Metro.co.uk

Richarlison may have given a hint that Dominic Solanke will be lining up for Tottenham against Arsenal on Sunday through an Instagram comment.

Spurs host the north London derby this weekend and Solanke is hoping to return from an ankle injury that has slowed down his start to life at the club.

The £65m summer signing from Bournemouth made his debut against Leicester on the opening day of the season but has not been seen since,

However, the England international looks set to return in the huge game on Sunday and Richarlison has even made a prediction for him.

Solanke wrote on Instagram on his 27th birthday on Saturday: ‘Thank you Lord for another year. Thanks for all the love and messages.’

In reply, the Brazilian forward tipped Son Heung-min to provide an assist for Solanke on his return to the team, posting: ‘Sonny will give you a gift tomorrow bro.’

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou gave an update on Solanke’s fitness at his pre-match press conference on Friday, but while he confirmed Micky van de Ven was ready to return from injury, he wasn’t quite so clear on the striker.

‘Micky’s good, he’s trained all the way through the international break and it was good for him to stay with us to build him back up so he’s ready to go,’ said the Australian.

‘Dom’s improved as well and trained the back half of this week. We still have two days to go with those guys so hopefully they get through training ok and are available.’

Postecoglou also had a doubt over midfielder Yves Bissouma, who returned from the international break with a minor injury.

‘Everyone’s reporting all well except for Biss,’ Postecoglou said on Friday. ‘He’s 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.

‘It’s not serious, but he’s getting treatment today. We’ll see how it goes.’

Richarlison is the only other injury problem for Spurs, with the Brazilian sidelined due to an unspecified injury picked up in training.

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Rafael van der Vaart is backing his old side Tottenham to do a job on an injury-hit Arsenal in today’s north London derby.

After winning their opening two games of the new Premier League season, the Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw with Brighton on a wild afternoon at the Emirates where Declan Rice was given a controversial red card.

The England international misses the derby as a result, along with Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard who was helped off the pitch with an ankle injury while playing for Norway during the international break.

Mikel Arteta is also without the services of new signing Mikel Merino, who suffered a fractured shoulder in his very first training session with the club that is likely to keep him sidelined until October.

Those setbacks have ravaged the club’s midfield option with Thomas Partey, who has played every minute of the season so far, the last man standing. Jorginho is expected to come into the side this afternoon with Arteta facing a dilemma over who to bring in to join the pair in the middle of the park.

Van der Vaart spent just two years at Tottenham between 2010 and 2012. But his derby day exploits made him a cult hero among Spurs fans, scoring four times in his three starts against the Gunners – registering a goal and two assists in their famous 3-2 fightback at the Emirates in 2010.

With Arsenal missing the ‘heartbeat of their team’ in Odegaard, the Dutchman is backing his old side to get the victory.

‘For Tottenham it is great news,’ van der Vaart told Metro.co.uk.

‘Odegaard is the heartbeat. How he has developed the last few years, it is fantastic. Also he has the right coach for that. But Tottenham now have a big chance with the whole midfield gone, the heartbeat is gone. If they were ever to have a chance, it is now.

‘They’ve started the season well, they have played nice football, have good players and they are difficult to beat. It will be a nice season for Tottenham, that is my feeling.

‘I am going for a Tottenham win. It will be a good day for them. They are strong at the minute, especially in midfield where Arsenal are missing all those players. My feeling is they win.’

Van der Vaart gives verdict on Dominic Solanke transfer

Tottenham will hope to have Dominic Solanke fit and ready having suffered an ankle injury against Leicester City in their opening game of the season.

The England striker, who scored 21 times for Bournemouth last season, made the move to the capital in a £65million deal – an ‘unbelievable’ fee for a player van der Vaart believes will struggle to justify that price tag.

‘I have a lot of problems with the money these days especially in England,’ he said. ‘For really, really normal players, you guys pay 50, 60 million pounds. It is unbelievable.

