Football London

Tottenham face Arsenal in the first North London Derby of the season on Sunday and Thomas Frank has been given somewhat of a double boost going into the clash

The end of the international break is fast approaching and Thomas Frank will have his attention firmly on the North London Derby.

Tottenham make the short trip to Emirates Stadium to face arch rivals Arsenal on Sunday, with the Gunners currently four points clear at the top of the Premier League. Frank, though, will only be focusing on his own side and as he only has one win against a team managed by Arteta throughout his career, the Dane will want to make that two come the weekend.

Spurs are experiencing somewhat of an injury crisis at the minute, however. James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin have not played a single minute this campaign due to injury, while Dominic Solanke, Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray, Ben Davies, Kota Takai, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani and Pape Matar Sarr are all sidelined.

While a few of the aforementioned players may well return for the North London Derby, Frank will want the players he does have fit to be ready when called upon. The former Brentford boss would have been impressed by what Xavi Simons and Mathys Tel did on Monday night then.

Playing for France U21s against Faroe Islands U21s in a European Under-21 Championship 2027 qualifier, Tel scored the only goal of the game as he captained the side to a 1-0 win. The Frenchman's 37th minute penalty proved to be the decisive moment in the match as his country went top of Group C.

Simons, meanwhile, scored Netherlands' third goal of the night against Lithuania in a 4-0 victory. The result secured the Netherlands' place at World Cup 2026 with Simons playing well in the 78 minutes he was on the pitch.

The fact Tel and Simons both scored while on international duty will be music to Frank's ears as we approach the vital clash against Arsenal on Sunday. Both could feasibly start against the Gunners given Frank's lack of options at present and the duo should go into the match with plenty of confidence.

Tottenham have struggled with inconsistency in the forward areas so far this season and Frank is still trying different things in an attempt to get the best out of his players. Speaking after the 2-2 draw with Manchester United before the international break, Frank said: “We are searching to find the right balance up front and I think when we look at the game back, I think there was positive bits going forward.

“We constantly work on the relationship and try to improve it with the players and try to find what is exactly the right blend, but I think there were small steps in the right direction. (Against United) we wanted two strikers, Kolo Muani and Richarlison, for the crosses, which we thought was an area where we potentially could hurt United.

“I think it worked perfectly with the first one (by Brennan Johnson), where Richarlison got a big chance, so that could have been an unbelievable, fantastic game plan from us. So that was part of it and we need different personalities and types for different games.”

Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus is back scoring goals in training, with Mikel Arteta considering his options available to him for Sunday's crunch clash with north London rivals Tottenham

Gabriel Jesus is back scoring goals as Mikel Arteta faces a squad dilemma ahead of the north London derby this weekend.

The Brazilian striker suffered a cruciate ligament tear in an FA Cup clash with Manchester United back in January. Since then, Jesus has been on a long road to recovery.

Now, almost a year later, the 28-year-old looks closer than ever to returning to Arteta's matchday squad. Arsenal shared a video of Jesus finding the net repeatedly during a training session.

Jesus returned to training ahead of the Gunners’ clash with Sunderland earlier this month. Arteta was asked when he thought the forward will be able to make his first appearance in an Arsenal shirt since the serious injury, but admitted at the time: "I don't know.

"Now it's about making the steps day by day in a different surrounding. Obviously, he's been doing everything on his own; now he's got players around him, very competitive players around him, and see how he copes with that.

"But he's full of energy, I love the reaction of all his teammates when he first joined us and yeah, great to have him back."

Jesus certainly looked full of energy in the video shared on Arsenal's official X account on Tuesday afternoon. The Brazilian could be seen beating players, creating space and finishing from all angles, which will certainly send a message to Arteta – that he wants to get back out on the pitch as soon as possible.

Although Arsenal’s No.9 looked sharp, but the next question is whether he can play a full 90 minutes. Various reports still place Jesus’ expected return date around mid-December.

Despite the wait, that could still provide a major boost for Arteta heading into a busy festive period. The Gunners will play eight games in December, including six Premier League fixtures, one Champions League match, and a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace.

Arsenal fans were excited to see Jesus back scoring in training, with one commenting: "Back with a bang... Happy to see him smile on the grass again."

