Arsenal Insider

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:

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are trapped in an eternal battle for supremacy in North London.

Fierce local rivals, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are always seeking to outdo one another.

On Sunday, the two sides shall go head-to-head in a Premier League clash. Mikel Arteta will be desperate to see his side maintain the recent dominance that they have enjoyed over their neighbours.

Arsenal have not lost against Spurs in either of the last two seasons, winning three of their derby clashes with them and drawing once.

In both of those campaigns, Arsenal also finished significantly ahead of Spurs in the Premier League table.

However, former Arsenal defender Martin Keown feels that although there is a significant gap between the two clubs, they also have more than geographic proximity in common.

Martin Keown on the gap between Arsenal and Tottenham

Speaking on talkSPORT, Keown was recently asked if the gap between Arsenal and Spurs is widening.

The man who made 449 appearances for the Gunners replied: “No, I don’t think so, there’s too much between the two teams.”

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However, he then added: “It’s been 21 years since Arsenal won the Premier League, God knows how many years it’s been since Spurs won a trophy worth picking up so they’re in similar boats. Arsenal have won copious amounts of FA Cups.”

Arteta has promised Arsenal fans that he will deliver major trophies, and he now needs to deliver on that.

On the relative strength of the two sides, Keown noted some of Spurs’ key players, who will pose a threat to Arsenal.

He stated: “Son is a player who might be the difference, they’ve got to look at Solanke coming in. I just feel that there’s Bissouma in there, Maddison, Sarr, they’ve got decent players. I think Arsenal are better, I think they’re closer to City.”

Arsenal absentees for Spurs

Whilst Arsenal will back themselves to get a positive result from this match, the fact that they are away from him presents an extra challenge, as they will face a hostile atmosphere.

On top of that, Arteta is set to be without some key players. Declan Rice is suspended, having been sent off against Brighton last time out.

Meanwhile, summer signing Mikel Merino is already injured, and Riccardo Calafiori is set to have his fitness assessed, having picked up a knock whilst on international duty.

Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has picked up a knock whilst on international duty with Italy.

Riccardo Calafiori’s fitness issue has only added to Arsenal’s injury woes.

A number of Mikel Arteta’s players are already struggling. Mikel Merino picked up an injury in his first training session in North London, before even making his debut for the club, joining Takehiro Tomiyasu on the treatment table.

Martin Odegaard is carrying a fitness issue, and on top of that, Gabriel Jesus is still working his way back from an injury.

Calafiori limped off whilst representing Italy in their recent 3-1 win over France. He has now returned to the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal have been assured Calafiori’s injury doesn’t appear overly serious, but there will still be concerns until a full assessment has been made by the club.

It would still seem unlikely that the 22-year-old will be deemed available to start against Tottenham Hotspur in Arsenal’s upcoming North London derby.

How Arsenal will cope without Riccardo Calafiori against Tottenham

Calafiori is yet to start a game for Arsenal since joining the club this summer, but there is an argument that Spurs would have been the ideal side to hand the defender his full debut against.

His aerial prowess, pace, and physicality in the left-back role will have given the Gunners additional defensive security in a game that is sure to be frenetic, against an opponent who are sure to be keen to play on the front foot.

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However, with Calafiori unlikely to be in any shape to start, Arteta must turm to his alternative left-back options, namely, Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Jakub Kiwior.

Timber started Arsenal’s recent draw against Brighton. He offers greater defensive stability than Zinchenko, but provides more attacking intent than Kiwior can offer.

Arsenal fans react to Calafiori injury news

Many Arsenal fans on X are now nervously awaiting the outcome of Calafiori’s full assessment.

One said: “I really hope that this is not a serious injury.”

Another stated: “Mixed feelings: happy he’s coming home, but nervous about those injury scans!”

One supporter added: “I hope it’s not something serious. If this guy gets injured, our season is done.”

Arsenal will take on Tottenham Hotspur in a North London derby clash next time out in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta has some major issues to address ahead of his Arsenal side taking on Spurs.

Arsenal are currently facing something of a midfield crisis. Declan Rice picked up a one-match suspension after being sent off against Brighton last time out.

