The Short Fuse

League leaders Arsenal return to Premier League action after the third international break of the season with a monster slate awaiting. In the span of a week, they host rivals Tottenham and travel across London to face Chelsea in two pivotal London derbies as the Gunners look to cement their spot atop the table. Nestled in between is a blockbuster Champions League showdown with a Bayern Munich side that has been scoring for fun and cruising through the Bundesliga and Champions League league phase.

The narrative surrounding Arsenal took an unsurprisingly negative turn when they drew Sunderland 2-2 heading into the break, a perfect encapsulation of the ever-changing winds of PL opinions. With Manchester City beating Liverpool handily, the gap between the Gunners and City has been reduced to 4 points. To hear the media tell it, Arsenal, who haven’t lost a match since September, are in Pep’s sights as City take form, and the ever-present question about the Gunners’ mentality has taken center stage with more than 30 matches still left to play. The tired “bottlers” comments have even been tossed around by those perpetually online commenters with room temperature IQs.

Nevertheless, all eyes will be fixed on The Emirates on Sunday with those questions and many others hovering over the match. The depth has been tested early and often, and it has risen to the occasion so far. It’s “next man up” once again for a few crucial positions. With their pedigree in question once again, can Arsenal kick back on with a few different faces and continue their title charge?

Here are three talking points ahead of Sunday’s match:

Know the Enemy

Dr. Jekyl, meet Mr. Hyde.

Tottenham come to the Emirates as one of the league’s most mercurial sides, with the distinction of being at once the league’s best side away from home (4-1-0 on the road) and one of the worst at their own pitch (1-2-3). Sitting 5th in the table, they are part of a log jam of 5 clubs on 18 points. Depending on this weekend’s results around the league, they could be as high as 4th and as low as 12th by the time the final whistle blows on Sunday.

Inconsistency is nothing new for the third biggest club in London. Last season saw Ange Postecoglou sacked following a tumultuous second season where they finished 17th domestically while also winning their first major trophy, the Europa League, since their 2007-08 League Cup trophy. Spurs hired former Brentford manager Thomas Frank to fill the vacancy and stop the bleeding. It’s a shame, cause I rather liked him. If I have to give Spurs any credit (ugh), it’s that Frank has managed to add sorely-needed stability on the pitch. Ange’s do-or-die tactical kamikaze approach has been replaced with a more pragmatic and possession-based system, which has made them slightly less volatile (but not by much).

So far, Frank has struggled to overcome the club’s deeply rooted Spursiness. The season began as so many other seasons have for them, with a wave of early results propelling them into the spotlight. A 0-2 win over Manchester City at the Etihad on match day 2 punctuated a run of matches into early October where they lost one match from 10 across all competitions.

But in true Spurs form, they hit a brick wall. Since beating Leeds on October 4th, they have managed only 3 wins from their last 7 matches. Their final match before the break was a Spurs classic, with Richarlison scoring in stoppage to take the lead against Manchester United, getting a yellow for removing his top, only for Spurs to concede to United moments later at the death to split the points.

Truth be told, Spurs are incredibly fortunate to be where they are in the table. Based on the stats, they are drastically over-performing their xG with 19 goals from 11.09 xG in the PL. They have taken the 3rd fewest shots in the league (107) and the 5th fewest shots on target (38). According to Opta, they should more realistically be 11 places lower in 16th. Much like the offense, the defense has over-performed after having given up 10 goals from 15.19 xG, the biggest differential in the league.

Maintaining that level of punching above their weight class is likely unsustainable over the season. But derbies don’t care about stats. Spurs will come to the Emirates battered and bruised with up to 12 players out with injury, but with a point to prove after failing to beat the Gunners over their last 6 competitive matches, and having failed to win at the Emirates in 15 consecutive league matches.

Injuries & Suspensions

If Arsenal are to finally win the PL, they are certainly going to have to do it the hard way. The international break saw Gabriel Magalhaes, who has fast become Arsenal’s front-runner for POTY, pick up a thigh injury during Brazil’s friendly against Senegal at the Emirates that could see him out until the new year. Frustrating doesn’t begin to describe it.

Similarly, Riccardo Calafiori returned to London early after picking up a minor hip injury with Italy. It was first reported that he would be available for selection this Sunday, but he has not yet trained this week.

