Arsenal Insider

Former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has taken aim at Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the North London Derby.

Arsenal will face off against their North London neighbours Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League clash on Sunday.

The Gunners will have big ambitions for this season. Having finished as runners up behind Manchester City in each of the last two campaigns, Mikel Arteta will be desperate to beat them to the Premier League title this time around.

However, Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions have made an ominously strong start to the new season. Such is the standard being set at the top of the table now, Arsenal can scarcely afford to slip up at all.

Whilst it is still very early in the campaign, Tottenham will be eager to dent the Gunners’ title hopes. They will also feel booted by the injury crisis that Arteta is currently contending with.

Arsenal will be without several key players against Spurs. Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, and Mikel Merino are all out of action, and there are concerns surrounding other players too.

Cesc Fabregas gives verdict on the meaning of Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal

Despite these factors, former Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas believes that it is imperative that the Gunners win on Sunday.

He has even claimed that a victory would mean more to Arsenal than it would Spurs.

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Speaking on the Planet Premier League podcast, the Spaniard said: “It’s still early, but I think it’s a bigger game for Arsenal. Arsenal need to go toe-to-toe with Manchester City to win the league this year, it’s their third year straight trying to win it properly.”

Fabregas couldn’t resist firing a jibe at Tottenham, highlighting the fact that they aren’t expected to compete for major honours, as he added: “With all due respect, and I am being serious, if Tottenham loses, or they finish fifth or sixth… It won’t be seen as such a failure as if Arsenal doesn’t manage to win the league this year, finally, because they are so close.

“For Arsenal, it’s a much bigger game.”

What losing the North London Derby would mean for Arsenal

The destiny of the Premier League title will not be decided on Sunday.

However, a defeat would certainly strike a hefty blow against Arsenal’s confidence, and considering that they are up against Manchester City in their following Premier League fixture it could be just part one of a painful double strike.

However, if the Gunners can come out of this North London Derby with a positive result, despite the hurdles they shall have to overcome, then that would give Arteta’s squad an enormous confidence boost.

Arsenal icon Perry Groves has advised Mikel Arteta about who should replace Martin Odegaard in the North London derby.

Arguably the biggest fixture in Arsenal’s calendar comes next for Arteta’s side as the Gunners head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to battle Spurs.

The North London derby is one of the most exciting fixtures that the Premier League has to offer, with all eyes set to be on N17 on match day four.

While Arteta will look forward to the thrills of the rivalry, the manager has a lot of squad issues to solve before kick-off, several of which coming in midfield.

Perry Groves says Leandro Trossard can replace Martin Odegaard v Spurs

One of Arsenal’s biggest concerns comes as a result of captain Martin Odegaard’s injury.

Odegaard could miss three weeks due to an injury he picked up on international duty during Norway’s win over Austria.

While the severity of the injury remains unclear, it looks as though Arteta will have to plan for the North London derby without Arsenal’s key creator.

It’s a huge blow for the Gunners, but isn’t something that should be too complicated for the boss to solve, as per the beliefs of club icon Perry Groves.

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Cesc Fabregas called on Leandro Trossard to replace Odegaard, an opinion that Groves shared when speaking on talkSPORT.

“Arteta needs someone in the Odegaard position who can be the orchestrator, I’d like to see Trossard in there,” Groves explained.

“I think he can play that role, I think he’s technically good enough.”

Trossard is one of Arsenal’s more technically gifted players, with a skill set that is transferable to a range of positions

As a result, the Belgian could be a contender to fill the void left by Odegaard, which could open a vacancy on the left flank.

Trossard could be Arsenal’s secret weapon

Signing Trossard for just £27m from Brighton in 2023 was a huge success for Arteta and Edu.

The Belgium international is one of Arsenal’s most reliable assets in front of goal, being the club’s third-highest goalscorer in the Premier League last term.

Trossard’s scoring record is all the more impressive considering that he secured only 18 starts last season, netting 12 goals to follow closely behind Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka in the scoring charts.

For the nimble winger’s creativity and efficiency in the final third, Groves’ opinion could be something for Arteta to consider, with Trossard certainly having a match-defining moment in his locker.

Ian Wright and Roy Keane have now given their verdict on how Sunday’s North London Derby will play out.

