Spurs entered the international break after a narrow 2-1 loss to Newcastle, while Arsenal's unbeaten start came to an end in a controversial 1-1 draw with Brighton. The defeat at St. James' Park marked another chapter in Tottenham's struggles there, though they’ve been narrowing the scoreline each year—from a 6-1 drubbing in 2022-23, to 4-0 last season, and now a 2-1 loss this campaign.
Newcastle's goals from Harvey Barnes and Alexander Isak, along with a Dan Burn own goal, handed Tottenham their first defeat of the season. Despite controlling much of the game, Spurs paid the price for not finishing their chances—a familiar story for the team this season.
After a commanding 4-0 victory over Everton appeared to put an end to their shaky start, where a wasteful draw against Leicester City left them wanting more, Tottenham's lack of clinical finishing remains a concern.
Currently sitting in 10th place, Tottenham is looking to break a win-loss pattern at home that has persisted since April. They won their first home game this season against Everton, but based on their recent form, they could be in for another tough match. However, facing Arsenal might come at just the right moment for Spurs.
Arsenal, on the other hand, felt the sting of a controversial decision during their draw with Brighton. When Joel Veltman fouled Declan Rice, most fans expected the Brighton defender to be penalized. Instead, it was Rice who was shockingly sent off after receiving a second yellow for a minor infraction. This allowed Brighton to equalize through Joao Pedro after Kai Havertz had given Arsenal the lead with a beautiful lob in the first half.
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal were left frustrated by the refereeing, but despite this setback, they sit in fourth place, just two points behind Manchester City and Liverpool. The Gunners did have one positive this week—Arteta signed a new contract, solidifying his future at the club.
While Arsenal has enjoyed wins at Spurs in both 2023 and 2024, they have never managed three consecutive away victories against their North London rivals in the Premier League era, and they’ll travel to Tottenham without their preferred midfield lineup.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Tottenham’s attack against Newcastle struggled without their two main strikers, Dominic Solanke and Richarlison. While Richarlison is confirmed to miss the next match, there's hope that Solanke will be available for the North London derby.The international break brought concern over Yves Bissouma, who picked up a heavy knock, but manager Ange Postecoglou is optimistic that Micky van de Ven’s knee issue will clear up in time for the weekend.
If Bissouma isn’t fit, Rodrigo Bentancur could be called on to anchor Tottenham’s midfield, though he's facing a possible suspension for his controversial comments about South Koreans. Meanwhile, Son Heung-min will be looking to score his ninth goal against Arsenal—a feat only three other players have surpassed in North London derby history.
Tottenham’s midfield worries pale in comparison to Arsenal's injury troubles. Along with Declan Rice’s suspension and Mikel Merino’s shoulder injury, captain Martin Odegaard sprained his ankle while playing for Norway and is expected to be out for at least three weeks, despite Arteta hinting otherwise.
Odegaard’s absence may push Arteta to drop Kai Havertz into a midfield role alongside Jorginho. Up front, if Gabriel Jesus isn’t fully recovered from his groin injury, Leandro Trossard or Raheem Sterling—who could make his Arsenal debut—may lead the attack. Jesus has returned to training, but his availability remains uncertain.
Adding to Arsenal's woes, Kieran Tierney (hamstring) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) are both out, and Riccardo Calafiori injured his calf while on Italy duty, though he wasn’t expected to make his Premier League debut just yet.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Solanke
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Havertz, Partey, Jorginho; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
EXPERT PREDICTION
Tottenham 2-2 Arsenal
While Arteta’s side may still find opportunities to exploit Tottenham’s defensive weaknesses, it’s hard to imagine them coming away with a win given their current injury crisis. This weekend, North London looks set to belong to Spurs.
