Mikel Arteta could make lots of changes to the Arsenal starting lineup after another unconvincing performance
Mikel Arteta could raise a few eyebrows with his North London Derby team selection. The Arsenal boss will be determined to restore his side's lead at the top of the Premier League when he locks horns with Igor Tudor at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Gunners squandered the chance to extend their lead in the title race on Wednesday night, conceding a late equaliser to Wolves at Molineux. Arsenal could've gone seven points clear, but instead they gifted Manchester City the chance to slash their advantage to just two points.
While Pep Guardiola is in Arteta's rear-view mirror, they cannot leapfrog the Gunners this weekend. Arsenal may fancy their chances against Spurs, having had a disastrous start to the year.
However, Tudor has won his first match in charge in each of his last five spells at a club, starting with his second spell at Hajduk Split in February 2020, followed by Verona, Marseille, Lazio and Juventus since.
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The Croatian had been without a job since March 2025 before becoming the interim Tottenham boss, so he could very well catch Arteta off guard with new ideas. So, with that being said, journalists at football.london have predicted the Arsenal starting lineup.
Tom Canton
I hate this game… I know I shouldn’t but the build-up and the potential downsides for me always outweigh the potential joy. There are few things worse than losing a North London Derby from an Arsenal perspective, but if there is one thing, it’s losing the derby and simultaneously waving goodbye to your hopes of a title which would almost certainly be the case here.
This is why I think Mikel Arteta needs to pick some players who might give a bit more than we have seen of late. That means Ben White in for a struggling Jurrien Timber.
While I have toyed with Christian Norgaard for this game, I still struggle to take out Martin Zubimendi. I wish I could believe Kai Havertz is ready to come back, but I just don’t, whereas I do believe Martin Odegaard might be ready to come in.
Piero Hincapie is probably the most in form player at the moment and so he starts and I am praying Leandro Trossard is fit to play because Gabriel Martinelli and the Premier League just aren’t mixing.
Canton’s Arsenal XI vs Spurs: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard
Ryan Taylor
There's plenty of big calls for Mikel Arteta to ponder, particularly if Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz are available for selection. But I don't see the need to complicate things and believe Mikel Arteta must select the players who are sharp and ready to rumble.
There is a big call at left-back and while Arsenal are statistically a better side when Riccardo Calafiori has started in the Premier League, I think Piero Hincapie could be the man for this match as he's excellent at winning duels.
In midfield, I would give Ebere Eze the nod as his treble in November to down Spurs was spectacular, and there's just a sense he could write more history in this fixture after snubbing a switch to Tottenham last summer.
In attack, the tried and tested trio of Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, and Viktor Gyokeres is Arsenal's best on paper. The likes of Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli can all have a say from the bench if needed.
Ryan's starting lineup to face Tottenham: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice, Eze; Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres.
Jake Stokes
I wouldn't be surprised if Arteta makes a few tweaks to his starting lineup, starting with Ben White at right-back. The defender was forced to come off towards the end of the FA Cup tie against Wigan Athletic, but he only appeared to suffer a slight knock and returned to the bench for the Wolves clash.
Jurrien Timber hasn't been in great form, and I wouldn't be surprised if Arteta throws White into the deep end to mix things up a little bit. As for the midfield, I think Arteta will bring Odegaard back into the fold, playing him alongside Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi.
Speaking to reporters at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Friday afternoon, the Spaniard claimed his skipper will need to pass a late fitness test. Arteta said the same about Havertz, who, again, I think will be given at least 60 minutes or so.
Viktor Gyokeres has really struggled, and Gabriel Jesus has hardly forced his boss to make any difficult decisions. On the wings, I'd rotate and go for Saka and Trossard. Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke would be decent options off the bench, especially if Arsenal are defending a lead.
Jake's starting lineup to face Tottenham: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Trossard.