Tottenham vs Arsenal Predicted Lineup: North London Derby Nerves

Derby weekend is here as Arsenal cross north London to face a high-flying Tottenham.

For the first time since September 2019, fans will be present to witness a North London Derby. As their stadium is situated in a tier two area, 2,000 fans will be able to attend Arsenal vs Tottenham on Sunday.

Unfortunately, each and every one of those fans will be supporting Spurs on Sunday. No away fans will be present which means Tottenham’s home advantage will be felt particularly strongly.

On the surface, this seems a recipe for disaster for Arsenal. Spurs, top of the league, are enjoying a strong run of form under José Mourinho. In contrast, Mikel Arteta is dealing with the rockiest patch of his Arsenal tenure thus far.

A passive approach to the game is to be expected for Arsenal fans. A reversion to the three at the back system which served Arsenal well defensively at the back of last season is likely.

In terms of absentees, Nicoles Pépé will serve the second game of three-match ban on Sunday while David Luiz is out after sustaining a gruesome head cut against Wolves last week.

Here is my predicted lineup.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Bernd Leno (GK) – Bernd Leno will doubtlessly regain his starting goalkeeping spot for the weekend’s game after being rested for our 4-1 win over Rapid Vienna.

Rob Holding (CB) – After a few shaky performances, Rob Holding will be look to restore his promising start-of-the-season form. Gets the nod over other options for his tendency to perform well in big games.

Gabriel Magalhaes (CB) – The imperious Brazilian will get his first taste of north London derby tomorrow. It’ll be interesting to see how he approaches an in-form Harry Kane.

Kieran Tierney (CB) – Scottish full-back Kieran Tierney hasn’t quite looked himself in recent weeks but will undoubtedly give it his all in tomorrow’s game. The man is made for local derbies.

Wing-Backs & Midfielders

Hector Bellerin (RWB) – In spite of a relatively impressive performance from Çedric on Thursday, Hector Bellerin should retain his spot in the back line. His ability to provide an attacking outlet could prove t be crucial if we set-up in a counter-attacking manner.

Thomas Partey (CM) – The mind games really are in full swing regarding Partey. Reports emerged after the Wolves loss suggesting he’d be out for up to six weeks, but after the win over Rapid Vienna, Mikel Arteta revealed he’d return to training on Friday. If he’s ready, I fully expect him to start. Big games require big players like Thomas Partey.

GranitXhaka (CM) – After his rest on Thursday night, Granit Xhaka will likely start tomorrow. Last week against Wolves, the Swiss international was notably poor so the derby represents an opportunity for him to get back into both the fans’ and Mikel Arteta’s good books.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles (LWB) – Wasn’t Ainsley Maitland-Niles superb against Rapid Vienna? Playing in central-midfield, he looked truly at home on the Emirates Stadium turf. Tomorrow, he’ll probably be tasked with a very different role. This role being the one he filled against Chelsea in the FA Cup final last season. As a Hale End academy graduate, he’ll know exactly what tomorrow’s fixture means to the club.

Forwards

Willian (RW) – The former Chelsea man doesn’t necessarily deserve to start but he likely will. After growing unpopular within the Arsenal faithful, a strong performance against Tottenham would lead to many turning a blind eye to his recent below-par outings. The 32-year-old had a tendency to perform against Spurs in his Chelsea days.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ST) – Just like Willian, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a man who needs to redeem himself. He’s shown signs of life in recent weeks down the middle but hasn’t managed to notch since our away win at Old Trafford. A captain’s performance is well and truly required from the Gabonese goalscorer.

Bukayo Saka (LW) – Thankfully, Bukayo Saka was an unused substitute on Thursday night. He deserved the rest. Hopefully, that means he’ll be primed and ready for tomorrow’s derby. So far this season, the 19-year-old has arguably been our best attacking player. A strong outing from him tomorrow would unquestionably live long in the memory of many Arsenal fans.