‘So when I see a transfer for that money, I already think it is unwise. Because I don’t believe Solanke gets 40 goals. For that money that is what you should be looking for. It is too much for a normal player.

‘Players in England playing for smaller teams going to bigger teams for crazy money is not wise. But it is what happens and we have to wait and see how they perform.

‘I also know Dominic when he played for Vitesse [on loan from Chelsea during the 2015-16 season]. I thought “ok, good player but nothing special”.

He did well in England and of course naturally the next step is somewhere like Tottenham. But not for that amount of money.’

Rafael van der Vaart was speaking on behalf of BetMGM. Play the new £1million Golden Goals game this season by predicting Premier League scores at https://www.betmgm.co.uk. BeGambleAware 18+

Mikel Arteta has some huge selections to make when Arsenal take on Tottenham in the north London derby this afternoon.

Declan Rice misses out after his red card against Brighton and Arteta’s problems only got worse during the international break.

New signing Mikel Merino is also unavailable after the Spain international injured in his very first training session with the club after a collision with Gabriel Magalhaes.

Merino has suffered a fractured shoulder with Arsenal expecting him to be unavailable until after the next international break in mid-October.

There was more misery for Arsenal with club captain Odegaard forced off during Norway’s clash with Austria on Monday night.

Early indications were the skipper has suffered a sprained ankle after leaving the pitch in agony. While reports have suggested Odegaard is facing three weeks out, Arteta refused to rule the midfielder out of this afternoon’s showdown at the Totttenham Hotspur Stadium.

It leaves the Arsenal manager with the midfield options of Thomas Partey and Jorginho. With numbers desperately short, Arteta may consider dropping Kai Havertz back into a midfield role, moving Jurrien Timber further up the pitch, or even hand a role to 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri.

Raheem Sterling is pushing to make his debut with a week of training with his new side under his belt. Gabriel Martinelli has struggled to make an impact so far this season with Leandro Trossard’s best work to date coming off the bench.

Arteta has been eager for his deadline day signing to get involved ‘as soon as possible’ and will hope he can have some role to play this weekend.

Arsenal have been without injured duo Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney for the start of the season with Gabriel Jesus joining the absentee list, missing the games against Aston Villa and Brighton with a groin injury.

There was good news on Jesus on Friday with Arteta confirming the forward is back in training and ‘if everything goes well, will be in the squad today.

The Gunners boss was also left sweating during the international break with Riccardo Calafiori involved in a nasty collision with France’s Ousmane Dembele on Friday.

The Italy international was being assessed over the weekend but is in contention to make the squad today.

Tottenham meanwhile received a double boost this week with both Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke available today.

The Netherlands international started the first two games of the season but missed the defeat at Newcastle United after being deemed ‘not quite 100 per cent’ by Ange Postecoglou, missing Nations League games as a result.

The Spurs boss insisted the knock was ‘nothing serious’, a precautionary measure perhaps given the packed fixture list over the next few weeks.

Solanke suffered an ankle injury on his debut against Leicester City has seen him miss the last two games. Poestecoglou however did suggest his £65million signing was close to being fit for the Newcastle game and will have a role to play this afternoon.

There was concern for Yves Bissouma after he picked up a knock playing for Mali during the international break but Ange Postecoglou hopeful he can recover in time.

‘We had the last of the boys in late yesterday so we’ll have a look at them today and everyone’s reporting all well except for Biss,’ the Spurs boss said on Friday.

‘He’s 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.’

Richarlison meanwhile remains sidelined.

Predicted Tottenham XI to face Arsenal

Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie, Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison, Kulusevski, Solanke, Son

Predicted Arsenal XI to face Tottenham

Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel. Timber, Jorginho, Partey, Havertz, Saka, Trossard, Sterling

Where to watch Man Utd vs Liverpool? Kick-off time and TV channel

Tottenham vs Arsenal kicks off at 2pm on Sunday 15 September.

Live coverage is available on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event, with a live stream available on Sky Go.