Arsenal will travel to take on their fierce local rivals Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

There is always a great deal of pressure and anxiety that comes with the North London Derby, such is the scale of the animosity between the two neighbouring clubs. With bragging rights on the line, it is a match that both sets of fans are desperate to win.

Mikel Arteta’s side have enjoying a recent period of dominance over Spurs. However, Sunday’s fixture now represents a major challenge for the Gunners.

Arsenal will be without many key players for this match. Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, and Mikel Merino will all be unavailable on Sunday, meaning that Arteta will have to name a makeshift midfield.

Arteta can still name a strong starting XI against Tottenham, but the Gunners’ bench will be significantly weakened, and there will certainly be a measure on unfamiliarity in the team.

Ian Wright and Roy Keane make Arsenal vs Spurs prediction

Ian Wright is concerned that these absences could be the Gunners’ undoing. The Arsenal legend has admitted that he does not expect Arteta’s side to win.

On the Stick to Football podcast, Wright and Roy Keane were tasked with working as a team to predict the result of this match.

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Speaking for the both of them, Wright said: “It is the best derby… We’re going to go 2-2.”

He then continued to explain his stance: “If we go there and get the point this week, and I’m not being negative, with what we’ve got missing I think that’s a good point.”

Are Tottenham the favourites against Arsenal?

Spurs will certainly sense a golden opportunity now exists for them to claim a win over the Gunners. However, the Arsenal defence has proven itself to be formidable. The likes of William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and David Raya will back themselves to be able to keep Tottenham at bay.

Martin Keown believes Arsenal are ahead of Tottenham, and the fact that they have finished significantly ahead of Spurs in each of the last two Premier League campaigns only serves to support that point.

The playing field has been somewhat levelled this weekend, though, due to injuries and suspension. Given these factors, the home side will fancy their chances against the Gunners this time around.

The North London derby is upon us, and Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur fans can’t wait for the game.

The Gunners have some big problems going into the derby – as many as seven Arsenal players could be unavailable for the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Declan Rice is suspended, while it is expected that Martin Odegaard will be out for a month due to the ankle injury he picked up while on international duty.

That gives Tottenham a huge chance on Sunday, and Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have revealed their predictions for the game.

Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher predict Tottenham vs Arsenal result

Arsenal have a terrific recent record against Tottenham.

The Gunners are unbeaten in each of their last four North London Derbies and have lost just one of their last seven games against Spurs.

That, combined with the fact that they are the better team and are challenging for the title, made them the favourites to win the game a few days ago.

Even Tottenham fans believe Arsenal will win despite Odegaard’s injury.

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However, Carragher and Neville both believe that Rice and Odegaard’s absence will hurt Arsenal, which is why they have predicted a 1-1 draw.

While speaking about the derby on the Stick to Football podcast, Carragher said: “I think that Tottenham will dominate the game but Arsenal’s defence will make sure they get something from the game.”

Neville added: “I just think Arsenal have got a couple of players out, big players, Declan Rice and Odegaard, probably, so I think that will harm them. They are massive players for Arsenal.”

Both Carragher and Neville then said: “1-1!”

What Arsenal need to do to beat Tottenham

When everyone is fit, Arsenal are undoubtedly the better side and are a level or two above Tottenham.

However, with Odegaard and Rice out of the game and Riccardo Calafiori a doubt following his injury, Spurs will feel confident of getting a result.

However, Tottenham’s defence is still not great, and if Arsenal can take their chances, we truly believe they can win the North London Derby again on Sunday.

It will be interesting to see the team Arteta will pick for the derby. We’re sure he will go for the win despite all the injuries.

It’s North London Derby week, and Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur fans can’t wait to see their side go up against each other.

The Gunners dropped points just before the international break. Brighton held them to a controversial 1-1 draw at the Emirates, and that’s not a great result for Mikel Arteta’s side.

Tottenham, on the other hand, have only won one of their first three games this season, and they will be desperate to get one over their fierce North London rivals on Sunday.

Jamie O’Hara is a Tottenham fan through and through, and he’ll obviously be supporting Spurs in the North London Derby. Ahead of the game, the pundit has lashed out at one Arsenal player.

