Metro.co.uk

Former Tottenham star Sandro has backed Micky van de Ven to lock down and ‘control’ Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres in Sunday’s north London derby.

Arsenal head into tomorrow’s showdown top of the Premier League with Thomas Frank’s side eight points adrift in fifth place. Spurs have not beaten their arch-rivals since May 2022, losing their last three derbies on the bounce.

Tottenham remain heavily hit by injuries but do have their fearsome partnership at the heart of defence back in place with van de Ven and Cristian Romero set to start at the Emirates.

Van de Ven in particular has been in exquisite form this season, chipping in with six goals in all competitions.

Arsenal meanwhile will hope to have Gyokeres available after a recent injury to do battle with the Spurs duo with former Premier League star Sandro relishing the physical battle.

Sandro is a big admirer of Gyokeres, declaring him a ‘fighter’ who will be able to give as good as he gets against Romero. He is also confident that despite the knock he picked up earlier this month, the Sweden international will be fit for the derby clash.

But up against the lightning quick van de Ven, the Brazilian believes there will only be one winner.

‘Sandro, speaking to Metro via Eskil Raknes at Kongebonus said: ‘Gyokeres will be fit for this game. Gyokeres is a player that works very, very hard for the team. I saw him here in Portugal and he can run! He can run, he will give everything for the team.

‘But I think Romero is an intelligent defender, he’s strong and he’s a winner. Van de Ven is fast enough to control him, fast enough to control him in the deep.

‘Gyokeres is a fighter. He will fight with Romero all game long, you’re going to see that. They will be 100% fighting throughout this match, because I see two players that want to fight. Romero will be there to fight for everything. Every single ball, he’s going to throw his head in. Gyokeres will also push Romero, I’m so excited to watch them battle.

‘This could be a very important game for us to change our momentum. If we can win this game, it could be a game changer for the period ahead.’

Arsenal were on a run of 10 straight victories conceding just one goal before dropping points at Sunderland prior to the international break.

While the Gunners will be desperate to secure a win to maintain their lead at the top, Sandro expects his old side to spring a surprise.

‘When you talk about Arsenal and Tottenham, I just want Tottenham to win, 100% of the time,’ he said.

‘But to try to guess is very tough because Arsenal are doing a good job at the moment. Arsenal are in good shape but I think Spurs will win 1-0.’

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Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood has surprisingly claimed that one Spurs star is ‘never going to be outstanding’ in a damning assessment of Thomas Frank’s team.

Tottenham are currently preparing for one of the biggest games of their season – the North London Derby against Arsenal on Sunday.

The Gunners are top of the table and have lost just one game so far this campaign while Spurs are a credible fifth, but fans are yet to warm to manager Frank.

While results have improved since the Dane replaced Ange Postecoglou over the summer, the style of play and performances, especially in home games, has been criticised.

One bright spot has been the form of Mohammed Kudus, a £56million summer signing from West Ham, who has recorded one goal and five assists in 10 league games.

But surprisingly, Sherwood, who managed the Lilywhites from 2013 to 2014, has been critical of Frank’s side and says that the attacking midfielder, while good, is an exceptional talent.

‘They’ve got the likes of Kudus who’s been refreshing,’ Sherwood told Sky Sports. ‘He’s picked up a few injuries but when he’s played he’s been a plus.

‘He’s not been outstanding but I don’t think he’s ever going to be outstanding. He’s not consistent enough to be that man. But he has moments and hopefully he can have a moment at the weekend.

‘They’re all similar the wide [players]. I wasn’t convinced when they brought Xavi Simons in because I felt he was similar to [Wilson] Odobert, who is similar to [Mathys] Tel, whose similar to what they’ve already got.

‘Kudus has come in, I thought he was quite similar but he’s got a little bit more personality. I think he takes the game to the opposition a little bit more and he’s got more end product.’

Kudus has missed Tottenham’s last two games through injury and did not play for Ghana during the international break, but has recovered in time to feature in the North London Derby.

While fans are still cold on Frank, Sherwood says the manager must be given time to succeed but says failure to qualify for the Champions League or win silverware would be disastrous.

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‘I haven’t been really impressed with Tottenham, even though their position in the league is fine at the moment,’ the Premier League winning captain added.

‘They’ve had Europa League success, they’ve had the open top bus, they’ve tasted it. If they were to finish outside the Champions League and didn’t win a domestic trophy, it would be a failure.