Arsenal have been forced to wear their black away kit for the north London derby against Tottenham on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta’s side would typically play in their red home kit in their away game against Spurs.

However, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) and the Premier League deem there to be too much white on Arsenal’s home shirt, which would cause a potential clash with Spurs’ home strip.

Therefore, Arsenal have been ordered to play in their black away kit, which made its successful debut in the 2-0 win against Aston Villa last month.

When asked about the enforced change, Arteta said: ‘It’s not ideal.

‘We wanted to play with our home kit and colours but we will adapt. We did it against Villa and we won. Hopefully it will bring good luck as well.’

‘This season’s north London derbies will have a similar feel to them with the usual excitement and passion, however they will have a different look than seasons gone by,’ a statement from Arsenal read.

‘That’s because both teams will be wearing their away strips in the fixtures this campaign, after the 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’ history, we’ll be wearing our changed colours, with our black adidas away kit being donned at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium where we’ll aim to clinch a third-straight victory at the venue.

‘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.

‘Designed in collaboration with adidas and distinguished British African heritage brand, Labrum London, it celebrates our players and supporters of African heritage, who are an instrumental part of our club.

‘The decision by the PGMOL and Premier League will also mean Tottenham will wear different colours when they visit Emirates Stadium in January.’

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Ange Postecoglou has warned his Tottenham players against thinking that Arsenal are a weakened team for the north London derby.

Mikel Arteta will be without Declan Rice due to suspension, while Martin Odegaard is a major doubt after suffering an ankle injury whilst on international duty with Norway this week.

Arsenal have made a positive start to the new campaign with two wins and a draw in their opening three games, while Spurs are looking to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat away to Newcastle before the international break.

Spurs host Arsenal in the first north London derby of the season on Sunday but Postecoglou has dismissed suggestions that Arteta’s side will be less of a threat without Rice and Odegaard.

‘God, that’s a hell of a trap to fall into, if you think they [Arsenal] are reliant on two players,’ Postecoglou said.

‘Two important players, but we were missing key players last year as well and we still managed to give significant performances.

‘A team like Arsenal have been very, very consistent over the last two years and can fill whatever gaps they have. They have quality in their squad. The key for us is to focus on our performance.

‘When we’ve played well, and we certainly have played well in the first three games, if we are] a little more clear-headed in both boxes, we’re a match for any team. That’s what we’ve got to think about at the weekend.

‘If we go in there thinking they’re somehow weakened, we’re going to get punished.

‘f we go into it thinking they’re going to be very strong, which I think they will be, then we’ve got to be at our best. We know, at our best and playing the football that we can, we can match them.’

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Rafael van der Vaart believes Arsenal have a ‘special player’ on their hands in Jurrien Timber, but has urged Mikel Arteta not to throw the Dutchman into a midfield role against Tottenham.

Timber joined the Gunners from Ajax last summer but saw his first season in England derailed by a an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered on his Premier League debut.

The Netherlands star is now fully recovered from that setback and has earned a place in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI, slotting in at left-back having started in his side’s last two games against Aston Villa and Brighton.

Arsenal take on Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday with the club reeling from a series of huge setbacks that have ravaged their options in midfield.

Martin Odegaard will miss the derby after suffering an ankle injury on international duty with Norway this week with Declan Rice suspended after his controversial red card against Brighton last time out.

Mikel Merino, a summer signing from Real Sociedad, is also unavailable after suffering a fractured shoulder in his first training session in the club.

It leaves Arteta with the options of Thomas Partey and Jorginho in the middle of the park, with Kai Havertz now thriving in his role further up the pitch.

Arteta suggested last month he could utilise Timber in a midfield role this season, an option the Arsenal boss could ponder ahead of Sunday’s trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

While van der Vaart sees Timber becoming a key player in the side capable of playing in a number of roles, he is not convinced now is the time to push him further up the pitch.