Many supporters questioned whether Jesus would be fit for the clash with Tottenham this Sunday. With Viktor Gyokeres’ own fitness in doubt, one fan added: "No Gyokeres no problem, Jesus our saviour is here."

Another hoped for a dream scenario: "Imagine if he returns and scores against Spurs," while another said: "I'm happy for Gabriel Jesus. Hopefully he will stay fit forever going forward."

Injuries have been an unfortunate constant in Jesus’ career. He suffered a knee injury early in his Arsenal spell, sidelining him for 100 days, while further knee and hamstring problems have seen him miss additional weeks at a time.

The Brazilian’s contract expires in 2027, and he will be hoping he can enjoy an injury-free second half to the season with the Gunners before deciding his future.

Arsenal will hope that Piero Hincapie's late and long trip back to north London will not affect his ability to replace Gabriel against Tottenham Hotspur

The news that Gabriel Magalhaes will likely miss the North London Derby comes as a huge blow to Arsenal. Mikel Arteta has already lost so many key players at different stages this season, but to lose the Brazilian for the game with Tottenham Hotspur is a massive hammer blow.

It leaves Arteta thinking immediately of who will replace Gabriel in his back four, and for many, the responsibility falls to one player, Piero Hincapie. The summer signing had an excellent game playing in the position against Brighton in the League Cup, his only start in the role so far since his move to the club in the summer.

He partnered with Cristhian Mosquera that day, who is another option for Arteta against Spurs. William Saliba could move to the left and the Spaniard could maintain his natural right-sided role.

This might indeed be the option if the drawback of Hincapie’s international commitments is considered to be significant. What is meant by this is that the Ecuador international is currently playing for his country across the pond.

He helped keep a clean sheet against Canada as captain in a 0-0 scoreline. However, his final match for Ecuador is scheduled to take place in the early hours of Wednesday, UK time.

Ecuador take on New Zealand in New Jersey as the World Cup stadiums are tested ahead of next year’s competition. A 1:30am kick-off, UK time will see the game end closer to 4am after which Hincapie will get a flight back to England, arriving at the earliest on Wednesday afternoon.

He then will have a restricted number of days to acclimatise again back in north London before potentially being in action with the side on Sunday. The benefit is that this game is one of the later games of the weekend, but the timing of Hincapie’s return remains a blow.

Martin Odegaard has posted a message after Norway qualified for the World Cup, with the Arsenal captain still on the sidelines due to a knee injury, and the Tottenham showdown in fast approaching

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard issued an emotional message after Norway clinched their place in next summer's World Cup.

Odegaard is currently on the sidelines with a knee injury, but that has not stopped the midfielder from supporting his compatriots. Norway secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup after beating Estonia and Italy during their latest round of qualifiers.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland scored a brace in each fixture, with the latest game ending 4-1 in favour of Stale Solbakken's side at the San Siro.

Odegaard has been recovering from his knee problem, which has forced the Arsenal captain to miss the Gunners' last seven matches.

Despite not being available for Arsenal or his country in recent weeks, Odegaard was still part of the celebrations as Norway clinched their place at the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

Odegaard was alongside his team-mates on Monday as they were welcomed back to Oslo, with a crowd of 50,000 fans celebrating the country qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

The Arsenal captain has now issued an emotional message on social media to Norway fans. "We've been dreaming of moments like this since we were little kids," wrote Odegaard on Instagram to his 7million followers.

"We have been working so hard. We have failed and failed... But we never gave up. Never lose faith, hope or unity.

"This group has stood together through the toughest days and moments, and therefore it feels even better to be where we are today.

"Proud to be a part of this crew. Proud to play for Norway. Proud to be Norwegian. Proud to represent Norway in the World Cup!! Dreams can really come true if you work hard and believe enough.

"To all the children and young adults out there: We were all once like you. So dream big and work hard, and everything is possible!

"Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us yesterday [Monday] and thank you for all the love we have received the past few days! It means more than you know. Let's enjoy the moment, but we won't stop here..."

Odegaard will now return to London Colney and will be targeting a return to the Arsenal matchday squad as soon as possible, with a clash against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League to come this weekend.

On Monday, Odegaard provided a positive update, suggesting that he'll be back 'soon'. "It's moving forward," the Norwegian told TV2.

