Arsenal vs Tottenham: 5 key players in North London Derby

Arsenal stood up to the pressure against Liverpool, but can they do it again against bitter rivals Tottenham? Here are five key players.

Arsenal are looking to make it 19 straight unbeaten matches as they welcome Tottenham to the Emirates (the only functional Premier League stadium in North London, I might add). But Tottenham have been on a tear of their own, especially after handily putting away Chelsea, so the work is cut out for both sides.

The result is always bigger than just the table shows, but in terms of the table, this is Arsenal’s chance to leapfrog the Spurs into the top four, where they will control their own destiny towards getting into the Champions League.

But of course, it’s always bigger than that. It’s the North London Derby, meaning that tempers will be high, and Unai Emery better have a plan. Thankfully, he always seems to have a plan, so that’s convenient.

If this is going to be a positive result for the Gunners, they are going to need some key players to step up and accept the escalated responsibility of a match that can go a long way towards solidifying their legitimacy.

And with that in mind, let’s get into those key players, starting with No. 5.

5. Granit Xhaka

He’s only this far down the list because he’s become so reliable (hold the hissing). Granit Xhaka has had a solid year, barring a few mishaps, and we’re are going to need him to continue that form against Tottenham.

Xhaka is a player who can be a bit emotionally driven, which could serve him well in a match that is jam-packed with feelings for anyone with any sort of connection to either side whatsoever. The pressure will be on, but Xhaka has been here before, he’ll be here again, and so long as that is the case, he is going to be crucial to proceedings.

I can’t say this enough – anytime someone touches the ball as much as Xhaka does, he is a perpetual key player. Now it’s just a matter of making the most out of all those touches.

Moving on to No. 4.