The Mirror

Arsenal are back in action on Sunday afternoon - and the game needs no introductions.

The Gunners take on fierce rivals Tottenham in the latest iteration of the North London derby. It’s been a bruising international break for Mikel Arteta ’s side though, giving the Spaniard plenty to think about.

Declan Rice is already suspended after his red card against Brighton, while Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori are all major injury doubts. That could see a host of changes to the starting line-up for Sunday’s game.

The battle lines have already been drawn ahead of the clash. Take a look at the latest headlines coming out of the Emirates Stadium.

Arteta considers Nwaneri

Mikel Arteta would have no qualms about handing Arsenal academy graduate Ethan Nwaneri a full debut vs Tottenham. The Gunners are currently going through somewhat of a crisis in midfield.

Nwaneri has made two substitute appearances for the club, one of which seeing him become the youngest player in Premier League history. Speaking about the 17-year-old, Arteta said: “A huge development, big credit to everybody working in the academy, starting with the coaches, Jack [Wilshere], Mehmet [Ali], the coaches around him, Per [Mertesacker], that have prepared the player to be in the right position now to shine and be prepared for the different context and demands he’s going to be facing right now.

“He’s been doing really well, physically he’s really mature, personally really mature, his game understanding has improved a lot. Now we let him do. He has enormous quality, a lot of talent and he needs space to shine.”

What team should Mikel Arteta name vs Spurs? Share your thoughts in the comments below

Spurs have Odegaard doubts

Tottenham have reportedly been left doubtful about the severity of Odegaard’s injury ahead of Sunday’s game. The Norwegian playmaker has been spotted on crutches during the international break.

But Spurs believe that he could make a surprise return to contention, according to The Independent. And Arteta stoked speculation after refusing to rule Odegaard out. He said: "We need some more tests. Let's see what happens in the next day or so. He is super positive about everything. Martin wants to be there every single day."

Arteta issues set piece warning

Away from team news, Arteta has also warned his side that they will have to be on their game when it comes to set pieces. The Gunners have been prolific from set pieces over recent seasons - and are aiming to do the same against Spurs.

He said: "It's a very specific phase of play but if we were only dependent on one player, then we would have a problem. We haven't built our methodology or our way of attacking or defending any phase of play in that way. So we are going to adapt to whatever players that we have and we will still be very efficient."

Arsenal have been banned from wearing their home kit for Sunday's clash with Tottenham due to a colour clash.

The ruling comes as the Premier League and referee governing body PGMOL have told the Gunners that their home kit includes too much white on the reverse of the shirt, therefore creating a clash with Spurs' traditional home colours. Arsenal will now sport their away strip for the game - rather than the red they normally wear on derby day - which will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It was reported that Mikel Arteta's side did send a request to the Premier League to wear their red shirt for the fixture. However their plea was turned down.

It has also emerged the club were warned in the summer about the potential kit clash. Nevertheless, with the kits ordered far in advance of the season, production on the new strip was well underway before the issue reared its head and Arsenal decided to press on.

While Arsenal will wear their predominantly black kit this weekend, the reverse fixture in January will see Spurs don their away strip. It will also be the first time in recent seasons either team has had to change colours for the game.

Arsenal did inform fans of the decision in a statement. The club confirmed that their offer of wearing their famed red shorts and red socks was rejected by the powers that be.

The statement said: "PGMOL and Premier League ruled that our 2024/25 home kit features too much white, thus clashing with Tottenham’s traditional colours, even with the option of red shorts and socks for us, which was also discussed.

"As a result, for the first time in recent NLD (North London Derby) history, we’ll be wearing our changed colours, with our black adidas away kit being donned at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"Our adidas away strip for this season has already got off to a winning start when we wore it for the first time in competitive action against Aston Villa last month. It has been designed to celebrate the rich and well-established connection that our club has to the African diaspora in North London and beyond."

Arsenal are looking to win their third game on the spin at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Last season saw the first game finish honours even in a 2-2 draw at the Emirates.

The reverse fixture went the way of Mikel Arteta's team, who opened up a staggering 3-0 half-time lead before eventually running out 3-2 winners. However the chances of Arsenal repeating such a win are in the balance with the club going through something of a mini injury crisis.

The Gunners will go into the game with a number of players missing. Declan Rice is suspended following his red card in the draw with Brighton, while new signing Mikel Merino has been made to wait for his debut after picking up an injury in training.

Fellow new signing Riccardo Calafiori is also absent, as is Martin Odegaard, with both players joining the casualty list during the international break.