On the plus side, the cavalry appears to be on the way. Gabriel Jesus has returned to full training after recovering from his ACL injury last December. Likewise, Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, and even club captain Martin Ødegaard, all of who have missed a decent swath of matches, were all spotted training with the first team midweek. Whether any of them will make the matchday squad remains to be seen, and Mikel Arteta gave zero insight into who, if any, would potentially feature during his pre-match presser.

OUT: Gabriel (thigh), Kai Havertz (knee)

QUESTIONABLE: Gabriel Jesus, Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, Riccardo Calafiori

Predicted Lineup

Attack: Trossard, Gyökeres, Saka

Jesus and Gyökeres both back in training is excellent news. Jesus, though, still has a ways to go before he is fully match fit. Gyökeres’ injury was not nearly as severe as first thought, so there is a good shot that he makes the lineup. If not, then Arteta always has the world’s greatest 4th choice striker in Mikel Merino. Leandro Trossard has been in great form for the Gunners and I don’t see any of the available players supplanting him right now. Bukayo Saka returns after a very good international break which saw him bag a goal and assist. If Madueke is back, then there will be a chance for some rotation on the right as the match wears on.

Midfield: Rice, Zubimendi, Eze

Martin Ødegaard’s return is massive. For all of the nits than people try to pick, he simply makes the attack better. He is reportedly a late decision, which is why I think that, at best, he makes a late cameo. Eberechi Eze has filled in nicely, but hasn’t quite replicated what Martin can do for the midfield. Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi have been as rock-solid a partnering as you could hope for in the middle of the park and will look to dictate the middle of the pitch on Sunday.

Defense: Lewis-Skelly, Mosquera, Saliba, Timber

The injury to Gabriel means a shuffle in the back. Mikel Arteta has a few options available, made even less clear with Calafiori not training this week. Myles Lewis-Skelly at left back provides a little bite and pace in his stead. Piero Hincapie is also a shout on the left, but I have an inkling that MLS will get a start. Cristhian Mosquera could slide into Gabriel’s slot. He has shown an incredibly high ceiling and hasn’t balked at being thrown into the fire early in big matches. The right side will look to anchor the back line and provide stability with William Saliba and Jurrien Timber holding down their spots.

Keeper: Raya

David Raya’s command in the back is going to be massive with a few changes in the defense. His composure and leadership are just as immense as his shot-stopping and ball-playing abilities.

The last two weeks has been building up to this stretch. If ever there was a time for the Gunners to put up or shut up, it’s this. Arsenal will want to leave no question that they are exactly where they deserve to be at the top of the table, and what better side to prove that point against than Spurs? A hated rival, at home, with momentum and bragging rights on the line; there’s no better viewing than that.

WHO: Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur

WHAT: Premier League match day 12

WHEN: Sunday, November 23rd, 11:30am EST/8:30am PST/4:30pm GMT

WHERE: The Emirates Stadium, London

HOW TO WATCH: Streaming live on the Peacock and Amazon Prime Video apps.

For all your international streaming needs, check LiveSoccerTV.com. Please do not share or discuss links to illegal streams here.

Arsenal battled to an impressive 1-0 away victory against Tottenham Hotspur, making it three in a row at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the Gunners against their archrivals. It wasn’t the prettiest performance from Mikel Arteta’s bunch, but to a man, they gave every ounce of what they had. They fought for every inch. They tore themselves and everyone around them to pieces for that inch. They clawed with their fingernails for that inch. And it made the difference between winning and losing.

The Gunners trotted out a midfield trio of Thomas Partey, Jorginho, and Leandro Trossard with Declan Rice suspended and Martin Ødegaard injured (and five other first team players not available for selection). Not exactly the athleticism and physicality you’d hope for against a Spurs team that presses hard and plays fast. But they more or less held their own and while their physical limitations were apparent at times, they, and their teammates around them, covered well enough. Kai Havertz, even while leading the line, had a lot to do with it. That man never stops running.

Gabriel, William Saliba, and Jurrien Timber were magnificent. The Brazilian scored the lone goal of the match with a towering header and put in block after block in the Arsenal box. Gabriel now has the most set piece goals in the Premier League since 2020-21. William Saliba picked up an early yellow card for carrying the ball away after a foul, something that went unpunished on several different occasions in other matches this weekend, and didn’t miss a tick. He was as calm, cool, and collected as he always is.