Jamie O’Hara says he has zero respect for Arsenal star Ben White

Arsenal star Ben White is back in the headlines this week.

Intermin England boss Lee Carsley publicly claimed on Tuesday night that White has made it clear that he doesn’t want to be contacted to play for the England national team.

That, as you would expect, has upset a few people, and there have been a ton of opinions about the Arsenal man since.

Outspoken Tottenham fan and pundit O’Hara seems absolutely furious with the fact that White has decided against playing for England.

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He has now had a go at the former Brighton man and publicly claimed that he has zero respect for him because of his decision.

O’Hara said on talkSPORT (10th September 2024, 11:15 pm): “He doesn’t want to play for England, who cares?! If you don’t want to represent your nation, then fine. No problem. But don’t expect any respect from anyone.

“He doesn’t want to play for his country. I respect it (his decision), I don’t respect him. He is entitled to do what he wants, but I don’t respect him. How can you not want to play for your country? It’s the highest pinnacle of your career.

“If you love the game and you love football, everything about it is. Can I play for England? It has been in the past (his ambition to play for England). As a footballer, that is part and parcel of your career, being away from your family, as Lee Carsley said, he hardly sees his family, but he understands the glory and satisfaction you get from walking out with your country.

“He plays for Arsenal. Everyone else is on international duty. He is going into an empty training camp or he goes away and has four days with your family. You can do that for 20 years after you retire.

“I don’t respect that he doesn’t want to represent his nation. He is a top football player – it is a big story and a big talking point.”

People should just leave Ben White alone

The reaction to White making a personal decision is just ridiculous.

Firstly, nobody really knows what is going on with the player and why he has made this decision. To add to that, the Arsenal star is well within his right to do what he thinks is best for him.

O’Hara, who has a grand total of zero England caps, was never in a position where he had to choose between representing the senior national team or deciding against it.

So, we feel the Spurs-supporting pundit should stop worrying about White, and we’re 100 per cent sure that the Arsenal number four will not lose a second’s sleep because O’Hara doesn’t respect him.

All that should matter to White on the football front is what his manager and Arsenal fans think about him – they all love him!

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has sent a message to Spurs icon Harry Kane ahead of the North London derby.

The Gunners travel across North London to face their rivals in the Premier League on match day four.

Mikel Arteta’s side will be eager to maintain their form at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, having won two consecutive league games at the ground.

While Arsenal are eyeing redemption following their controversial draw against Brighton, Arteta will be travelling to N17 light due to a series of expected absences.

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice sends message to Harry Kane

One notable absence from Arsenal’s squad against Spurs is Declan Rice, who will sit the game out due to suspension.

The midfielder was shown a red card against Brighton in incredibly controversial circumstances, seeing him pick up a one-game ban for two yellow card offences.

Rice will be devastated to miss such a significant fixture in Arsenal’s season as he prepares to sit a week out following the international break.

The 25-year-old was in action for England against both Ireland and Finland, where after the latest victory, he sent a message to North London derby icon, Harry Kane.

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Rice took to Instagram to send three words to Kane, as the striker secured his 100th cap for England, scoring twice on the night against Finland.

The Arsenal star said, “100 caps. Unbelievable” to the Bayern Munich talisman, who is not a figure anyone associated with the Gunners wants to see any time soon.

It’s a remarkable achievement for Kane, whose brace during the international break only reinforces how fortunate Arsenal are to no longer have to come up against the striker in North London derby’s.

Harry Kane’s record against Arsenal

Seeing Kane leave Spurs for Bayern last summer was a sight to behold for those at the Emirates, not only due to the fact that the enemy was weakened.

While the North London derby will forever be an anxiety-fuelling fixture, the edge is taken off slightly by the absence of the former Tottenham talisman.

No player has scored more goals in North London derby’s than Kane, who netted 14 goals against Arsenal in the fixture, surpassing Emmanuel Adebayor’s record of 10.

Moving to Germany didn’t spare Arsenal of Kane’s clinical streak, as the 31-year-old scored against Arteta’s side for Bayern Munich in last term’s Champions League quarter final.

With 15 goals and 2 assists in 21 games against Arsenal, the Gunners will be overjoyed to no longer have to plan for the derby with Spurs’ record goalscorer in mind.