Pedro Porro has struggled to shake the shame that plagued April's agonising north London derby defeat to Arsenal.

But Tottenham's all-action, powerhouse right-back insists Spurs are itching to finally exorcise those lingering demons today - by proving they're now a better team.

When reflecting upon the bitter 3-2 setback in which the Gunners raced into a remarkable three-goal half-time lead, Porro, who is yet to earn a taste of the bragging rights since sealing his £40million switch from Sporting, muttered two words unpromptedly: "Set-pieces."

That's because two of Arsenal's gift-wrapped goals came from corners and the Spaniard is determined to ensure there is no repeat of that horror show, stating: "We know the importance of the match on Sunday. We are different this year.

"Sometimes things happen in football that you don’t expect and that was one of those occasions. But in the second half we could have turned that match around if things had run our way.

"We're a different team now. I think you can see that in the first three matches of the season, even if results don’t always go the way they should in football. You can see that we are a stronger team this year and we hope that the result will be different this time around."

Tottenham, who splashed out £125.4million on four new summer signings, have flattered to deceive in their first three Premier League matches, collecting just four points.

However, there is arguably no better time to trade blows with their arch-rivals - without the suspended Declan Rice and injured captain Martin Odegaard - as Spurs bid to kick-start their campaign and ignite the fire within their empty bellies. Standard-setter Porro is a self-confessed warrior, who previously claimed upon arrival at Spurs: “Let me loose in a prison and I'll end up owning the place."

His infectious commitment, character, industry and desire has become a fundamental driving force behind Tottenham's quest for success under Ange Postecoglou but his admirable rise to prominence has not come without setbacks.

The 24-year-old was a surprise omission from Spain's 26-man Euro 2024-winning squad and he never spoke to Pep Guardiola, let alone trained with Manchester City, during two-and-a-half years with the club.

From an early age, Porro's mantra has been about proving people wrong and that is precisely why in many ways, he's considered the perfect fit for Tottenham. He added: "Since I was small, I've had to fight for everything. You had to be tough in my house. Often there wasn’t any food. I know others have that situation, too, but that is how it was.

"If you want something in life, you have to fight for it. The phrase about being boss of the prison was something my grandfather taught me, and that’s why I say it. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, this spirit. It’s a winning spirit, as well.

"My grandfather always had three sayings: Vista larga [long view, big picture], pasa corto [short steps to get there] and mala leche [bad milk]," - the belief that bad character could be passed down to a baby through their mother.

Porro considers these three commandments non-negotiable and if his Tottenham team-mates are willing to follow suit, there is hope they will be drinking from the bottle come the end of the season.

Arsenal are ready to make April fools of Tottenham - by inflicting further set-piece misery upon their rivals.

Five months ago, the Gunners helped themselves to two precious first-half goals against Spurs via corners and now Mikel Arteta is optimistic the absence of suspended taker Declan Rice makes them even more unpredictable from dead-balls.

He said: "It's a very specific phase of play but if we were only dependent on one player, then we would have a problem. We haven't built our methodology or our way of attacking or defending any phase of play in that way. So we are going to adapt to whatever players that we have and we will still be very efficient."

No Premier League team scored more goals than Arsenal (20) from set-plays last season while the Gunners also boasted the second sternest backline when defending dead-balls - much to the brilliance of specialist coach Nicolas Jover.

However, the brief yet untimely disruption to free-kick and corner routines almost pales into insignificance when you consider that Arsenal will also be without Rice's relentless engine and interceptions, plus indispensable captain Martin Odegaard's leadership, vision and precision following his devastating ankle injury blow.

But Arteta, who could also hand loan signing Raheem Sterling his debut, appeared to hint at two possible solutions in the form of versatile fan-favourite Kai Havertz and deadly super-sub Leandro Trossard.

The Arsenal boss, fresh from penning a new lucrative contract in midweek, said: "Kai is so important due to the consistency and performances that he's shown over the last year or so. That's what we need from our players, that's why we brought him here, to be one of the main players and be a very prolific goalscorer, regardless of what position that he plays in."

He also launched a passionate defence of frustrated forward Trossard, who wants more minutes and has the quality to hurt Spurs: "I don’t think Leo needs any injury to shine. He has earned the right, with performances and the way he has conducted himself in any scenario, to have a very important role in the team. He's a crucial player for us."

Arteta swiftly rebuffed suggestions that Arsenal were fortunate with injuries last season after also losing new signing Mikel Merino to a fractured shoulder: "I don’t know, I think it was a lot of work done in the right way. All the staff and the way we have things around the team internally gives the players the best possible resources. To have that robustness in the squad was great.

"I think we have started this season very unlucky, with some injuries that you cannot control. We will have to wait and see at the end of the season how well we have done. Certainly we will put everything that we can into being as good availability-wise as last year."

Riccardo Calafiori is also due to be assessed ahead of the north London derby after suffering a calf issue while away on international duty with Italy while Gabriel Jesus is now ready to feature.

Tottenham are reportedly sceptical about the severity of Martin Odegaard's injury despite the Arsenal star being spotted on crutches recently.

The Gunners are facing a midfield crisis heading into Sunday's North London Derby, with several key players likely to be sidelined for the big game. Declan Rice is suspended after being sent off in Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brighton last month, while Mikel Merino and Odegaard have both picked up injuries.

Merino is expected to miss around two months of action after fracturing his shoulder in his first training session at the club following his summer move from Real Sociedad, and Odegaard is being tipped for a three-week absence after sustaining an ankle injury during Norway's clash with Austria earlier this week. However, Tottenham aren't convinced by the latter prognosis.

According to The Independent, some within Spurs' ranks doubt how serious Odegaard's injury really is, suspecting he might make a surprise return in time for Sunday's showdown. Their suspicions arose after Arsenal delayed releasing information about the injury, even though scan results would have been available as early as Wednesday.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has further stoked speculation by refusing to rule Odegaard out of Sunday's game. "We need some more tests," he said to the press ahead of the derby at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"Let's see what happens in the next day or so. He is super positive about everything. Martin wants to be there every single day."

If Odegaard is sidelined, it might just pave the way for Arteta to roll out an unexpected tactical game-plan. Knowing full well the talent Tottenham's midfield holds, it's understood that Arteta is pondering a gutsy new setup for the face-off if indeed he's lighter than he'd like to be in the centre of the park.

The potential blueprint involves Arsenal sitting deep, absorbing pressure, and hitting Spurs on the counter. Typically, the Gunners have between 55 and 60 per cent of possession during matches, so giving Tottenham the lion's share of the ball would mark a notable philosophical shift for the team.

On the Tottenham front, Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven are expected to be fit for the game, though question marks hang over Yves Bissouma's head after he limped out of Mali's triumph over Eswatini this week. Speaking to the press, Ange Postecoglou said: "He [Bissouma] has got a bit of an issue, but we'll have a look at him over the next couple of days and see how it settles."

The Australian also ruled Richarlison out of contention, insisting the Brazilian striker "still has a bit of work to do" before returning to full fitness. Spurs, who are 10th in the table after winning just one of their opening three Premier League matches, will leapfrog Arsenal with a win on Sunday.

As for the Gunners, who are currently sitting in fourth place after two wins and a draw from their opening matches, a victory over Spurs would see them keep pace with, and potentially even overtake, table-toppers Manchester City and Liverpool, both of whom have 100 per cent records so far this season.

David Bentley has tipped Harry Kane for return to Tottenham in the future - highlighting chairman Daniel Levy's shrewdness in the transfer market.

Spurs icon Kane severed ties with the club in 2023 after securing a whopping £82million switch to Bayern Munich. Kane departed north London with an impressive tally of 280 goals from 450 appearances. Despite netting 44 times in 45 matches for his new employers in the Bundesliga he didn't manage to win any trophies in his debut campaign.

Kane's exit last term appeared to dash any hopes he had of surpassing Alan Shearer's Premier League record of 260 goals. At 31 years of age, and with 213 goals under his belt, he is 48 shy of the legendary mark. However, the former Spurs midfielder believes there's a chance Kane could don the Lilywhites jersey once more in the future.

Speaking to football.london, Bentley, who earned seven caps for England, conceded that Kane's potential return hinges on how successful his stint with Bayern is, reports football.london.

"You never know in football," the 40-year-old said. "Obviously Daniel [Levy] is very smart with his dealings. I think Spurs fans would welcome him back and I don't see nothing stopping that deal from happening.

"It just depends on how his time at Bayern will go. You never know, it could be a possibility, Harry's such a great professional and a good guy.

"But obviously you've seen what he's done when he's gone over there. It's unbelievable the goals he's scored and you never know if he wins a few things over the next few years, he can potentially come back and I don't see no reason why not."

Spurs have been busy in the transfer market trying to fill the void left by Kane's departure, with Dominic Solanke arriving from Bournemouth for £65m last month. The ex-Chelsea and Liverpool forward netted 19 times in the league last season and has received some sage advice from former Spurs striker Les Ferdinand.

"You haven't gone to Tottenham to be Harry Kane or anybody else other than Dominic Solanke and we know Dominic Solanke can score goals in the Premier League," Ferdinand advised. "That's what he needs to keep doing.

"All those other things put pressure that doesn't need to be there and he doesn't need to put on himself either. People will make comparisons but there's not a lot you can do.

"He's who Tottenham have said 'this is who we think can score us goals', he's got to remember that and I'm pleased. People will now say there is more pressure because there's an expectation at Tottenham as they brought him in to be the main man that scores goals."

Despite being sidelined for Spurs' last two matches due to an ankle injury, the 26-year-old is set to make his north London derby debut this Sunday (September 15).

Arsenal will make the short trip across the capital to face their fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a highly anticipated Premier League clash on Sunday afternoon. Both sides have experienced a season where frustrations have already been shown and the international break has come at the worse possible time for the visitors too.

Mikel Arteta’s side experienced their first setback of the season a fortnight ago, being held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton. Before that, the Gunners had enjoyed a strong start with victories over Wolves and Aston Villa. Now, they are keen to bounce back quickly and prove their Premier League title credentials in this early season test at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Gunners will be frustrated to have seen Martin Odegaard limp off with an injury and see photos of him after the match boarding a plane on crutches. The Arsenal captain has been instrumental for his side so far but will add to Arteta's selection headache with Declan Rice also ruled out after his dismissal against the Albion.

Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs have had a somewhat inconsistent beginning to their campaign. With four points from their first three matches, it has been a mixed bag for the North London side. They head into this derby on the back of a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle, and will be looking to regain momentum with a strong performance against their arch-rivals.

Tottenham vs Arsenal Odds

Here are the latest odds:

Tottenham - 9/4 (Unibet)

Draw - 11/4 (BetVictor)

Arsenal - 6/5 (Paddy Power)

Tottenham vs Arsenal Betting Tips

Arsenal to win and both teams to score - 13/5 (Paddy Power)

Cristian Romero to be carded - 15/8 (bet365)

Tottenham vs Arsenal Betting Offer

Claim free bets worth £30 with Sky Bet. What makes it stand out, however, is the qualifying bet. While most bookies ask for a qualifying bet of £5 or £10, you can claim your free bets for only 5p!

Just open a new account, make a qualifying bet of 5p or more and as soon as that bet is settled, you’ll get £30 in free bets credited to your account. You can then use these bets to try out everything else the site has to offer.

Full terms and conditions apply |gambleaware.org | Gamble responsibly | 18+ | UK only

Gamble responsibly

Reach plc is committed to promoting safer gambling. All of our content and recommended bets are advised to those aged 18 or over. Odds are subject to change too.

Former Spurs midfielder Adel Taarabt previously revealed that he wished he would have joined Arsenal over Tottenham.

The Moroccan joined Spurs in January 2007 when he was just 17 years old. First arriving at White Hart Lane on loan, Taarabt was eventually signed on a permanent deal soon after, however his career never took off at Tottenham.

Appearing 15 times in just under three seasons he eventually left the club to join QPR in 2009. Despite Spurs giving Taarabt a remarkable chance at such a young age, the gifted winger has spoken out about he wanted to sign for the club's arch rivals Arsenal due to their "legendary" manager Arsene Wenger.

While being complimentary of his first club in England, the 35-year-old has claimed that Spurs were not in the business of gifting young players "chances". He also maintained that Arsenal's "mentality" would have suited him better and made life easier for him.

“I signed for Tottenham, but I wanted to sign for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, the legendary Frenchman," Taarabt said in an interview with The National earlier this year. "But (Spurs director of football) Damian Comolli wanted me to go to Tottenham. He told me he was creating something. Gareth Bale arrived at the same time as me, Kyle Walker soon after - It was a good club, but not one that gave young players many chances."

Taarabt has been known as something of a maverick throughout his unsettled career. A talented player with the capability to change a game in a heartbeat, the former Benfica star has lined up for eight clubs throughout his time on the pitch but has only ever made over 50 appearances for just three of them.

Featuring for Lens, QPR, Fulham, AC Milan, Benfica, Genoa and now Al Nassr, he was once compared to Zinedine Zidane in his early days on the pitch. However, his perceived squandered talent saw him included in a Premier League XI of 'wasted potential', and he was also often sought out for his below-par attitude.

Discussing his time in the capital, Taarabt disclosed how he struggled to adapt to life in England. He also asserted that being in a dressing room full of high-profile names did little for his confidence and that Arsenal's French inspired culture would have fitted his personality better.