And Jurrien Timber, my word. He was excellent going forward and almost as good defensively as both of the centerbacks. I was most impressed by his control of the space between him and his attacker. Time and again he got the distances exactly right, forcing the attacker to try to go wide (or turn back), and putting in the tackle / block as needed. He could do with a bit of work on aerial duels, though.

Ben White wasn’t at his best on the ball, but he didn’t make any errors defensively, which is the most important part when playing in an away derby. You could say similar things of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli. They weren’t at their best going forward but worked their behinds off without the ball. I’m actually somewhat encouraged by the Martinelli performance. We know that the end product is hit and miss with him, but he was involved and had Pedro Porro on skates in the first half. If teams are going to shade towards the Arsenal right, you need the left to punish them for it. From where I stand, Arsenal got closer to that today. As long as the chances keep coming, the goals will eventually come.

Tottenham, on the other hand, fall to 1-1-2 on the season and the loud voices that were braying about how close Spurs were to Arsenal have fallen silent as the grave. Ange Postecoglou deployed an attacking-minded lineup that didn’t do much attacking. Spurs had nearly 64% possession but could only create 0.7 xG, same as Arsenal. Their attack was reduced to mostly firing in hopeful crosses from wide that were easy for David Raya to claim or sailed harmlessly beyond the danger area.

James Maddison was rendered irrelevant by Arsenal’s 2nd (3rd? 4th?) choice midfield. Son Heung-min was on the pitch, but you’d be forgiven for not noticing him. He did absolutely nothing. It was the most uninvolved and un-impactful I’ve ever seen him in a match. Spurs spent £47.5M on Brennan Johnson last summer and he was shut down by a guy (Jurrien Timber) who had played fewer than 200 Premier League minutes coming into today. £60M signing Dominic Solanke’s best moment was a looping, contested header in the first half that fell harmlessly wide.

If I were a Spurs fan, I’d be beside myself. They’re miles behind Arsenal and off to their worst start to a season in 9 years. Based on today’s performances, I don’t think any of their players would start for a healthy Arsenal squad right now.

I’d also be a little miffed about the Arsenal goal. Gabriel freed himself up with a bump and a slight shove on Cristian Romero. It was the kind of thing in the box that usually doesn’t get called — players bump, jostle, and grab on every corner. Every now and then, something like it gets called, and when it does, you can’t really complain about it being given. But really, Romero needs to be more aware and stronger, and Vicario absolutely has to come contest that corner in the air.

Fair play to Jarred Gillett, too. People were unhappy with him handing out a Premier League record 7 yellow cards in the first half. But I think they were mostly fine calls. As I said, you don’t see the Saliba card given all that often. I’m not sure the Jurrien Timber card was even a foul. Some will tell you it was a red card challenge. Tottenham’s yellows were mostly deserved. They did a lot of professional fouling to slow breaks and committed their infractions from behind, both of which should be carded more often than not. To Gillett’s credit, the match looked close to boiling over at points and he kept it under control. His tight calling of the first half led to a second half without much incident. The players knew what they couldn’t do, adjusted, and played a clean second half. It’s tremendously pleasing to have a big match where the referee wasn’t the focal point of the contest.

Ethan Nwaneri is ready. He came on late for an “injured” Bukayo Saka (who I suspect will be fine come Thursday) and was not awed by the occasion. Nwaneri always seems to be on and around the ball. And he does good things with it, too.

I’m a little disappointed with Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling. They didn’t do much with their substitute minutes. Sterling strayed offside twice, and Gabriel Jesus made a particularly poor decision to dribble the ball into the middle of three players in the center and lose it. He’d have been much better off taking it down the wing and deeper towards the corner. To be fair, it’s tough to be an attacking sub up 1-0 in an away derby. I’m not concerned about either, but I would have liked to see better decisions from veteran players.

Arsenal have conceded 1 goal in 4 matches this season and none with 11 men on the pitch. Bukayo Saka has a goal contribution in 4 of 4 games so far. A 1-0 away derby win is an excellent response to a disappointing, controversial home draw before the break and a fantastic start to a challenging week. The Gunners travel to Bergamo to face Atalanta in the Champions League on Thursday before a trip to Manchester City next Sunday.

North London is RED.

Arsenal start a brutal 8-day swing with a trip down the road to face Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby. The Gunners then travel to Bergamo to take on Atalanta on Thursday before a visit to the Etihad on Sunday to play Manchester City. Today’s match against arch-rivals Tottenham feels like an early-season tone-setter. A win today could propel the club to a big week and a strong month. A loss puts even more pressure to get a result at City.