Despite being on the road, Arsenal were desperate to wear their red home kit for the upcoming North London Derby.

The two sides of North London will clash on Sunday, as Tottenham Hotspur will host Arsenal.

There is no love lost between these two local rivals, and this Premier League fixture is sure to be a feisty affair.

Martin Keown believes Arsenal are better than Spurs, but Mikel Arteta still faces some enormous challenges heading into this clash.

The Gunners will be missing serval key players when they take to the pitch on Sunday. Declan Rice is suspended for this match, and Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard are set to be sidelined with injuries.

Arteta will have to reconfigure his midfield to cope with these absences. This could mean Jorginho getting his first minutes of the new Premier League season, or even Hale End academy wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri being handed his full debut if he is named in the starting XI.

If Nwaneri is picked to play though, he won’t be given an opportunity to wear the famous red and white of Arsenal.

Arsenal forced into kit change vs Tottenham Hotspur

Despite Arsenal wanting to wear their home kit for the game, they have now been told in no uncertain terms that they are not allowed to do so.

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Journalist Charles Watts, reporting on X, has explained the situation: “Arsenal being forced by the Premier League and PGMOL to play in the black away kit on Sunday at Spurs.

“Arsenal wanted to play in red but the kit was deemed to ‘feature too much white’ so there were fears it would clash with Spurs’ kit.”

In a week that has included plenty of bad news for Arsenal, as Riccardo Calafiori also picked up a knock on international duty, this will feel like another kick to the teeth.

The kit Arsenal will wear in the North London Derby

Instead of their home strip, the Gunners shall now don their black away kit for this fixture.

This strip also features a shock of white around the shoulders, albeit it is less prevalent that on the home shirt.

The design on Arsenal’s away shirt is intended to honours the club’s connection with Africa, and celebrates the African players and supporters who have represented the Gunners. This kit was a hit with Arsenal fans.

Arsenal are set to travel to face Tottenham Hotspur in an important North London Derby, and they are already facing several problems.

Mikel Arteta may have a potential crisis on his hands, as captain Martin Odegaard picked up a worrying injury during the International break, and could miss the fixture, whilst new signing Mikel Merino is also absent from the midfield.

Declan Rice is suspended following his controversial red card against Brighton, leaving Arsenal dangerously short in midfield, and fans were furious at the decision to send him off from referee Chris Kavanagh.

Arsenal fans may expect further refereeing controversies against Tottenham, as it has now been confirmed that familiar faces will be officiating the crunch fixture between the two bitter rivals.

Who is the referee and VAR for Tottenham vs Arsenal North London Derby?

The Premier League have now confirmed that Jarred Gillett will be the referee for Tottenham vs Arsenal, with Stuart Attwell on VAR.

This is somewhat surprising, given that Gillett was the referee for Arsenal’s opening day victory over Wolves, and is already officiating another Arsenal match just five games into the season.

Although Arsenal won, Gillett frustrated fans with several decisions over fouls, with Wolves lucky to escape at least one red card as Yerson Mosquera engaged in physical altercations with Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.

Attwell was also the referee for a dramatic defeat to Newcastle last season which saw Arteta slam refereeing standards after the game.

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Both Gillett and Attwell have given controversial decisions against Arteta’s team separately, but this is the first time the pair will officiate an Arsenal match together since January 2022, which saw the Gunners lose in controversial circumstances.

Jarred Gillett and Stuart Attwell officiated Arsenal defeat to Manchester City in 2022

On January 1st 2022, Arsenal put in one of their most impressive performances under Arteta leading up to that point, at home to Manchester City, but came away frustrated after a 2-1 defeat.

Attwell was the referee that day, with Gillett on VAR, and both were involved in controversy. Martin Odegaard was denied a penalty after he appeared to be fouled by Ederson in the area, before Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal the lead.

The refereeing team then gave Man City a very soft penalty after they claimed that Granit Xhaka had fouled Bernardo Silva, before Gabriel Magalhaes was sent off for two yellow cards, one of which was contentious.

Fans were furious as most decisions appeared to go Man City’s way before Rodri scored a last-minute winner, and assistant coach Albert Stuivenberg expressed his frustration at Attwell and Gillett after.