“London was a culture shock for me. In France, I was the next Zidane," he said. "At Spurs, I was nobody in a dressing room full of big names: Robbie Keane, [Dimitar] Berbatov, Edgar Davids.

“I didn’t feel special because I wasn’t, but I feel it would have been much easier for me at Arsenal with more of the French tradition and mentality."

Taarabt went on to reveal how he wanted to return to France after just three months at Spurs. He added: "People told me London is beautiful but it’s dark and rainy at 3.30pm in the winter. I didn’t speak English, it was hard.”

Nevertheless, despite his seeming indifference to England, he went on to claim that the best decision he ever made was joining Spurs' London rivals QPR. Taarabt was part of the R's side that won promotion to the Premier League in 2011 and ultimately made 164 appearances for the club, scoring 34 goals.

“The best decision I made," he said of his choice to sign for The Hoops. "I needed to play football, not just train. At QPR I got the love, and if you show me love then I want to give you more love."

Tottenham could be without Yves Bissouma for this Sunday's mouth-watering North London derby at home to Arsenal.

Bissouma, 28, picked up an injury during the international break, having scored the only goal of the game as Mali won 1-0 away to Eswatini on Tuesday in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. But the midfielder wasn't able to complete the full 90 minutes, as he limped off midway through the second half.

In the 65th minute, Bissouma was hit with a heavy tackle and is now a doubt to face bitter rivals Arsenal. Although the former Brighton man didn't feature in Spurs' opening match of the Premier League season - as he served a club-imposed one-match ban after filming himself inhaling nitrous oxide - he has started both games since.

Bissouma scored a stunner in last month's 4-0 thrashing of Everton before tasting defeat away to Newcastle prior to the international break. The 28-year-old may have to sit on the sidelines when Arsenal visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the Gunners have issues of their own in midfield.

Declan Rice will serve his one-match ban this weekend after controversial picking up two yellow cards in Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brighton and to add to Mikel Arteta's woes, captain Martin Odegaard is unlikely to face Spurs. The Norwegian suffered a nasty ankle injury during his country's 2-1 win against Austria on Monday.

Arteta and co are hopeful that Odegaard won't be out long-term, with Norway's team doctor issuing an update on Tuesday. "Such ankle injuries often take at least three weeks. Anything other than that is just a bonus. And then it can take longer," Ole Sand told Norwegian outlet VG.

Your turn! Who'll win the derby - Arsenal or Tottenham? Let us know your score prediction in the comments section

"What we have so far obtained from the MRI examination in London is that there is probably no fracture in the ankle." Sand added: "Regardless of the MRI images, his response to the rehabilitation in the next few weeks is the most important. It will start carefully on the bike, carefully in relation to what he can tolerate from pain. Then you take it gradually."

Arsenal are also expected to be without inured new signing Mikel Merino, as he'll miss out alongside Rice, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu. Defender Riccardo Calafiori and striker Gabriel Jesus are both set to be assessed in the lead-up to the game, with Arteta hoping to have the pair available. As for Tottenham, £65million addition Dominic Solanke is facing a race against time to be fit but the derby will come too soon for fellow striker Richarlison.

Danny Rose insists he has no ill feelings over his Tottenham exit - despite finding himself out in the cold.

The former England left-back clocked up more than 200 appearances during his 14-year spell with Spurs after his arrival from boyhood club Leeds in 2007. However, Rose was shipped out on loan to Newcastle United and found himself frozen out of the first-team picture on his return to North London before eventually joining Watford on a free transfer the following summer.

“It's football and I know how Spurs operate," Rose, 34, told the In The Zone podcast. "It happened to David Bentley, Benoit Assou-Ekoto and Vincent Janssen among others. I'd been there as a young kid and I know how Spurs treat players.

“I had a meeting with the chairman and I said I'm not leaving until my contract is finished. I knew what was coming and I knew I would be sent with the under 23s. When I said that, the chairman looked at me like he didn't know what language I was speaking as if to say they would never do that. Then on the first day of pre-season of the new season, they did that. So it wasn't a shock.

“For me, I honored my contract and that's all there is to it. I still go back to the club sometimes and I've messaged the chairman quite a few times. I've asked him for favours quite a few times. There’s no animosity from me. Three years ago, Leeds played Spurs in the last game of the season and I was sitting in the director's box there, just a row behind him.

“As I said, I've messaged him for favours over the last two or three years and he's always replied, he's always said if he can help or if he can't help. So for me, there's no issue on my side. Whenever I’m down south, I do go to Tottenham games and see some of the staff who were still there.”