Van der Vaart told Metro.co.uk: ‘I think he [Timber] can play everywhere. He played in a midfield role for Ajax in the youth teams, on the right and left. That’s the good thing about having him because you can put him in so many different positions on the pitch.

‘He is a great, great player. It was such a pity he got injured but now is the time Arsenal fans and England will see how good he is. He is so annoying to play against, he is quick, good with the ball, good without it, he is not that tall but he can jump like hell, he is a really special player.’

But asked if he could be a midfield solution against his former club Spurs,van der Vaart said: ‘I don’t think so. He has started the season well but he hasn’t played there in a long, long time.’

Timber featured for Netherlands in games against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany during the international break, joined by his twin brother Quinten as the pair became the first Dutch brothers to share the pitch since Frank and Ronald de Boer in 2003.

The Feyenoord midfielder is another of Dutch football’s rising stars with van der Vaart believing he will soon be snapped up by a Premier League side.

‘His brother plays for Feyenoord and came on for Netherlands. Quinten is more of a midfielder but they are both so strong on the ball, like little pit bulls. I would advise him to move to the Premier League. You would be spending tour money wisely.’

Rafael van der Vaart was speaking on behalf of BetMGM. Play the new £1million Golden Goals game this season by predicting Premier League scores at https://www.betmgm.co.uk. BeGambleAware 18+

Mikel Arteta has hinted he is prepared to thrust Ethan Nwaneri into the heat of Sunday’s north London derby battle against Tottenham.

The teenager became the Premier League’s youngest ever player when he made his senior debut as a late substitute against Brentford nearly two years ago.

Nwaneri has continued his progression in Arsenal’s youth teams and earlier this year ended speculation over his future by signing a new long-term contract, despite Chelsea and Manchester City attempting to prise him from north London.

The 17-year-old impressed during Arsenal’s pre-season tour of America in the summer and is set to become a fully fledged part of Arteta’s first team squad.

Injuries to Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino, allied to Declan Rice’s suspension, mean the Arsenal boss is without three key midfielders for Sunday’s showdown but he suggested he would have little hesitation offering a chance to Nwaneri.

‘We have to adapt to [changes in the team], throughout the season we’re going to have these kind of situations,’ when asked if Nwaneri was likely to feature.

‘It happened very early, since the second game because when you look at the bench that we had against Brighton, it’s very different to the one that we probably would have expected.

‘It’s the situation that we have, we have to face it, use the opportunities – the young kids have given us a lot of hope and right reasons as well to count on them, and we need to do it for sure.’

Arsenal let the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira, two natural replacements for Odegaard, go in the summer but Arteta insists he has no regrets and is content with the size of squad he has to choose from.

‘It can be bigger, yes, but we have certain limitations that we know about,’ he said. ‘We have to do certain things, certain transactions and certain players have been with us for a long time and they needed a new challenge in their career.

‘We have signed a few players, it’s been a bit different to the previous years, but I’m really happy with the quality of the squad. There are certain things that we cannot control and what happened in the last two weeks is extremely unlucky.

‘We have to face it, but hopefully during the season it will be very different.’

Tottenham are set to have Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke fit for Sunday’s north London derby with Arsenal after they missed the defeat at Newcastle before the international break.

A late call will be made on Yves Bissouma after he sustained an issue while away with Mali on national team duty.

‘Micky’s good, he’s trained all the way through the international break and it was good for him to stay with us to build him back up so he’s ready to go,’ Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou told the official club website.

‘Dom’s improved as well and trained the back half of this week. We still have two days to go with those guys so hopefully they get through training OK and are available.’

On Bissouma, Postecoglou revealed: ‘He’s 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.’

Arsenal, by contrast, have several fitness concerns ahead of a tough trip to the home of their fiercest rivals.

Summer signing Mikel Merino sustained a serious shoulder injury during his first training session with his new club which will rule him out until late October at least.

Declan Rice, meanwhile, was controversially sent off against Brighton a fortnight ago and will serve a one-game suspension as a result against Spurs.

