, Tottenham also need to step things up if they’re serious about reclaiming a spot in the Champions League this season.
Postecoglou’s brand of football brought some excitement back to Spurs, but they have struggled for defensive solidity since the Australian took the reins.
While their gung-ho style of play restored the club to the European places last term, the all-out attacking football has already cost them points early this season.
Spurs have claimed just one win from their opening three Premier League games so far, with a 4-0 thrashing of Everton coming in between a disappointing 1-1 draw with newly-promoted Leicester City and a 2-1 defeat against Newcastle.
Their defensive vulnerabilities have been made evident, and those weaknesses were exploited at St. James’ Park, frustrating Spurs’ ability to mount any form of a comeback against the Magpies.
The Lilywhites are now set to face Arsenal with a leaky defence and will have their work cut out in keeping the free-firing Gunners at bay this weekend.
Team news & potential line-ups
Tottenham will be hoping that their £65 million summer signing, Dominic Solanke, will be ready to return to the starting line-up after missing their games against Everton and Newcastle.
Solanke has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury in the curtain raiser against Leicester but will likely start the north London derby on the bench even if he’s handed a clean bill of health.
Meanwhile, Micky van de Ven also missed the Newcastle game due to a knee issue he picked up against Everton but should be fit after sitting out the international break.
The Dutchman did not travel with the Netherlands team for the UEFA Nations League games against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Germany and could return to the starting line-up on Sunday.
However, Richarlison is expected to remain out for a few more weeks after picking up a knock in training before the break.
For Arsenal, their preparation for the derby has been disrupted by several injury concerns, but the biggest talking point so far has centred around Rice, who will miss the game due to suspension.
Summer signing Riccardo Calafiori and skipper Martin Odegaard also picked up injuries while on international duty with Italy and Norway, respectively.
Calafiori, who joined the club from Serie A overachievers Bologna, was hurt during Italy’s win over France when Ousmane Dembele accidentally caught him with his studs.
Odegaard also limped off in the second half of Norway’s 2-1 Nations League victory over Austria.
He appeared to turn awkwardly on his left ankle in a tough challenge with Austria midfielder Christoph Baumgartner as both chased and stretched for a loose ball.
These injuries only hand Arteta more selection headaches, considering the Spanish manager has already lost another new signing, Mikel Merino, to injury during his first training session with the Gunners.
The 2024 European Championship winner, who completed a €32.5 million to the Emirates Stadium during the transfer window, fractured his shoulder after colliding with centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes during training at London Colney.
Tottenham potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie; Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur; Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Ben Johnson; Heung-min Son.
Arsenal potential starting line-up:
(4-3-3): David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Thomas Partey, Jorginho, Kai Havertz; Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Martinelli.