"The match today came a little too early… But it's starting to look better, so hopefully I'll be back soon."

Tottenham dealt fresh injury blow ahead of Sunday's North London Derby against Arsenal as manager provides huge update

Thomas Frank has been dealt yet another injury blow, with Tottenham midfielder Pape Matar Sarr returning to London after picking up a knock on international duty.

Sarr started Senegal's 2-0 defeat to Brazil on Saturday, with the match played at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in north London. The midfielder was forced off in the second half, however, after going down under a challenge.

The 23-year-old was flanked my medical staff and appeared in discomfort as he left the pitch. Senegal manager Pape Thiaw initially said the injury wasn't serious and insisted: "I don't think it's a big deal."

But Sarr has not been named in the Senegal matchday squad for Tuesday's friendly with Kenya. The Spurs man instead remained in London after Saturday's match against Brazil and did not travel to Turkey with his teammates.

“We left him in London," Thiaw confirmed. "He took a knock. So we felt it would be difficult for him to recover in just two days.

“Since we were in his home city, we preferred to leave him at the disposal of his club so he could receive treatment there.”

Frank is already with a number of senior players due to injury and the Dane will be keen on getting Sarr back fit as soon as possible. There is currently no word on how serious the midfielder's injury is and he is likely to undergo tests this week.

James Maddison, Dejen Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin have not played a single minute this campaign due to injury, while Frank has also been without Dominic Solanke, Yves Bissouma and Archie Gray for large periods. There are also concerns over the fitness of Ben Davies, Kota Takai, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus and Randal Kolo Muani going into Sunday's North London Derby against Arsenal.

The Gunners, meanwhile, have a number of injury issues of their own. Defender Gabriel Magalhaes sustained what is believed to be a thigh injury in Brazil's win over Senegal, while Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres are already sidelined.

Michael Oliver's appointment to officiate the Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur clash on Sunday has been questioned after ten-month absent from Gunners matches following error made in Wolves win

Arsenal supporters have awoken to the news that Michael Oliver is set to take charge of the North London Derby on Sunday as Tottenham come to the Emirates Stadium. This is not an announcement that has been welcomed and understandably so when looking back at the last time Oliver officiated an Arsenal match.

Oliver took charge of the Gunners’ trip to Wolves on January 25 earlier this year, in which he sent off Myles Lewis-Skelly with a straight red card. The defender had committed a cynical foul on Matt Doherty, which in any other game most would assume a yellow card, but the sending off was not expected.

When asked post-match for his thoughts, Arteta was clear without saying much at all: “I think it's that obvious that we don't need any comments today. Hopefully, the right thing will happen after today.”

Arsenal successfully appealed the decision, despite Arteta also stating that he had hoped it would not be necessary. An independent panel of three were “unanimous” in their view that Oliver had made an obvious error sending off the youngster.

Lewis-Skelly would go on to score in the following game, which happened to be against Manchester City. Oliver allegedly received “threats and abuse” online in the wake of the match, and the police launched an investigation as a result.

Arteta was asked for his thoughts on the matter, to which he replied: "[It] leaves a bad taste and makes people's lives more difficult. Let's get it out, let's kick it out."

Which brings us to Sunday where Oliver has been selected for the North London Derby. It leaves a simple question of “Why now? Why this game?”

Oliver has not taken charge of any Arsenal matches since that fateful afternoon in January 2025. Oliver is seen by many as one of the league’s best and is often given high profile games.

He has officiated several derbies this season, including West Ham vs Chelsea, Fulham vs Brentford and Liverpool vs Manchester United. However, he has also officiated many lesser-profile fixtures too.

Rob Jones and Tony Harrington are the other officials in action on Sunday. Jones has officiated the Gunners seven times, but none so far this season. Harrington has officiated Arsenal once before, in the home win over Southampton in October 2024.

Oliver could have been selected to officiate any of Arsenal’s matches this season, but has been given the most high-profile so far. If anything, if there is a case to ease Oliver back into action involving Arsenal, is this the best for his own welfare to referee the most frenetic, chaotic and emotional date on the calendar at the Emirates Stadium? Probably not.

The hope will be this trial by fire will see Oliver flourish, and by flourish, I mean have a performance whereby he’s hardy in the spotlight whatsoever. Unlikely, based on the history of these affairs, but hopefully all the same.

Jamie Donley scored the winner for Northern Ireland against Luxembourg on Monday, with the young Tottenham star playing a slightly different position

Jamie Donley has revealed how much Harry Kane helped him during their days at Tottenham together after scoring his first goal for Northern Ireland.

The 20-year-old's first strike for his country earned Michael O’Neill’s side a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Luxembourg on Monday. Donley struck from the penalty spot in the 44th minute at Windsor Park to settle a drab finale to the Group A campaign, having earlier seen a fine finish ruled out as Ethan Galbraith was offside.

Aside from securing a win for Northern Ireland as they look ahead to their qualifying play-off in March, Donley’s goal was an important moment personally given a frustrating lack of game time on loan at Stoke from Tottenham this season, having made only six appearances.

That did not stop O’Neill from trusting the 20-year-old Donley to make only his second international start, and first in a competitive game, on Monday and to do so in the number nine role whereas he usually operates at number 10.

Donley admitted he is still adapting to the position, but he has taken on board lessons from Kane during their time together at Tottenham, before Kane’s move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023. “That’s probably why I like to try and drop deep because I’m trying to do what he does,” Donley said of Kane.

“He helped me a lot when he was around just with different types of advice and stuff. So, yes, it’s good to learn from the best.”

Although Donley is more used to deeper roles, O’Neill sees the Spurs star as a potential number nine for his country. “Michael always speaks to me about playing me as a striker,” Donley said.

“He can see me playing there, and he kind of just said to take my opportunity. Luckily, I scored. Normally, I’m behind the striker but with this, it’s more about running behind more and stretching the game. I can add that to my game, definitely.”

Like Kane, Donley represented England at several youth levels, but the Antrim-born forward switched allegiance to his father’s home country in March of this year and has not looked back, with Monday’s game his sixth cap.

“Personally, I don’t think it was a huge call,” Donley said of the switch. “Michael was on to me for a couple of years about coming over.

“I just think it was right for me and my career at that moment. I’m delighted with how young the group is and how well we’re performing at the minute. I think I’ve definitely made the right decision.”

Jurrien Timber has posted a seven-word message on social media after giving Mikel Arteta an injury scare ahead of the North London Derby at the weekend.

The Arsenal defender started Netherlands' clash against Lithuania on Monday night and in the first half required treatment from physios on what appeared to be a knee problem. Despite the fairly significant gash on his leg, the right-back played on but was eventually taken off just after the hour mark.

With Arsenal playing Tottenham on Sunday, Gunners supporters would have feared that the defender may indeed miss the clash due to injury. Timber has now taken to Instagram, however, and shared a message of his own.

As well as publishing a number of pictures of himself in action for the Netherlands, Timber said: "We made it, see you in 2026 [love heart emoji]."

Given the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury Timber suffered shortly after signing for Arsenal, some fans may have feared the worst. Given the defender played on, however, and appears to be in good spirits given his social media activity, he should be fit for the clash against north London rivals Tottenham at the weekend.

It comes after Gabriel Magalhaes was forced off with a groin injury in Brazil's friendly against Senegal at Emirates Stadium. A statement later confirmed that the 27-year-old was miss his national team's following clash after undergoing initial examinations.

"Arsenal player Gabriel Magalhaes was re-evaluated this Sunday and underwent imaging tests that revealed a muscle injury in his right thigh," it read. "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."

Riccardo Calafiori is currently following a separate training programme in Italy training because of a hip issue. National team head coach Gennaro Gattuso, therefore, opted against deploying him for World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Norway. Despite concerns, the expectation is that he will be fine to feature against Spurs.

Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus have all missed varying periods, but the hope is that it won't be too long until they make their returns.

Antoine Semenyo signed a new long-term contract with Bournemouth in the summer, but the Cherries have reportedly 'accepted' that the forward could leave in January

Antoine Semenyo has a £65million release clause in his Bournemouth contract, which could interest a host of Premier League clubs including Tottenham.

Spurs were heavily linked with a move for the tricky winger in the summer, with Thomas Frank said to be a keen admirer of the 25-year-old. Liverpool and Manchester United were also linked with the Cherries star but he eventually signed a new contract with the south coast club

Nevertheless, despite penning fresh terms that should secure his services at the Vitality Stadium until 2030, Semenyo could find himself departing as soon as January following a fresh development. According to The Athletic, the Ghanaian's revised contract contains a £65million release clause, which any club can activate.