Despite Gary Lineker feeling Rice was harshly punished, the fact remains that the Gunners will now be without the former West Ham United man for this derby clash.

On top of that, summer signing Mikel Merino sustained an injury in his first Arsenal training session. The Spaniard will not be fit to return to action in time to play any part against Spurs.

Finally, there are now concerns about club captain Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian picked up a knock against Brighton and his struggles have continued whilst he is on international duty.

In order to cope with at least two (and perhaps three, if Odegaard is sidelined) absences in the middle of the park against Spurs, Arteta will have to restructure his midfield unit.

Mikel Arteta could gamble on Ethan Nwaneri

Hale End academy wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri is a hugely exciting prospect. The 17-year-old already has two Premier League cameos under his belt, and impressed during pre-season.

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The North London club decided against sending the youngster out on loan, and Arteta promised Nwaneri he will play this season if he earns the right to. The manager will now have an opportunity to make good on his word by bringing the teenager in for his first ever start against Spurs.

However, it would be a risk to hand Nwaneri his full debut in such a fixture and could ultimately do more harm than good in the context of his development.

Kai Havertz may drop deeper for Arsenal

Kai Havertz has impressed up front for Arsenal so far this season. However, Leandro Trossard could deputise up front for the German against Tottenham, or Gabriel Jesus could lead the line if he recovers from his injury in time.

Arteta has stated that Havertz may take up a midfield role at times this season, and his physicality would certainly come in handy in that part of the pitch against Spurs.

Jorginho and Thomas Partey partnership

Arteta has two midfield veterans at his disposal in the shape of Thomas Partey and Jorginho. At least one of this pair is almost certain to start in the derby. However, with both Rice and Merino out of action, there is a chance that Arteta could partner up the senior duo.

However, were Jorginho and Partey both to be named in the starting XI, there would surely be concerns about the Gunners’ ability to cope with the pace of the game in midfield.

Arsenal are scheduled to face Tottenham Hotspur in the first game after the international break.

The Gunners have had a decent start to the new season, winning two and drawing one of their first three games. Spurs, on the other hand, have won just one game so far.

The first North London Derby of the season will be at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and we’re sure the home fans will do everything they can to push their side on.

Arsenal have quite a few problems going into the game, but Mikel Arteta could do something to surprise Spurs and get another one over them.

Mikel Arteta should change Jurrien Timber’s position for Tottenham vs Arsenal

Arsenal will be forced to make at least one change for the game against Tottenham.

Declan Rice is suspended for the North London Derby following his red card against Brighton and Hove Albion just before the international break.

That complicates things for Arteta as he is also without summer signing Mikel Merino, who suffered an injury in his very first training session with the club.

The Arsenal manager has a few options to choose from, but we think he should surprise everyone and give Jurrien Timber an opportunity in midfield.

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The Dutchman has been superb for Arsenal in both full-back positions, but we think he has most of the characteristics a player needs to thrive in the middle of the park.

Timber is good on the ball, excellent in tight spaces and most importantly, his positional discipline is up there with the very best at Arsenal.

Only recently, an Ajax coach who worked with Timber confirmed that he is capable of playing in midfield, which is positive news.

We really think Timber in the middle of the park alongside Thomas Partey would give Arsenal the balance they need to beat Tottenham quite convincingly.

What will Timber offer in midfield for Arsenal?

Timber hasn’t ever started a game as a midfielder in his entire senior career, but that doesn’t mean he can’t play in that position.

Arteta has already confirmed that Timber can play in midfield, and we think he checks a lot of boxes for Arsenal in the middle of the park.

The most important trait Timber possesses is calmness on the ball. He isn’t fazed even when he’s under pressure and he has the ability to get himself out of trouble if he’s closed down.

To add to that, the £38 million Dutchman understands positioning really well. He already tucks into midfield whenever he plays at left-back, and he has always looked comfortable there.

Finally, as a defender, Timber has the awareness to stop dangerous transitions – that will be key against a side like Tottenham.

We really think Timber is the right man to replace Rice against Spurs, but whether Arteta will share the same view remains to be seen.

Arsenal take on Tottenham Hotspur right after the international break, and Mikel Arteta has a few problems ahead of the game.

