Arsenal Insider

The 197th North London Derby is upon us as Tottenham Hotspur travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal.

The Gunners have a phenomenal recent record against Spurs. They are unbeaten in their last five games and will once again be the favourites to pick up all three points.

However, Arsenal have a few big problems. They already had plenty of injury issues, but now, Gabriel Jesus is set to be out for a while after hurting his knee against Manchester United.

That complicates things for Mikel Arteta, who now has to find a different solution in attack to get the better of Tottenham on Wednesday night.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Tottenham

Arsenal’s XI vs Manchester United was nowhere near their full-strength lineup, but they were still the better side by a mile.

Against Spurs, we expect Arteta to go a lot stronger by making three changes.

David Raya is set to continue in goal and we think the same back four that started against United will get the nod once again – Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

In midfield, we expect two changes from Arteta – Declan Rice and Thomas Partey to come in to replace Jorginho and Mikel Merino.

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Martin Odegaard came under some undeserved criticism against Manchester United, but he is set to start again when Spurs come to town.

In attack, we expect Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz to keep their place in the side, but on the right flank, we think Raheem Sterling will start after his eye-catching display in the FA Cup.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Tottenham: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Martinelli, Havertz, Sterling

What happened in the last five North London Derbies?

Some Arsenal fans will make it seem like the Gunners are having a disastrous season, but it could be worse – they could be as bad as Tottenham.

Spurs are 10 places and 16 points below Arsenal in the Premier League table, and their record at the Emirates Stadium is shocking as well – just two wins in nearly 19 years.

To make things worse for Spurs, they haven’t had much luck in the last five North London Derbies either.

Arsenal have been reigning supreme over Tottenham for many years now, and their record recently has been fantastic.

Arteta will be hoping that his side can continue their good run in the North London Derbies as anything but a win would end the Premier League title race.

That is the last thing Arsenal need right now after back-to-back defeats in the two domestic cups.

Arsenal are in crisis mode after suffering a heart-breaking penalty shootout loss at home to Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.

The Gunners crashed out of England’s oldest competition after failing to defeat the Red Devils, who played for 60 minutes with ten men.

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s men sit six points adrift of league leaders Liverpool in the Premier League, and are 2-0 down at the halfway point of their EFL Cup semi-final tie against Newcastle.

To add to the list of problems, Bukayo Saka is out for several months, Gabriel Jesus suffered a serious injury against United, and the likes of Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori are also sidelined with fitness issues.

Tottenham Hotspur travel to the Emirates on Wednesday night, and given the depleted nature of Arteta’s squad, he ought to consider experimenting with an unusual ploy against Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Mikel Arteta should use Kieran Tierney on the left-wing against Tottenham

Arsenal have struggled to score goals in recent matches, with the attack failing to click as a unit.

Gabriel Martinelli has received criticism for his form, while the likes of Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz are also faltering.

Raheem Sterling divided opinion with his display against United, and thus there are no obvious solutions to the Gunners’ attacking profligacy.

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However, there is one unconventional option that Arteta should surely be contemplating trying in Wednesday’s North London Derby.

Kieran Tierney replaced Jorginho late on against Ruben Amorim’s outfit, and the Scotsman looked sharp in his short cameo.

The defender is adept at getting to the by-line and whipping in dangerous crosses and cut-backs, and in the absence of other options, Arteta should look to utilise these attributes and deploy Tierney as a left-winger.

Defensively, the former Celtic man will have the nous and awareness to support whoever is selected at left-back, while going forward his quality has been on show at the Emirates in the past.

Mauricio Pochettino used Ben Chilwell as a high-and-wide left-winger at points for Chelsea last season, and Arteta should replicate this tactic with Tierney, who possesses a similar skillset to the Englishman.

With the 27-year-old marauding down Arsenal’s left and exploiting the space vacated by the aggressive Pedro Porro, the Gunners could dismantle a fragile Spurs defence.

Tierney’s offensive statistics suggest he’s suited to a forward role

Back in Tierney’s prime days at Arsenal, he was often used as one of the most advanced outlets under Arteta.

The Scotland international delivered impressive output in this role as well, registering 11 assists between 2019 and 2021 for the North Londoners.

Completing over a key pass a game, and 0.59 crosses into the penalty area per game, it’s evident that given more freedom to remain in forward areas, Tierney could thrive.

It’s certainly far from an ideal arrangement, but Arsenal have to try something new against their bitter rivals.

Over the years, it’s not been too common for players to make the controversial switch from Arsenal to Tottenham Hotspur or vice versa.

Sol Campbell made that move back in 2001 signing for Arsenal on a free transfer, something Spurs fans still haven’t forgiven him for.

Of course, it’s very hard to argue with Campbell’s decision today, the centre-back went on to win two Premier League titles and pick up three FA Cup medals under Arsene Wenger.

Campbell was a trailblazer in that respect, there’s seldom been a player since who was brave enough to make the move across north London.

William Gallas and Emmanuel Adebayor played for Tottenham after their time at Arsenal, but even they didn’t move directly.

Arsenal fans want to save Dejan Kulusevski from Tottenham ‘mess’

That being said, after watching Liverpool batter Spurs in N17 on Sunday, a lot of Arsenal fans took to X to send a message to Mikel Arteta.

At a time when Arsenal have lost Bukayo Saka for a long period, fans thought there was an opportunity for Arteta to rescue Dejan Kulusevski from the ‘mess’ he’s part of at Tottenham.

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After watching Kulusevski’s consolation goal against Arne Slot’s side, one fan wrote: “In the summer, Kulusevski should enter Sobha Reality training centre’s doors, he’s a life long Arsenal fan.

“Spurs have no ambition, he is wasted there, someone should whisper in his ear, would be a great signing for both parties.”

In addition, there were also a lot of Arsenal supporters focusing on the fact that Kulusevski is thought to be a fan of the club, at least before he joined Spus.

Another said: “Kulusevski is an Arsenal fan. They won’t sell him to us but put a bid in. He will want out.”

As mentioned, Saka will be missing for a significant period and another supporter truly believed that Kulusevski was the right player to deputise for Saka moving forward.

They said: “The only player I’d take out of this Spurs squad is Dejan Kulusevski, so he deputises for Saka.

“And guess what? He’s an Arsenal fan!”

Dejan Kulusevski admits that he’s an Arsenal fan

Quite a few supporters referenced Kulusevki’s allegiance to Arsenal, and they’re not wrong.

Perhaps the Spurs winger has now changed his tune somewhat, but when speaking to Lundh podcast whilst he was still playing in Italy in the past, the Sweden international made his feelings towards Arsenal very clear.

He said: “My favourite team is Arsenal because I like everything about the club, the city, the players and the way they play football.”

It would surely be pretty impossible to prise Kulusevski away from Tottenham, now or in the future.

But at the same time, he’s definitely a player who would thrive in the other half of north London, one who would arguably be an upgrade on Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur share a very fierce rivalry in North London.

The two sets of fans don’t like each other, and every time there is a derby, the tensions are high. Supporters of neither club want to end up on the losing side.

Arsenal have historically been the more successful club, and they remain the better side today too. Tottenham are nowhere near the Gunners’ level.

Mikel Arteta’s side are sitting in a comfortable position now after three wins on the bounce, but things are not so rosy at Spurs right now.

Jamie O’Hara explains difference between Arsenal and Tottenham in set-pieces

Arsenal are the kings of set-pieces in both boxes in the Premier League, while Tottenham are nowhere near good enough.

The Gunners have scored more goals from set-pieces since the start of the 2023/24 season than any other club in the division, and they added two to that list against Manchester United.

Jurrien Timber and William Saliba both scored from corners to help Arsenal pick up a good win over the Red Devils at the Emirates Stadium.

On Thursday, Tottenham suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth, and they conceded a goal from a set-piece yet again.

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Spurs fan and pundit Jamie O’Hara was absolutely furious with his side, and he went on a huge rant, slating his club’s inability to defend set pieces.

The Englishman also made a great claim about Arsenal, who are snidely being compared to Stoke City and other smaller teams who were once efficient in set-plays.

O’Hara, who was absolutely raging, said on talkSPORT: “I’m sick and tired of watching Tottenham give away a set-piece and concede a set-piece. It is a joke. Every single game!

“And, I’m sick of people coming in here saying ‘Arsenal are like Wimbledon, Arsenal are like Stoke, they score a set-piece’ – Yeah, they win games! Because they are good at set-pieces.

“Tottenham are a disgrace from set-pieces! A disgrace! It’s unacceptable in the Premier League to be this bad from set-pieces.”

O’Hara is absolutely right about Arsenal

Fans of several clubs, including Tottenham, have made several snide comments about Arsenal, mocking them for their prowess in set-pieces.

Comparisons to clubs like Stoke City have emerged as well, which is just lazy analysis.

If Arsenal weren’t as good as they are in set-pieces, they would be conceding cheap goals from corners like Tottenham do so regularly. That would almost instantly rule them out of the title race.

Set-pieces are an important part of football at both ends of the pitch. The fact that Arsenal are the masters of it deserves praise, not ridicule.

O’Hara says he’s sick of people mocking Arsenal – so are we. It needs to stop!

In a Fulham shirt this season Reiss Nelson has already almost doubled the amount of Premier League minutes that he made for Arsenal last term.

At 24-years-old, Arsenal decided that it was time for Nelson to try a loan move in the Premier League, a winger who had only headed abroad previously.

Nelson had a season at TSG Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, moving back in 2018, and he also tried his hand at Feyenoord in the Eredivisie a few years later.

The Hale End Academy graduate is at something of a crossroads of his Arsenal career, Mikel Arteta will soon need to make a call similar to the one he made with Emile Smith Rowe.

But if things go well at Fulham, as they did for Nelson against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, who knows what could happen.

Reiss Nelson embarasses Tottenham with Ronaldinho skill move

A quartet of former Arsenal players including Smith Rowe, Alex Iwobi and Bernd Leno, all playing alongside Nelson, frustrated Spurs in N17, holding them to a point.

Nelson played 61 minutes before being replaced on the left-wing, and he enjoyed some excellent moments looking dangerous out wide.

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In his minutes, there was one moment in particular when Nelson seemed to pay tribute to his parent club, taking a minute to humiliate Spurs on their home soil.

The on-loan Arsenal man received a long pass out to the left wing which Nelson decided to control with his back, a skill synonymous with Ronaldinho at Barcelona.

It worked, and Nelson then chipped a dangerous ball into the box, one that Iwobi almost scored from.

A delightful moment from an Arsenal fan point of view, and a passage of play that Fulham supporters will have appreciated also.

Arsenal willing to sell Reiss Nelson for the right price

Harping back to the subject of Nelson’s future, it would seem as if the Gunners have already come to something of a decision.

Arsenal would sell Nelson for the right price, a player who Arteta’s project has somewhat moved beyond.

Marco Silva has complimented Nelson since he arrived at Fulham, and perhaps the west London club will eventually eye a permanent move.

Either way, the winger will always be a firm favourite in north London, a player with class both on and off of the pitch.

Iconic former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was able to have a huge impact on English football.

Appointed as Arsenal boss in 1996, Arsene Wenger quickly transformed the club and brought a new era of success to North London.

Wenger led the Gunners to three Premier League title triumphs, seven FA Cup successes, and was the driving force behind the move to the Emirates Stadium.

Earlier in his managerial career, though, he had enjoyed success at Monaco, where former England and Tottenham Hotspur star Glenn Hoddle was part of his squad.

Glenn Hoddle reveals impact of Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger

Hoddle, who went on to manage the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham, and the England national team after his own playing days, has now reflected upon Wenger’s influence on his career.

Speaking on Stick to Football, the 67-year-old said: “I don’t think I’d have been even thinking of management, unless for Arsene Wenger. I went to work with Arsene at Monaco and it was just so mind-blowing really, the difference of how he approached the game.”

It is clear, then, that the experience of working with Wenger had enormous ramifications for Hoddle’s life and career, spurring him on to a career in management of his own.

Hoddle is not the only coach that Wenger influenced either. Mikel Arteta, now in charge of Arsenal himself, played under the former boss in the middle of the park for the Gunners.

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Arteta has admitted that he learned lots from Wenger, and it is clear that many of the values and traditions that he instilled at the club are still upheld.

Wenger is now working for FIFA, looking to develop and improve the game of football, whilst he has also been immortalised in statue form outside the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta’s own Arsenal legacy

Arteta will now be aiming to claim his own place in Arsenal’s history and build on Wenger’s work.