‘They’ve already lost the biggest game of the season [so far] which was the Newcastle game in the Carabao Cup. That was a huge game of football, they had to win that.

So, they’re up against it to have a successful season because the only thing that Tottenham fans will see as success is to finish in the Champions League. Europa League will not tick the box for them.’

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Paul Merson thinks that Manchester United are better off when their £74million star isn’t in the team, suggesting the player is too predictable.

United host Everton at Old Trafford on Monday night as they look to extend their unbeaten run to six games and climb into the Premier League topfour.

Almost all of Ruben Amorim’s summer signings have hit the ground running, with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens vital to the recent turnaround in form.

Benjamin Sesko has been the exception to the rule however, with striker scoring just two goals in 12 appearances since his big money move from RB Leipzig.

Moreover, Amorim does not appear to fully trust the 22-year-old yet, benching him for the big clashes at Liverpool and Tottenham, with the team arguably performing better in his absence.

Sesko will miss Monday’s match after picking up a knee injury during the 2-2 draw at Spurs two weeks ago, with Amorim set to be without a senior, natural No.9 for the next few weeks.

But Arsenal legend Merson thinks this could actually benefit United, telling Sportskeeda: ‘Benjamin Sesko being ruled out does not help Everton because they would rather play against him.

‘If Sesko played, Everton know what they are up against and how to mark him. When it’s Matheus Cunha playing that false-nine role, it’s entirely different.

‘One second you’re looking at Cunha and the next thing you know it’s Bryan Mbeumo also working in tandem with him. With Sesko, United can only play one way and that would have been easier to deal with.’

Cunha is expected to once again fill in at centre-forward with either Amad Diallo or Mason Mount to take the Brazilian’s place in attacking midfield.

Alternatively, Amorim does have teenage striker Chido Obi Martin at his disposal, though he is yet to play in the first-team this season, as well as forward Joshua Zirkzee who has played just 82 minutes in the Premier League.

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In any case, Merson believes the Red Devils will extend their good run, tipping them to beat the Toffees 2-0: ‘Manchester United are slowly starting to find some rhythm.

‘I say that carefully because we wouldn’t have said this about them last season or the one before that. United have been quite bad in terms of stitching together a run of results, but there is a bit of hope now.

‘I said Manchester United won’t beat [Nottingham] Forest even though they were flying at the time. That draw was disappointing but I expect them to make amends with a win this weekend.’

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Mikel Arteta hopes to have Viktor Gyokeres available for Arsenal’s north London derby showdown with Tottenham this weekend.

The Sweden international went off at half-time against Burnley at the start of the month with what was reported to be a hamstring issue.

He missed subsequent games against Slavia Prague and Sunderland and was not involved in Sweden’s World Cup qualifying matches during the international break.

With Kai Havertz suffering a setback in his bid to return from a knee injury, Mikel Merino has once again deputised up top for the Gunners.

Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke have also been injury absentees with Gabriel Jesus working his way back from a long-term layoff.

Speaking on Friday ahead of the derby, Arteta was giving little away as to whether that injured contingent including Gyokeres will be available but hopes the hard work put in during the international break will pay off.

‘We put a lot of energy in the international break with the medical staff to try to bring them back as quickly as possible,’ Arteta said.

‘Tomorrow we have another training session to see how they are feeling, if this game is too close or they can have a contribution in the game.”

Gabriel Magalhaes injury latest

Gabriel Magalhaes was the biggest casualty of the international break, limping out of Brazil’s victory over Senegal at the Emirates last Saturday.

The Brazil international is facing at least a month on the sidelines with a thigh injury, immediately ruling him out of the visit of Thomas Frank’s side and a huge Champions League clash with Bayern Munich midweek.

‘Gabi unfortunately picked up an injury with the Brazilian national team and is going to be out for weeks,’ Arteta said.

‘We need to have another scan, I think it is next Wednesday. We will have a time that is much more clear than at the moment.’

‘It’s clearly a blow., It’s our leader in our backline. To miss him is never a positive thing. The good thing is we have some very good options. They need to stand up now.’

Will Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori be fit for Spurs?

There was also concern for Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber during the international break. Calafiori missed Italy’s games against Moldova and Norway with a hip issue while Timber suffered a cut on his knee following a heavy challenge playing for Netherlands.

Timber was able to carry on before being replaced midway through the second-half.

Calafiori however has not trained since returning to the capital and is a doubt for Sunday.