The North London Derby is often the biggest game of the season for Gooners, and the one coming up will be a difficult test.

That’s because Declan Rice is suspended, Mikel Merino is ruled out due to an injury and it’s still unclear whether Gabriel Jesus will make it.

To add to that, in what could be a huge blow, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has suffered an injury, and there are huge concerns over his availability for the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Arteta will need to figure out who to deploy in the number 10 role if Odegaard doesn’t recover.

Mikel Arteta should unleash Ethan Nwaneri if Martin Odegaard is ruled out of Tottenham vs Arsenal

Odegaard is one of Arsenal’s most important players.

The Norwegian is the one who often leads the press in the final third, and his work rate is up there with the very best in the entire Premier League.

To add to that, Odegaard is a magician on the ball. He is capable of unlocking any defence, and he is a goal threat too – especially against Tottenham having scored twice against them in the past.

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With the Arsenal number eight an injury doubt for the game at Spurs now, Arteta should be thinking of potential alternatives if his captain doesn’t make it.

We think Ethan Nwaneri deserves a chance.

The teenager holds the record for being the youngest player to make an appearance in the Premier League in the history of the competition.

He got plenty of chances in pre-season this summer, and Nwaneri’s performances were absolutely fantastic, even against senior pros.

The 17-year-old has been an unused substitute in each of Arsenal’s first three Premier League games this season, but we think he should be considered against Tottenham if Odegaard is unavailable.

Nwaneri could prove to be a big weapon as there’s no way Spurs will expect him to play.

Mikel Arteta’s two summer transfer decisions could seriously backfire now

Arsenal fans are all praying that Odegaard will recover in time to be available for the North London Derby.

The Norwegian is a very difficult player to replace in this Gunners side, and the two men who could’ve filled in for him are no longer at the club.

Fabio Vieira was Arsenal’s natural alternative to Odegaard, but he was sent out on loan to Porto for the remainder of this season. The other option was Emile Smith Rowe, but he was sold to Fulham.

We hope Odegaard will be fine, but if his injury is serious, Arteta and everyone else involved in transfers could end up regretting their decisions about Vieira and Smith Rowe.

Arsenal take on Tottenham Hotspur right after the international break.

The North London Derby is one of the biggest games of the season for Gooners, and even though the fixture is over a week away, the excitement is high.

Arsenal have a few problems going into the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Declan Rice is suspended and Mikel Merino is ruled out due to his injury.

Mikel Arteta has a lot to think about regarding his midfield, and GiveMeSport have made a surprising claim now ahead of the derby.

Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand could make Arsenal debut vs Tottenham

Salah-Eddine Oulad M’hand joined Arsenal’s academy from Feyenoord on a free transfer in the summer of 2020.

The young midfielder has had his ups and downs in North London, but he has always been viewed as a superb talent by everyone who has watched him.

The 21-year-old was a part of the club’s USA pre-season tour squad this summer, and Salah-Eddine blew fans away with his performances for Arsenal.

That seems to have caught Arteta’s eye, and the Gunners boss is said to be looking at Salah-Eddine as a surprise option for the North London Derby.

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The report claims that Rice and Merino’s unavailability has put the Arsenal youngster in line to make his debut against Tottenham.

Salah-Eddine was on the bench in the Gunners’ draw against Brighton, and although a start seems unlikely in the derby, the report claims he could get an opportunity off the bench.

That would be huge for Salah-Eddine.

What Mikel Arteta privately thinks about Salah-Eddine

Arteta has come under a bit of criticism recently for not giving young players opportunities in competitive first-team games.

That is not completely the Arsenal manager’s fault as it’s extremely difficult to give chances to inexperienced academy players when you’re challenging for the Premier League title.

However, against Tottenham in the derby, Arteta could make the bold decision of using young Salah-Eddine at some point in the game because of the issues in his midfield.

That’s because the report claims that the Spaniard is ‘an admirer of the fact that Oulad M’Hand has a big belief in his own ability, despite being aware that it will be difficult to make a breakthrough when Arsenal are at full strength and battling for silverware’.

The 21-year-old wants to become the next Arsenal academy talent to feature in the Premier League, and if things go to plan, he could get his wish very soon.