The Spanish coach has made the Gunners genuine contenders for the biggest prizes in the game once again, and now needs to deliver. Arteta has vowed to Arsenal fans that he will bring silverware to the club.

The Gunners have not made a perfect start to the new campaign. However, a fixture anomaly will hand Arsenal a title race boost in December.

If Arteta can deliver the Gunners’ first Premier League crown since 2004 this season then his legacy will be assured.

As of today, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium is said to have a capacity of 60,704 – a number that is no longer meeting the club’s needs.

When Arsenal moved from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium back in 2006, it was the biggest in London.

Now, the Tottenham Hotspur stadium (62,850) and the London Stadium (62,500) have both gone beyond Arsenal’s home in N5.

Not only are Arsenal unable to house the thousands of extra fans who would be willing to attend games, but their match day revenues are also now being dwarfed by their London rivals.

As a result, The Times are reporting that Arsenal are now exploring how they can expand the Emirates.

As mentioned, there’s currently a huge ticket demand for Arsenal games, who are now struggling to meet their corporate needs as well.

Arsenal fan shares ingenious way the Emirates Stadium capacity can be increased

The report says that it’s currently ‘not clear’ how Arsenal would achieve their aim to increase the stadium’s capacity in a cost-effective manner.

Experts have suggested that Arsenal could alter their ‘gently sloping elliptical roof’, which was originally shaped to help airflow and sunlight to the pitch.

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However, one Arsenal fan seems to have something of an inside scoop which he’s just shared on X.

The fan claimed that the Emirates can’t be structurally increased, but mentioned that there was one solution that depended on the permissions of Islington Council.

“Ever wondered why we enjoy such wide seats? Replace each seat with one just an inch narrower and you could add approx 8,000+ seats.

“This is what I was told on a stadium tour in 2007 and it makes sense.

“The stadium was designed for a larger capacity, but the council limited it to 60,000 due to concerns/disputes over public transport. The wider than average seats were installed with the future in mind.”

Of course, this can’t be taken as gospel by any means, but it’s certainly an interesting insight if true.

Arsenal season ticket holders might not be happy

Fans who regularly visit Arsenal home games will appreciate that conditions are very comfortable at the Emirates.

Wide seats, a good amount of legroom and a fair bit of space in the concourse too.

Perhaps some will oppose the above plans, especially if it means that they are losing an inch off their season-ticket seat which they certainly pay a considerable price for.

But with nearly 70,000 fans in the Emirates under lights singing The Angel, it could be worth the sacrifice.

In truth, Arsenal could probably fill their stadium every week even if it had 100,000 seats, such is the wealth of support for the club right now.

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg played a number of games against Arsenal over the years.

The Dane faced the Gunners while playing for Southampton, but it’s the North London Derbies that he will remember more.

Hojbjerg, for the most part, was a regular for Spurs. He was among the first names on the team sheet before Ange Postecoglou arrived and played a big role for them.

While doing so, Hojbjerg faced many incredible players, but he has named one former Arsenal star as one of the ‘very best’ he has ever played against.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg delivers verdict on former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka

Hojbjerg hasn’t played more games against any other player than Granit Xhaka over the years.

The two players have faced each other in Germany, England and also when Switzerland and Denmark have gone up against one other.

Xhaka and Hojbjerg have had one or two feisty altercations too over the years, but it looks like both parties have a lot of mutual respect.

The former Tottenham man, ahead of facing Xhaka for the 22nd time in his career, was asked about him.

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Hojbjerg raved about Xhaka and went as far as calling the former Arsenal captain ‘one of the very best’ players he has ever faced in his career.

Hojbjerg told Blick: “Xhaka is one of the very best opponents I’ve played against.

“He has been setting the tone in the national team for more than ten years and is very important for Switzerland and Leverkusen.”

One Arsenal star has missed Granit Xhaka so much

Arsenal sold Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2023 for £21.4 million (BBC), thus bringing an end to his seven-year stay at the Emirates.

The Gunners got closer to winning the Premier League title last season than they did in the previous campaign, but everyone who watched them will agree that Arsenal really missed Xhaka.

One player, in particular, looked nothing like his usual self because of the Swiss international’s absence – Gabriel Martinelli.

The Brazilian really struggled last season and had his problems at the start of this campaign as well.