“It is a penalty but I am looking for consistency,” Stuivenberg stated over the Odegaard penalty claim.

“We have VAR in place so why not check yourself as a referee? That did not happen so it is disappointing.”

Both officials will now pair up for Arsenal’s trip to face Spurs, and fans will hope for a different result this time.

Arsenal have a huge clash against Tottenham Hotspur coming up, and Mikel Arteta has a number of problems.

The North London Derby is always a big game, but after the Gunners dropped points against Brighton and Hove Albion before the international break, the margin for error is small.

Arsenal will want to go to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and get all three points, just like they did in each of the last two seasons.

However, Arteta could be without as many as seven players for the derby on Sunday.

Seven Arsenal stars could be ruled out of Tottenham clash

Arteta will not be a happy man going into the North London Derby.

A full-strength Arsenal side would’ve been the favourites to beat Tottenham, but there are several big names who could be unavailable for the game.

Some of them have already been ruled out, while others are big doubts.

Declan Rice will definitely not play because he’s suspended, while Mikel Merino is out with an injury and isn’t expected back until October.

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To add to that, Takehiro Tomiyasu is also injured, as is Kieran Tierney, who is still in the Arsenal squad.

The three who are doubts and could miss the game are Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Jesus and of course, Martin Odegaard.

Calafiori returned early from international duty after a calf injury, while Jesus stayed back at London Colney to recover from the issue he picked up earlier in the season.

Odegaard is being assessed by Norway and Arsenal’s medical teams after the Arsenal captain suffered a nasty ankle injury on Monday night.

Do Tottenham have injuries ahead of the Arsenal game?

Arsenal have been hit hard with injuries and Rice’s suspension just before one of the biggest games of the season, and that is a huge blow.

Tottenham fans still think Arsenal will beat them, but their chances of getting a win will increase considerably if all seven of Arteta’s men mentioned above are ruled out.

Spurs’ injury luck looks much better than Arsenal’s.

Richarlison is the only player who is ruled out of the North London Derby, while although Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke have knocks too, they are expected to be available (Football London).

An almost fully-fit squad at home against a weakened Arsenal side may just give Tottenham an edge, but the Gunners should still back themselves to get all three points because they are the better side.

Arsenal star Martin Odegaard has suffered an injury ahead of the game against Tottenham Hotspur.

The first North London Derby of the season is scheduled to take place on Sunday, and it is a huge game for both clubs.

Spurs haven’t had a great start to the season, winning just one of their first three games. Arsenal dropped points in their last fixture and are desperate to avoid a repeat of that.

That makes the derby a really exciting one, but Arsenal have suffered a huge blow – Martin Odegaard injured his ankle while on international duty.

The Norwegian’s availability for the game against Spurs is now doubtful, and that should give Tottenham a boost considering that Declan Rice and Mikel Merino are also ruled out.

However, fans of Ange Postecoglou’s side are all saying something surprising on social media.

Tottenham fans react after Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard gets injured

Arsenal fans are now really worried about the North London Derby. Losing Rice due to suspension was bad enough, but the thought of Odegaard being ruled out is just frightening.

You’d imagine that Tottenham fans would be backing their side to win the game now, but many on social media surprisingly seem convinced that their side will actually lose.

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Reacting to the news about Odegaard’s injury, one Spurs fan said: “The rest of Arsenal’s players will play out their socks to beat us.”

Another tweeted: “Gabriel header, Saka counter-attack goal, then they play the dirtiest low block with six defenders and two DMs. It ends 1-2.”

“We’ll still find a way to mess it up, don’t worry,” wrote another Spurs fan.

Another Tottenham supporter tweeted: “Means nothing, they’ll still beat us!”

Arsenal have three options to replace Odegaard if he’s ruled out

Odegaard is one of the first names on Mikel Arteta’s team sheet, and if he’s unavailable, Arsenal will be significantly weaker.

The Gunners boss will have to find a way to replace the Norway international, but the two most natural alternatives are no longer at the club – Emile Smith Rowe was sold to Fulham and Fabio Vieira has been loaned out to Porto.

That leaves Arsenal with very few options in that number 10 role – we think there are only three players Arteta can use there for the North London Derby: