Ian Wright believes Arsenal are well equipped enough to cope without the injured Gabriel Magalhaes against Tottenham in Sunday’s north London derby.
The Gunners return from the international break with yet another damaging blow to cope with after their defensive linchpin limped out of Brazil’s friendly against Senegal last week.
Gabriel has been in imperious form this season, at both ends of the pitch, but Mikel Arteta’s summer recruitment drive does at least mean he is blessed with a wealth of alternative options.
Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie both offer natural left-footed replacements, while Cristhian Mosquera has excelled when he has deputised for either Gabriel or his usual defensive partner William Saliba this season.
‘Mosquera’s coming in so it’s alright,’ Wright told The Overlap when asked if we as concerned by Gabriel’s likely absence.
‘I’m not giving Spurs anything. We need a set piece this week we’ll save it for next week. I’m going 2-0.’
With Manchester City in action 24 hours earlier away against struggling Newcastle, the gap at the top of the table could well stand at one solitary point by the time Arsenal lock horns with their local rivals.
‘It’s not that I’m worried but this is what the league is about now,’ Wright said, responding to the suggestion the league leaders could buckle under the pressure with City once again breathing down their necks.
‘Everyone is saying about how great our squad is but this is when we find out what we’re about.’
Wright’s co-host Gary Neville feels a home win is on the cards but isn’t anticipating a straightforward afternoon for Arsenal.
He said: ‘I don’t think it’ll be 2-0 I think it’ll be a bit more of a scruffy game. I think it’ll be a bit messy.
‘I think 2-1 Arsenal or 3-2. It’s that type of game. But I’ll go 2-1 Arsenal. I think Tottenham will score.’
In contrast to their woeful home form, meanwhile, Tottenham have been impressive on the road under Thomas Frank.
Throw in the fact the game is taking place directly after an international break and it makes for a worrying recipe, according to Arsenal’s all-time record goalscorer Thierry Henry.
He told Betway: ‘I never used to like to come back and have a tough game after international duty. Thankfully, Arsenal are playing a team who also have a lot of international players.
‘Sometimes you play a team who stayed for the whole 10 days and they’re waiting for you.
‘It’s a north London derby, so the intensity will be there. And you’re playing against a team who hasn’t lost away from home.
‘Against Sunderland, Arsenal encountered something that they usually do to teams. They played the long ball, and it reminded me of my time in the Premier League, where you couldn’t put pressure on any team.
‘Any free kick, throw in or goal kick was in your box, and suddenly you have to win those balls, and they didn’t when Ballard and Brobbey challenged them.
‘So we will see what’s going to happen against Tottenham. I’m sure that the team is going to be ready. You don’t need anyone to tell you what to do in these games.
‘You know what time it is. You need to wake up. If you don’t know that, that means you don’t understand who you’re playing for.’
Arrow MORE: Thierry Henry fires warning to Arsenal over Premier League title race
Arrow MORE: Cole Palmer injury latest as Chelsea decide which games he will return for
Arrow MORE: Alan Smith names Mikel Arteta’s only ‘irreplaceable’ player at Arsenal