‘Yeah he wasn’t available, he’s been carrying a few things and we had to bring him back,’ Arteta said.

‘He hasn’t trained yet, we have a session tomorrow so we will see.’

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Alan Shearer has delivered his latest Premier League predictions with the north London derby looming large this weekend.

League leaders Arsenal host Tottenham at the Emirates on Sunday with Mikel Arteta’s side hoping to extend their lead at the top.

Manchester City will be waiting for any slip-ups – but Pep Guardiola’s side have their own big test at St James’ Park against Newcastle United.

Liverpool welcome Nottingham Forest to Anfield while Manchester United and Everton close out the action on Monday night at Old Trafford.

As ever, England legend and Betfair ambassador Alan Shearer has revealed his Premier League predictions to Metro.

Burnley vs Chelsea

Burnley will feel as if they can take advantage of the early kick-off because they’re at home. We know Turf Moor is a tough place to go but I’d still think that Chelsea may just edge it.

Chelsea are unbeaten in their last four and Maresca will be looking to carry that on – which I think they will do.

Prediction: Chelsea win.

Bournemouth vs West Ham

Two great wins for West Ham which will give them hope and confidence but I don’t see them going to Bournemouth and getting anything. They’ll feel they can and it’s a good game for them but I think Bournemouth will have too much at home.

Bournemouth have to get back to winning ways. They had a great start to the season and were flying. It’s a big game for Bournemouth and I think they’ll get back to winning ways.

Prediction: Bournemouth win.

Brighton vs Brentford

Brighton are very difficult to predict. Brentford have got a couple of good results recently and Keith Andrews will be delighted with how they’re going but I’ll go for a home win.

No one would’ve expected Igor Thiago to be scoring like he is,and you have to give great credit to how well Brentford are run with the fact they can sell Wissa and Mbuemo for huge money and they had someone waiting to come in. They’re already ahead of the ball and Thiago has had a brilliant start. He’s awkward and looks tough to play against and you know you’ve been in a game when you’ve played against him.

Prediction: Brighton win.

Fulham vs Sunderland

Sunderland can keep their form going. They’re making it tough for teams, have a system that’s working for them and Xhaka is doing a great job in protecting the defence. Fulham need to get results rather quickly. This one is really tough to predict. I’ll go for draw.

Fulham are already there in a relegation fight and it becomes a huge issue if they’re beaten this weekend. That would really set them up for long and tough season and you could start to feel the pressure mount.

Prediction: Draw.

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest

I watched Liverpool in the Champions League and they were unbelievable, then they go to Man City and were really poor. Difficult to call here but they’ll think this is a great opportunity to get their season up and running. They’ve a great chance being at home after the international break. I’ll go for a Liverpool win. It’s a great chance for them to get back to winning ways.

Nottingham Forest will sit and try to frustrate, then they have the players to hit you on the break with pace and that’s what gave them a lot of success last year. Sean going there will realise and know that so they’ll try to make it very hard and frustrating for Liverpool.

Prediction: Liverpool win.

Wolves vs Crystal Palace

I think we’ll see something from Wolves. Whether we’ll see enough is a bigger question. I understand why Rob Edwards wanted to go back given his ties with the club but it’s a huge gamble from him with the position Boro are in. I don’t see it being a good start for him. Wolves may already be planning to go down, to then come back up again. As tough as that would be. I’ll go for an away win.

Prediction: Crystal Palace win.

Newcastle vs Man City

It’s a big game and a tough one to call but with the form Haaland is in, how can you go against them? If Newcastle can stop him, which is a huge if, then they win the game I guess. Not many can stop him but St James’ will be rocking and they’ll not allow another weak performance. I know you sometimes get a leggy performance after the international break but I don’t think the fans or Eddie Howe will allow that. I’ll go for a draw.

Prediction: Draw.

Leeds vs Aston Villa

Leeds aren’t scoring many goals. I know they’re at home with the crowd roaring them on but I think it’ll be a long, hard season for them. I’ve not seen anything to suggest it won’t be. Aston Villa will have too much, particularly in forward areas so I’ll go for an away win.

Leeds can’t afford a battering. The one thing you don’t need is a team coming to your ground and beating you up. Leeds just have to show fight on their own turf that says ‘we know we may go down but if we do, we’ll go down with a fight.’

Prediction: Aston Villa win.