Tottenham are 1-1-1 to open the Premier League season. They played to a disappointing 1-1 draw at Leicester City, smashed Everton 4-0, and lost 2-1 at Newcastle. In all three games, they’ve had the lion’s share of the ball, and I’d expect them to have a good deal of possession against Arsenal today. I really don’t know what to make of Spurs. They seem to be much the same team as last year — extremely dangerous going forward but quite open at the back because of the aggressive style and high line Ange Postecoglou plays.

Spurs were handed a big boost this week with the return to fitness of Micky Van de Ven. The Dutch centerback’s pace is critical to how Big Ange wants his side to play. His ability to recover on the break helps enable Tottenham’s high press. Tottenham also see £60M summer signing Dominic Solanke return to the lineup, which is a boost given that Richarlison is set to miss out today.

Arsenal will be without Declan Rice, who is serving a one-match suspension after receiving a (ridiculous) second yellow card against Brighton & Hove Albion. They’re also without Martin Ødegaard, who picked up an ankle injury on international duty of yet-to-be-revealed severity, and Riccardo Calafiori, who suffered a calf injury playing for Italy. Mikel Merino is out until November-ish with a shoulder fracture. Takehiro Tomiyasu is still out with the knee injury he picked up in preseason. Kieran Tierney, who Arsenal registered to both their Premier League and Champions League roster this season, is out with the hamstring tear he suffered at the Euros. Oleksandr Zinchenko is a surprise absence from the matchday squad with a calf problem.

With a whopping seven first team absences for the Gunners, Mikel Arteta has had to call in a number of academy players to fill out the matchday squad. Ayden Heaven (17), Maldini Kacurri (18), Myles Lewis-Skelly (17), Ethan Nwaneri (17), and Ismeal Kabia (18) are all on the bench for Arsenal. I can’t see Mikel Arteta making more than three subs today — Jakub Kiwior, Raheem Sterling, and Gabriel Jesus are the only players I feel confident saying will come off the bench. We might see Ethan Nwaneri if Arsenal are chasing the game.

Just win, baby.

WHAT: Arsenal at Tottenham

WHERE: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

WHEN: Sunday, September 15th 6 am PT | 9 am ET | 2 pm BT

US TV: USA Network and Telemundo

For all your international streaming needs, check LiveSoccerTV.com. Please do not share or discuss links to illegal streams here.

Arsenal - Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Partey, Jorginho, Trossard, Saka, Martinelli, Havertz

Tottenham - Vicario, Pedro Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie, Kulusevski, Bentancur, Maddison, Johnson, Solanke, Son

It’s only four matches into the season, and already Arsenal have endured nearly as much controversy as they did during the entirety of last season’s campaign. Between missed offenses by the opposition and absurdly inconsistent officiating, it’s easy to forget that the Gunners have still looked like one of the league’s best sides. Two wins and a draw have Mikel Arteta’s side

All that being said, the club are in the middle of one of their toughest stretches, and are looking to navigate it without the availability of some of their most important players. After the first international break of the season, can the Gunners step up on the road at a hated rival and snag a win?

Here are five talking points ahead of Sunday’s match.

Know the Enemy

After his first season as manager began with a bang, year two of the Ange Postecoglou era has begun with a whimper in comparison. Their season kicked off with a 1-1 draw away to Leicester where the main highlight of the match was Jamie Vardy doing what he does best - scoring and bantering, which he did hilariously on his way off the pitch. A 4-0 home win over a woeful Everton was followed by a 2-1 loss at Newcastle, leaving them with 4 points from three matches and leaving us with several memes of Ange doubled over in agony on the sideline.

After finishing last season in 5th, Arsenal’s noisy neighbors fortified their attack in the offseason with former Bournemouth man Dominic Solanke, continuing the rich and storied tradition of Spurs signing Arsenal fans.

Last Time Out

Arsenal’s last visit to Spurs came during matchweek 35. Arsenal entered the match neck and neck with Manchester City in a title race that would go down to the final match of the season, and Spurs were ready to play spoiler to Arsenal’s title chances. The only spoiling that happened was Arsenal on the Spurs fans’ moods, as the Gunners rocketed out to a 3-0 lead in the first half.

