The north London derby is always a huge game but Tottenham Hotspur hosting Arsenal this Sunday is absolutely massive.
Hopes of relegation survival and title dreams are both on the line. When did we ever think we’d say that about this fixture?
WATCH — Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal
But we are, as Spurs are hovering just above the relegation zone as Thomas Frank was fired after a run of just two wins from their last 17 Premier League games. Igor Tudor has come in as interim manager and by the time Spurs kick off on Sunday they could be just two points above the drop zone. With injuries galore, a severe lack of belief and pressure mounting, this derby game could be the making of Spurs. Or, it could be the moment things get even worse in their dreadful domestic season.
On the other side of north London Arsenal are starting to crack under the pressure of the title race as Mikel Arteta’s side have won just two of their last seven Premier League games. They somehow coughed up a 2-0 lead away at bottom club Wolves on Wednesday to draw 2-2. That means their lead atop the table could be cut to one point by the time they kick off on Sunday.
For live updates and highlights throughout Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal, check out PST’s live blog coverage below.
How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 11:30am ET Sunday (February 22)
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — North London
TV Channel: USA
Streaming: Watch on USA Network
Tottenham Hotspur team news, focus
There are so many injuries for new manager Igor Tudor to contend with as James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Ben Davies, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Bergvall, Wilson Odobert, Kevin Danso, Pedro Porro, Richarlison and Destiny Udogie all remain out. Add in captain and star center back Cristian Romero being suspended and this is an almighty mess. But Spurs have shown signs of getting things back together in recent weeks with Dominic Solanke’s return from injury giving them a focal point up top. If Spurs can dig in and frustrate Arsenal, they’ve shown they can be dangerous from set pieces and hit teams on the counter. Tudor’s tactics are all about pressing high and going man-for-man across the pitch. Let’s see how quickly Spurs’ players can grasp that.
Arsenal team news, focus
Arteta has some big decisions to make in his lineup as Bukayo Saka could go back out to the right wing to start after being deployed in a central role, while Gabriel Jesus could come in up top to start after Viktor Gyokeres had another poor game against Wolves on Wednesday. Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino remain out while captain Martin Odegaard is battling to be fit. Arteta needs Arsenal to stop making silly defensive errors late in games and hold their nerve. That is easier said than done given what is on the line and their recent history.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal prediction