Arsenal vs Tottenham

Man City will have already played and claimed their points, or none. But whatever happens, Arsenal’s mentality is that they have to win the game. It’s always tough to predict a derby game but I think I’m just going to go for Arsenal to edge it. I usually go for a draw but I think I’ll just go for Arsenal to edge it.

From 17th last season to where they are now, the football hasn’t been great from Spurs, but you can see a stamp from Thomas Frank on that team. They’ve improved at set-pieces and I think it’ll take time. I think Thomas Frank will be quietly pleased with how things have gone so far.

Prediction: Arsenal win.

Man United v Everton

Man United are on a good run and the comeback against Spurs suggests they’re all in it together and have the bit between their teeth. It’ll be tough because Everton will frustrate them. But with Cunha and Mbuemo, they have two players who ask a lot of the opposition. For that reason I’ll go for a home win.

Prediction: Man United win.

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Ian Wright believes Arsenal are well equipped enough to cope without the injured Gabriel Magalhaes against Tottenham in Sunday’s north London derby.

The Gunners return from the international break with yet another damaging blow to cope with after their defensive linchpin limped out of Brazil’s friendly against Senegal last week.

Gabriel has been in imperious form this season, at both ends of the pitch, but Mikel Arteta’s summer recruitment drive does at least mean he is blessed with a wealth of alternative options.

Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie both offer natural left-footed replacements, while Cristhian Mosquera has excelled when he has deputised for either Gabriel or his usual defensive partner William Saliba this season.

‘Mosquera’s coming in so it’s alright,’ Wright told The Overlap when asked if we as concerned by Gabriel’s likely absence.

‘I’m not giving Spurs anything. We need a set piece this week we’ll save it for next week. I’m going 2-0.’

With Manchester City in action 24 hours earlier away against struggling Newcastle, the gap at the top of the table could well stand at one solitary point by the time Arsenal lock horns with their local rivals.

‘It’s not that I’m worried but this is what the league is about now,’ Wright said, responding to the suggestion the league leaders could buckle under the pressure with City once again breathing down their necks.

‘Everyone is saying about how great our squad is but this is when we find out what we’re about.’

Wright’s co-host Gary Neville feels a home win is on the cards but isn’t anticipating a straightforward afternoon for Arsenal.

He said: ‘I don’t think it’ll be 2-0 I think it’ll be a bit more of a scruffy game. I think it’ll be a bit messy.

‘I think 2-1 Arsenal or 3-2. It’s that type of game. But I’ll go 2-1 Arsenal. I think Tottenham will score.’

In contrast to their woeful home form, meanwhile, Tottenham have been impressive on the road under Thomas Frank.

Throw in the fact the game is taking place directly after an international break and it makes for a worrying recipe, according to Arsenal’s all-time record goalscorer Thierry Henry.

He told Betway: ‘I never used to like to come back and have a tough game after international duty. Thankfully, Arsenal are playing a team who also have a lot of international players.

‘Sometimes you play a team who stayed for the whole 10 days and they’re waiting for you.

‘It’s a north London derby, so the intensity will be there. And you’re playing against a team who hasn’t lost away from home.

‘Against Sunderland, Arsenal encountered something that they usually do to teams. They played the long ball, and it reminded me of my time in the Premier League, where you couldn’t put pressure on any team.

‘Any free kick, throw in or goal kick was in your box, and suddenly you have to win those balls, and they didn’t when Ballard and Brobbey challenged them.

‘So we will see what’s going to happen against Tottenham. I’m sure that the team is going to be ready. You don’t need anyone to tell you what to do in these games.

‘You know what time it is. You need to wake up. If you don’t know that, that means you don’t understand who you’re playing for.’

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Arsenal and Tottenham collide in the first north London derby of the season at the Emirates this weekend.

The Gunners sit top of the pile after the final international break of 2025, four points clear of second place Manchester City with Spurs eight behind their arch-rivals in fifth place.

Mikel Arteta’s side went eight games without conceding a single goal before shipping two at Sunderland last time out with the Arsenal boss now facing an even bigger problem at the back.

Gabriel Magalhaes limped out of Brazil’s friendly match against Senegal last weekend, immediately making him a doubt for the derby.

It has since been confirmed he has suffered a muscle injury in his right thigh that is expected to rule the centre-half out for at least a month.

It serves as a huge blow at both ends of the pitch for Arsenal with the Brazilian a huge set piece threat, chipping in with two goals and three assists this term.

Cristhian Mosquera will be in the frame to come in and replace him. The summer signing from Villarreal shone in the first-team when called upon to replace William Saliba earlier in the campaign with Piero Hincapié also an option.