However, with Mikel Merino fit and available now, we expect Martinelli to explode and produce incredible numbers in the coming months.

Although things are now looking very rosy under Mikel Arteta’s stewardship at Arsenal right now, that wasn’t always the case after the Spaniard was first appointed in 2019.

Arsenal were in a mess after Unai Emery left the club, the relationship between the two simply hadn’t worked out.

Arteta arrived at Arsenal with no managerial experience to his name, but he already had the conviction of someone with a clear plan.

Arsenal finished eighth in the 2019/20 season, then eighth again the following year – Arteta was making very slow progress.

However, Arteta had a clear vision and the club ultimately had the patience to allow him to craft an Arsenal project completely in his image.

That being said, when first-placed Tottenham Hotspur beat 15th-placed Arsenal 2-0 back in December 2020, that good-will was well and truly tested.

Jose Mourinho spotted potential in Mikel Arteta when very few others did

With a team that included the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal were well beaten in the north London derby.

And yet when speaking after the game, Jose Mourinho, who was managing Spurs at time, seemingly saw a bright future for Arsenal under Arteta.

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Mourinho labelled his rival manager as ‘very good’ and appeared to spot all the potential brewing over at the Emirates Stadium.

Mourinho said: “It’s very very good (Spurs’ win) against a team that probably is going to be criticised because of the points and position on the table are not good.

“But I have to say – very good team, very good coach, the team with different ways to play, a team that is able to change during the game, a team that is able to build with four or five, with the centre-backs with the midfield dropping, a team with a lot of work.

“So it was a very complex game for us.”

Arsenal told they have a secret weapon in Premier League title-race

Of course, all of the foundations for Arsenal to enjoy serious success under Arteta are now in place.

There’s no doubt that Arsenal have the on-the-pitch quality to win trophies regularly, but perhaps their squad is still lacking some know-how during the ‘business end of the season’.

That being said, Ray Parlour thinks Arsenal have a secret weapon, someone who reminds him of Martin Keown from the club’s last title-winning campaign.

It’s all in place for success in N5, but Arsenal just need a bit of luck on their side on the injuries front and they perhaps also need to use the January transfer window smartly.

Tottenham Hotspur fans made a lot of noise at the start of the season, but they are still miles off Arsenal.

The rivalry between the two North London clubs has always been fierce, but it has been one-sided lately – Arsenal are unbeaten in their last five games against Spurs, having won four of them.

That is pure domination, so much so that Piers Morgan thinks Tottenham’s stadium should be renamed as Arsenal’s training ground.

Spurs do have some decent players in their squad – Darren Bent has had his say on one of them.

Darren Bent thinks Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke would’ve been a ‘hit’ at Arsenal

Dominic Solanke was on the market in the summer transfer window.

The Englishman had a fine season at Bournemouth in 2023/24. He scored 21 goals and provided five assists in what was a very impressive campaign.

Arsenal were linked with a move to sign Solanke in the summer, but Mikel Arteta decided against bringing in a new striker in the end.

Tottenham were also on the market for a new number nine, and Ange Postecoglou decided to seal a club-record £65 million deal to sign Solanke (Sky Sports).

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The England international has had a decent start at Spurs, scoring three goals and providing two assists in eight appearances so far.

Bent claimed on talkSPORT that he thinks Solanke has been a ‘hit’ at Tottenham. He also went as far as saying he would’ve been successful at Arsenal too had Edu Gaspar and Mikel Arteta signed him.

He said: “Yeah, I think he would have been a hit at Arsenal. For sure.

“Because he has got the right temperament, looks like he wants to continue improving, I have never heard any stories about him being a bad egg.

“Yeah, I think he would have been a hit at Arsenal.”

Would Solanke even start at Arsenal?

Solanke is a good player, we’re not going to dispute that.

The Englishman is tall, strong, good in the air, can hold the ball up and is a decent finisher too. His numbers last season prove that he can deliver in the Premier League.

Arsenal had a look at Solanke and decided that they are better off with what they have – Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus.

The latter is perhaps the one player Solanke would start ahead of at Arsenal – there’s no way he’s displacing either Havertz or Trossard.

The two Arsenal attackers have had a fine start to the season and have done a job for Arteta in different positions.

They are both much more reliable as well and we wouldn’t swap either of them for Solanke.