Arteta’s options looked likely to be further restricted following the setbacks sustained by Odegaard and Calafiori on international duty.

The Arsenal boss will,however, be hoping that Gabriel Jesus has recovered from a groin injury, while deadline day loan signing Raheem Sterling is eligible to make his debut.

The international break is over and the Premier League is back with a bang this weekend with a blockbuster north London derby to look forward to on Sunday.

The Gunners will be without several key players including the suspended Declan Rice and injured captain Martin Odegaard so a trip to their feircest rivals could not have come at a worse time for Mikel Arteta.

Elsewhere, nothing but a win is likely to do for Erik ten Hag who takes his Manchester United side to struggling Southampton.

As ever, Betfair ambassador Alan Shearer previews the action for Metro.co.uk.

Southampton v Man United

This is a huge game for both sides. Southampton have to start picking up points, especially now Leicester don’t look to be getting deducted any points.

Southampton have been struggling to put the ball in the back of the net and finishing the chances they’ve created, so when they do get them, they have to start taking them. That’s where they have to improve massively

I think Man United have been bang average so far this season, which is why there’s a lot of talk around Ten Hag, so this is a huge game for both clubs and could have huge ramifications going forward.

There’ll be so much noise if Man United don’t win this game, particularly with the start to the season Southampton have had too. If Man United were to go there and fail to win, or even worse, be beaten, then the noise around the job and everything else at the club would rank up a notch or three. I’ll go for a draw.

Brighton v Ipswich

The point against Fulham last time out should give Ipswich great confidence but they’re coming up against a Brighton team here that look really good and full of confidence.

The manager has them playing some great stuff and I’d be surprised if Ipswich get anything from this game. I’ll go for a Brighton win.

Crystal Palace v Leicester

Everything eventually feeds down into the dressing room, whatever is going on at a football club, players will be talking about it, whether in the open or privately to each other. It’ll be interesting to see if the news around Leicester changes their fortune.

Having said that, it shouldn’t really impact the players. This will be another tough game for Leicester, and I think with the forward players that Crystal Palace have, I’ll go for a home win.

Fulham v West Ham

Another London derby for these sides at the Cottage, and I have mentioned before that I see these derbies tough to call. West Ham have had a tougher start to the season so it remains to be seen what they can do just yet. There is likely not going to be much between them, so I am opting for another draw.

Liverpool v Nottingham Forest

It will be too much for Nottingham Forest at Anfield. I think they may try and shut up shop but with the form Liverpool are in, the way they’re playing and the confidence they’ll have, they’ll have too much for Forest.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Liverpool were to win and keep a clean sheet again, so I will go for a home win in what will be a superb start to the season for Arne Slot.

Man City v Brentford

Man City will have too much for Brentford. Brentford have been reasonable up to now and they handled the Toney situation really well, got decent money for him, but I don’t see them getting anything from this game.

Erling Haaland netted on international duty following his seven goals to start the season so good luck to Brentford out there. Home win.

Aston Villa v Everton

It’s another tough one for Everton. Their confidence must be really, really low after what happened against Bournemouth last time out.

It will have been a long international break for them, and I think that’ll continue. I don’t see them getting anything out of the game, so I’ll go for a home win.

Aston Villa found out their Champions League fate last week, having worked so hard to get there, so I bet they can’t wait to get started next week.

They have got a bigger squad, but there’s no doubt about it, it is going to be tested. We saw what happened to Newcastle in terms of the injuries and it’ll be very interesting to see how they handle the added workload.

Morgan Rogers has started the season really well, he got a couple of goals for the U21s earlier this week, and they have good players across the park. There’ll be great anticipation from both the players and the fans because they deserve to be in the Champions League.

What is a shame is the Villa ticket prices for their fans in the Champions League. I don’t remember Newcastle’s being as expensive as what Aston Villa are charging as far as I’m aware.