Arsenal were also left sweating on the fitness of Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber during the international break. Calafiori missed Italy’s games against Moldova and Norway while Timber took a whack on the knee playing for Netherlands.

Arteta will provide an update on the trio when he speaks to the press this week with the fitness of Viktor Gyokeres another issue to address. The Sweden international was forced off against Burnley at the start of November, missing games against Slavia Prague and Sunderland.

Before the international break, Arteta said the club was still waiting to learn the full extent of the issue with no further updates on the striker.

Injuries have been a problem for Arsenal throughout the season with Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke missing since early October and late September respectively. Speaking before the break, Arteta was hopeful of having them back for the derby, along with Gabriel Martinelli who has been recovering from a hamstring injury.

But Kai Havertz appears to have suffered a setback in his bid to a return from a knee problem that required surgery in August.

‘Kai had a minor relapse on his injury, but overall, he’s doing well,’ Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann said this week. ‘He is expected to return towards the end of the year.’

Tottenham have injury problems of their own. Dominic Solanke, Randal Kolo Muani, Archie Gray, Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma remain sidelined with James Maddison still a long-term absentee.

Lucas Bergvall missed his side’s last two games due to concussion protocols but joined up with the Sweden squad and was expected to be available for the trip to the Emirates.

But the midfielder left the camp early, handing Spurs a fresh concern.

Pape Matar Sarr was another casualty during the international break, forced off playing for Senegal against Brazil at the Emirates. He remained in London for treatment with Thomas Frank set to provide an update on him and others this week.

Arsenal XI to face Tottenham – Metro prediction

With Gabriel missing out, Mosquera has proved he is ready to slot in when called upon. Further updates from Arteta are expected on Friday but he will hope to have his skipper Odegaard available again.

Tottenham XI to face Arsenal – Metro prediction

Muani’s absence is another blow with Richarlison now Tottenham’s sole option up top until Solanke returns to fitness.

Arsenal vs Tottenham TV channel and kick-off time

Arsenal vs Tottenham takes place on Sunday 23 November with kick-off scheduled for 4:30pm.

You can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event with streaming also available through the Sky Go app and NOW TV for subscribers.

Or you can follow all the action with Metro’s LIVE blog.

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Manchester United have reportedly learned the extent of the injury to Benjamin Sesko’s which he picked up prior to the international break.

Sesko, a £64million signing from RB Leipzig during the summer transfer window, was forced off in the closing stages against Tottenham after picking up what appeared to be a knee injury.

‘We have to check, he had something in his knee. We have to see,’ he also said.

‘Because it’s the knee we never know [how serious the injury is]. We need Ben to be a better team.’

Speaking shortly after the game, Ruben Amorim insisted that ‘you never know’ with a knee injury and said the 22-year-old would undergo further assessment by the club’s medical team.

Sesko did not join up with the Slovenian team over the international break, sparking fears that the injury could potentially be more serious than initially feared.

However, Sky Sports now reports that the striker has avoided a major injury and is expected to be out for no more than a month.

What games will Benjamin Sesko miss for Man Utd?

The reported timeframe for Sesko’s recovery would certainly rule the striker out of United’s upcoming fixtures with Everton, Crystal Palace and West Ham.

After that, United travel to face Wolves on Monday, December 8, before they host Bournemouth the following Monday at Old Trafford on December 15.

The Red Devils then enter the busy festive period with games against Aston Villa, Newcastle and Wolves over a nine-day period.

Sesko has scored twice in seven starting appearances for United, on target against Brentford and Sunderland in back-to-back games before the October international break.

But the summer signing has also been benched by Amorim in key games, with the United boss preferring to have Matheus Cunha leading the line with two of Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Mason Mount flanking the Brazilian.

And some of Sesko’s performances have caused Alan Shearer to suggest that United might have ‘paid to much’ for the former Leipzig striker.

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‘One player that must do better for United is Benjamin Sesko,’ Shearer recently told Betfair.

‘They paid 70 odd million for him. That was a lot of money, I know it’s the market but it was too much. He’s had a tough start and I don’t expect huge things from him to be honest.

‘I think he’s a good player but I’m not sure he’s any more than that. He should have scored a couple more goals than he has so far.

‘It’s been a tough start for him, especially considering the money United paid.’

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Arsenal legend Martin Keown admits he is concerned for his former club ahead of this weekend’s north London derby but predicts they will be boosted by the surprise return to fitness of a key player.

