Consecutive losses to Burnley and Chelsea have knocked Tottenham out of the title race and into the top four race. If they lose this match to Arsenal they will fall from poll position in the race for the Champions League. North London derbies are always tense, but both teams have a lot of stake to make this one even more so.
Spurs are trying to avoid falling out of pole position, while Arsenal are trying to get there. Chelsea’s infighting and the Gunners uptick in form give them a chance for Champions League football. An unexpected win at Wembley would make them favourites for one of the top four positions. Not that there wasn’t already plenty of incentive for winning this match, but there is a lot on the line here.
Team News
Spurs will be without Eric Dier and Dele Alli through injury, while Jan Vertonghen is a doubt for the match with a hip injury, according to Physioroom.com.
Arsenal are missing Rob Holding, Danny Welbeck and Hector Bellerin through long term injuries. Laurent Koscielny is also a doubt with a knock, according to Physioroom.com.
Key Players
Tottenham: Harry Kane
Kane’s goalscoring ability is crucial to Tottenham’s success, even if they have lost their last two matches since he came back. He has a fantastic record against Arsenal and will be keen to get back to the top of the Premier League scoring charts. The Gunners leaky defence will be a great chance for him to climb those charts and to help Spurs climb back up the table.
Arsenal: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Kane is Spurs’ lethal weapon up top, but Arsenal have one of their own in Aubameyang. The striker bagged his 16th goal of the season on Wednesday against Bournemouth and looks to be in position to round back into form with Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan back in the team. Arsenal’s best bet to win this is in a shootout and Aubameyang firing will be their best chance to score enough goals to win.
Prediction
Tottenham have struggled as of late, but they should be confident going into this match. The Gunners are an awful away team, losing their last away match 1-0 to BATE Borisav. Spurs have enough firepower to overcome Arsenal’s attack and walk away with all three points.
Prediction: 3-1 Tottenham