It’s really disappointing when fans have been there through thick and thin, helped the team get over the line, and now when it’s come down to it, the big games in the Champions League, the prices have gone that high. It’s not fair on the fans.

Bournemouth v Chelsea

We all look at Chelsea and think what on earth is going on. They get one good result and then a not so good one. We know they have the players and ability to win this game though.

This is a tough game to call because Bournemouth have started well, played really well here vs Newcastle a few weeks ago and despite not playing well at Everton, somehow managed to win it. I’ll flip a coin on this one and go for an away win.

Tottenham v Arsenal

The North London derby is a huge one in the Premier League. Derby games are great to play in because you can get away with a little bit more, the referees are a little more lenient, and they understand what it means to coaches, players and fans.

If of course, Martin Odegaard is ruled that’s bad news for Arsenal but very good for Tottenham because Odegaard and Rice are two of Arsenal’s big hitters so to go into a game of this size without them, it would be tough for Arsenal.

Hopefully Dominic Solanke is deemed fit for this one, because what a great way to introduce himself to the Tottenham fans if he could make the difference in his first derby game, to make a huge statement in a game of this size.

They key to this game for me is will Spurs improve in forward positions. It’s something Ange Postecoglou will want to work on in terms of having more killer instinct when they do have the ball because on the evidence I saw, they’ll have to improve massively.

These games are always really tight, and with the potential injury news for Arsenal, there may not be a lot between the two teams, so I’m tempted to go for a score-draw in this one.

Wolves v Newcastle

Newcastle fans are waiting for the team to get it into gear because after three games, they have two wins and a draw without playing particularly well, which is a good sign.

I think with the confidence Isak would’ve picked up from getting his goal for Newcastle and then three for Sweden during the break, plus, the confidence Gordon would’ve picked up from Lee Carsley picking him for England could accelerate the side getting into full flow.

If those two are on form, I can see Newcastle going to Wolves and getting the three points.

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Robert Pires is confident Arsenal have enough strength in reserve to get a positive result in Sunday’s north London derby despite the absence of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.

The Gunners will travel to the home of their fierce rivals without their injured skipper who suffered an ankle injury playing for Norway in midweek.

Mikel Arteta is also without midfield linchpin Rice after he was sent off in controversial circumstances against Brighton a fortnight ago, prior to the international break.

Summer signing Mikel Merino will again be absent as he continues his recovery from a shoulder injury he picked up in freak circumstances during his first training session with his new club.

Despite lacking what, on paper, appears to be their first choice midfield, Pires is sure the likes of Jorginho and Thomas Partey will step up and ensure his old club maintain their unbeaten start to the new campaign.

‘It is certainly a bitter loss because Rice is the linchpin of this team and his vast experience means that opponents have great respect for him,’ Pires told Wettbasis.com.

‘Nevertheless, Arsenal can win this derby without him because the squad is better staffed.’

Central to Arsenal’s hopes of achieving a third straight win at the Tottenham Stadium will be Kai Havertz who has been reborn as a false nine since he was asked to spearhead his side’s attack midway through last season.

‘Kai is not a classic number nine, but rather a false nine who, with his back to the opponent’s goal, creates a lot of space for his teammates with his great technique,’ Pires added.

‘You can’t expect him to be the top scorer, that’s clear. But he fits perfectly into Arteta’s system.’

At the other end of the pitch, meanwhile, Pires’ compatriot William Saliba continues to cement his reputation as one of European football’s best central defenders.

‘William’s development is absolutely top-notch,’ said Pires. ‘I am particularly impressed by his positioning. He hardly ever makes bad passes and never makes unnecessary fouls, which is a top quality. He has become incredibly consistent and fast. He is currently one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League.”

‘His loan to Olympique Marseille in the 2021/2022 season was extremely important, because otherwise he would have been at Arsenal too early and who knows if he would still be playing there today.

‘His first season in London was a bit bumpy with a few slip-ups, but he learned from that and has become more and more mature, which is why he played much stronger and more composed in 2023/2024.’