It's understood that Bournemouth have reluctantly 'acknowledged' that his destiny lies beyond their control, and a January departure could materialise, reports the Mirror. The report also reveals how Semenyo was priced at approximately £70million this summer, with his release clause enabling interested parties to acquire his signature for slightly less come January.

It's suggested that any potential suitors will need to trigger his clause by a specific date to permit the Cherries to source a replacement. The news comes as Semenyo recently refuted suggestions that he was eager to sever ties with his current employers.

When questioned by Jamie Redknapp about his future recently, the Ghana international replied: "I don't think about it too much. I try to stay present as much as I can. You see the news all the time, I see it as well, I'm not oblivious, but I try to keep focused.

"I'm enjoying my football here. If I'm not scoring goals, all of that goes away. I try to stay present, do the best I can for the team, score goals and whatever happens in the future happens.

"When they [his former team-mates] all left [in the summer], there was a lot of interest and back and forth with the club. But I knew in my head that the manager's got something up his sleeve this year.

"How we finished off the season last year was so good and we could continue, especially with the players we've bought in as well. I wasn't too sure at the start but we've kicked on like a house on fire. I'm glad I committed to staying here because I'm enjoying every moment."

Following his remarkable return of 13 goals in all competitions during the previous campaign, Semenyo became the subject of intense transfer speculation. Spurs were one of the clubs interested in the Ghana star, but ultimately completed the signing of Mohammed Kudus in a £55million switch from West Ham United.

Arsenal take on bitter rivals Tottenham at Emirates Stadium this weekend with the Premier League announcing a major refereeing decision.

The Premier League have confirmed refereeing appointments for this weekend's fixtures with a familiar face that has angered Mikel Arteta in charge for Arsenal's clash against Tottenham. Emirates Stadium hosts the latest North London Derby with it undoubtedly as the showpiece fixture of game week 12.

The Gunners head into the meeting following a minor setback in their pursuit of the Premier League title after drawing to Sunderland. The November international break has made Brian Brobbey's last-gasp equaliser feel an awfully long time ago especially with plenty having happened since.

Martin Zubimendi and Bukayo Saka have both scored for Spain and England, respectively, but the bigger news has surrounded Gabriel Magalhaes. During Brazil's friendly against Senegal over the weekend, the defender picked up a groin injury which has made him a huge doubt to face Spurs.

Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori have also picked up issues, but both are expected to be okay before Sunday's clash. With Arteta likely already annoyed at the scenario that has played out, Michael Oliver being confirmed as the official for Arsenal vs Tottenham is unlikely to cheer him up too much, either.

As confirmed by the Premier League, Oliver will take charge of the North London Derby - with Stuart Burt, James Mainwaring as his linesmen and Michael Salisbury as the fourth official. They will be supported by Stuart Attwell as lead VAR operator and Constantine Hatzidakis as his assistant.

Oliver has not been at the centre of many controversial incidents this season, but Arteta will certainly remember him making big decisions against Arsenal. Back in September 2024, he sent off Leandro Trossard away at Man City with his second caution for kicking the ball away which ultimately delayed the restart.

Having lost Declan Rice to a similar action a few weeks earlier, Arteta was - unsurprisingly - annoyed with his anger heightened by Jeremy Doku doing exactly what Trossard did but going unpunished.

"There were two incidents, very similar," Arteta said when speaking about the decisions. "In particular one was very different with a different outcome that forces you to play a game that nobody wanted to watch.

He later clarified: "It's [Trossard kicking the ball away] is less than a second. The previous one [Doku's] is more than a second. That's it. It's simple."

Just a few months later, Oliver wrongly dismissed Myles Lewis-Skelly against Wolves for a late but not reckless nor goal-scoring denying challenge. Though Calafiori grabbed the winning goal - and that red card was later overturned - the decision still brought about furious responses.

"I am absolutely fuming but I leave it with you," Arteta said to Sky Sports.

"Because it is that obvious, I don't think my words are going to help."

Oliver will be hoping for a quiet afternoon, but that seems unlikely given the two teams playing.