The Gunners have made an outstanding start to the new campaign but may well have seen their lead to the top cut to just a single point by the time they face their local rivals.

Mikel Arteta’s men dropped two valuable points prior to the international break after conceding a stoppage time equaliser in a 2-2 draw against Sunderland.

Manchester City capitalised on that slip by dismantling Liverpool and laying down something of a marker and with Pep Guardiola’s men in action away against struggling Newcastle on Saturday evening, the pressure will firmly be on Arsenal come kick-off.

Arteta had been hoping to welcome back a clutch of key attacking players for the game against Tottenham but his mood over the break will doubtless have been spoiled by the sight of defensive linchpin Gabriel limping off against Senegal last weekend.

Gabriel went down just before the hour mark on Saturday afternoon and received treatment before being substituted.

Brazil issued an update on the Gunners centre-back on Sunday, confirming he would now return to the Premier League leaders for further treatment.

‘Gabriel Magalhaes will not travel with the team for the game against Tunisia. The defender left the field yesterday after feeling pain in the adductor muscle of his right thigh,’ a statement on the Brazilian Football Confederation website read.

‘Arsenal player Gabriel Magalhaes was re-evaluated this Sunday (November 16) and underwent imaging tests that revealed a muscle injury in his right thigh.

‘Therefore, the player will not travel with the team to the match against Tunisia in Lille. No other player will be called up to replace him.’

Keown, however, is confident the 27-year-old will have made a miraculous recovery, telling talkSPORT: ‘It’s not ideal but I think Gabriel might make it and if he does I think Arsenal deserve that little bit of luck.’

He added: ‘It’s not about any one player this year and injuries, it’s about the collecitve group.

‘If someone else is injured Mosquera will have to come in and do a magnificent job because Gabriel and Saliba are a the best partnership in Europe, never mind in the building.’

Regardless of Arsenal’s defensive line-up, Keown fears Spurs will provide obdurate opposition and has been impressed by the way they have performed away from home under Thomas Frank.

He said: ‘What concerns me this weekend is Spurs’ away form. Spurs at home it’s like two different entities.

‘At home it’s like one win in five and I think they’ve won four out of five away from home. Their manager is very good at slowing things down, just quietening the crowd and the keeper just puts his foot on the ball.

‘I’ve had a little look this week to see what they do away from home and they do it really well. Arsenal are going to have go in and press high and look to dominate the game.’

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Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has aimed a dig at Tottenham and has made a claim over the north London derby on November 23.

The Gunners, who sit at the top of the Premier League table, hosts their rivals at Emirates next week following the November international break.

Spurs are hoping to get back to winning ways after losing to Chelsea and a draw with Manchester United in their last two top-flight games.

Thomas Frank’s side are fifth in the top-flight and are set to be boosted by the return of Mohammed Kudus against Arsenal.

Spurs may be without Pape Matar Sarr, though, who picked up a knock on international duty.

Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz are ‘pushing to be fit’ for Arsenal – but Gabriel Magalhaes is unlikely to be available after suffering an injury in Brazil’s game against Senegal.

Henry has claimed that the north London derby will be ‘interesting’ as he told Sky Sports: ‘We (Arsenal) are doing okay – but Spurs haven’t lost away from home yet.

‘So its going to be an interesting one. I will be there.’

Henry couldn’t resist a dig at Arsenal’s rivals after attending the fight between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the weekend.

Quizzed about being in enemy territory, he told DAZN: ‘Weird. I never came to the new stadium, I used to come to the old one and win a lot, but it’s nice.’

Henry makes Premier League title prediction

Despite the recent 2-2 draw with promoted side Sunderland, Henry believes that Arsenal will clinch their first top-flight title since 2004 this season.

‘As a fan, I’m going to have to go with Arsenal,’ Henry added. ‘I do think we look solid.

‘A bit less against Sunderland the other day, but it’s time for us. Hopefully, it can happen.

‘I think the difference so far [this season] is how solid we have been. Rightly so, you have to mention the guys at the back.

‘It’s the way the team defends. If you don’t defend well as a unit, you are going to be exposed and concede goals.

‘Unfortunately for us, we conceded two [against Sunderland] – it didn’t happen for a while.

‘But everyone believes this can be the year. Hopefully I’m not going to jinx it. I just hope for Mikel [Arteta], for the team, for the fans that we can finally win a title again.’

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