But what would a derby be without some drama? In the second half, the Gunners got in their own way and welcomed Ange’s side back into the match after David Raya misplaced a cheeky chipped pass directly to Romero who promptly scored. A Declan Rice penalty in the 87th minute had the score at 3-2 with the suspense ramped up to maximum. But the Gunners weathered the hosts late barrage and left with all 3 points for the second season in a row.

Injuries and Suspensions

After a season of relatively good injury luck, Arsenal’s title aspirations took a massive hit when captain Martin Odegaard suffered a brutal ankle sprain during international duty that looks to sideline the midfielder for at least a month. Even before his injury, Arsenal were in the midst of a minor midfield crisis after new signing Mikel Merino suffered a shoulder injury during training and Declan Rice was set to serve a one match suspension for his ludicrous sending off against Brighton.

In the defense, Riccardo Calafiori suffered a freakish, you-only-see-that-happen-to-Arsenal-players knock to his calf during Italy’s match against France last week. The good news is that it doesn’t seem serious, though he did leave the Italy camp early to return to London and receive treatment from Arsenal’s physios. Takehiro Tomiyasu seems on the way back from his injury, but is not yet available.

Predicted Lineup

Oh, how I long for the simplicity of the first three match weeks, when the lineup more or less wrote itself. Now, thanks to the injuries and suspensions, this is a big, giant question mark outside of the back line.

I am doing my best to think about the midfield and attack rationally, but that feels like a fool’s errand. Saka is a lock to start on the right, and Partey is probably the de facto 6, but everything else is up in the air. Leandro Trossard started the last match, but I can see Arteta wanting to exploit Martinelli’s pace against Spurs’ high line with a little route one football with Trossard coming off the bench as a super sub.

The loss of Ødegaard should see Kai Havertz line up on the right side in the 10. Many assume he’d play the 8 after Rice’s absurd red card meant he would miss the NLD, but that was before Martin picked up his injury. Kai is about the closest analogue left on the roster, and though he lacks the quickness and deft dribbling of Arsenal’s captain, he is left footed, great on the ball, and can ping passes. I think he’ll fill that void decently enough.

The 8 and 9 are where things get tricky. Playing Jorginho at the 8 would mean there’s no cover for Partey, and he hasn’t seen the pitch this season, so I don’t think we will see him starting there on Sunday. Nwaneri seems to be the popular choice for those who have visions of a Cesc-like breakout performance. While giving him his first start in such a major match is a massive gamble, I think the unpredictability of a young player with loads of potential and a point to prove can be a huge asset.

Up top, I imagine Arteta will throw Gabriel Jesus into the lineup. Considering his comments during Friday’s press conference, it sounds like he is training well and is nearing full fitness. He was scintillating in the pre-season, and his veteran play will make up for the relative greenness of Nwaneri.

The back line should remain unchanged from the last match before the break, and will have an immense responsibility to keep the hosts out of the net.

Sky Came Falling

The injuries and suspensions have tempered expectations for the immediate future. It’s hard to imagine Arsenal stepping into enemy territory without some of their best players and leaving with all 3 points easily. But it has also led some folks to do their best chicken little acts, reacting as though the season is already over. With three big away matches coming out of the break, sure, this scenario is far from ideal. But there is also something to be said about how well-coached teams rally and respond in the face of adversity.

At the end of the day, good managers and good teams find a way. It’s just what they do. Arsenal did it all last season in tricky circumstances, which has only made them a more experienced and steely side. The Gunners are walking a razor’s edge in some regards with their thin squad depth, but one match this early against a rival is not going to define the season with so many competitions and so much football left to play. Someone has to navigate these choppy seas, and who better than the Mikel Arteta, who was just rewarded with a contract extension after salvaging the wreckage of the club and getting us back to being an elite side once more.

Between their fans relishing their loss to Manchester City last season and how some have shamelessly celebrated Martin Ødegaard’s injury this week, few things would feel as karmically (and comically) satisfying as a win on Sunday over their rivals. A victory over Arsenal’s little brother is always enjoyable, but Sunday would just feel that much sweeter.

I’m not about to call a win with any level of confidence, but anything can happen in a rivalry. The cards feel stacked against them, but Arsenal have shown us time and time again these past two seasons that it’s never over till they say it’s over.

WHO: Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur

WHAT: Premier League Match Day 4

WHEN: Sunday, September 15th, 9:00am EST/6:00am PST/2:00pm GMT

WHERE: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

HOW TO WATCH: Broadcast live on The USA Network. Streaming on NBCSports.com