Tottenham vs Arsenal Premier League preview: How to watch, lineups, selection crisis, & prediction

Arsenal will have to spend a few extra hours in the ice baths this week as they have no time to rest ahead of facing Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday. Here is the match preview.

A performance of incredible grit and determination saw Arsenal leave Anfield with a goalless draw, a result that they arguably would have taken before a ball was kicked and with 11 men on the pitch.

It hands the advantage in the Gunners’ favour, who now know a one game shootout on home soil stands between them and another Wembley final. Chelsea will be their opponents should they overcome their severe squad issues.

Ahead of one of the biggest North London Derbies in recent memory, the latter point is the major concern.

Tottenham vs Arsenal Premier League preview: North London Derby with Arteta having just one central midfielder available for Sunday

Granit Xhaka’s third red card since Mikel Arteta took over, and the 13th in total during the Spaniard’s reign, has exacerbated an already worrying situation. With the Swiss now banned for anywhere between two and four matches, Albert Sambi Lokonga remains the only senior central midfielder available for selection.

As for the hosts, a dejected Antonio Conte, who already knew the task at hand, has looked crestfallen in recent weeks and cut a dejected figure on the touchline as they limped out of the Carabao Cup with a 1-0 second leg defeat.

Talk coming out of Spurs’ camp is that the players fear he could walk away from the job if he isn’t backed in the January transfer market. Like Arsenal, he’s not set to have any new recruits on board in time for Sunday’s clash.

Winning three of their previous six matches in all competitions, even those they’ve come out on top in they haven’t looked convincing. With the fight Arsenal showed against Manchester City and Liverpool, coupled with Spurs’ frailties without the ball, the Gunners should be confident.

They are down to the bare bones, though. Gabriel Martinelli and Alexandre Lacazette were sharing one lung by the full-time whistle at Anfield, and the form book becomes irrelevant in this fixture where home advantage has proven a major decider in the outcome in recent years.

It can’t be understated how pivotal this match is. A mouth watering clash awaits.

How to Watch on TV

When Is Kick Off? Sunday 16 January
What Time Is Kick Off? 16:30 (GMT)
Where Is it Played? Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports (UK) fuboTV (USA)
Referee? Chris Kavanagh

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Arsenal Team News vs Tottenham – Tomiyasu & Smith Rowe Back?

Crikey, where to start?

With Takehiro Tomiyasu and Emile Smith Rowe having not recovered in time to even make the bench against Liverpool, it doesn’t bode well for their chances of involvement on Sunday. As hopeful as we can be, it will require some turnaround for the injured pair to be back fit.

Losing Cedric to an injury less than ten minutes into the game, while not concerning from a quality standpoint, just adds to the selection woes.

Martin Odegaard is going to be a huge miss, too. Confirmed to have contracted Covid before the Liverpool draw, he’s now certain to miss out on the derby despite isolation time being reduced to five days.

Xhaka has, quite frankly, screwed Arsenal. His ban couldn’t have come at a worse time and with a loan deal for Arthur still in the works it leaves Arsenal perilously thin in central areas. Bukayo Saka, too, had to limp off late on hopes are that it was only cramp.

As for Tottenham, they are in far better shape.

They still do have four absences for this one, though, with central defensive pairing Eric Dier and Cristiano Romero still nursing injuries and not due to be back in time for the derby.

Steven Bergwijn, who is being linked with a January exit, is suffering from a calf problem and unavailable, yet the major boost for Arsenal is that the hosts won’t be able to call upon Son Heung-min, who is set to be out until February.

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Arsenal Predicted Lineup to Face Tottenham – White in Midfield?

Tottenham: Lloris; Tanganga, Sanchez, Davies; Emerson, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Reguilon; Alli, Kane, Moura

Arsenal: Ramsdale; Chambers, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; White, Sambi, Saka, Lacazette, Martinelli, Nketiah

Tottenham vs Arsenal Score Prediction

Arsenal, facing a very mediocre Tottenham team, have been given an almighty handicap. This is a side heading into a massive North London Derby with just one central midfielder.

To hell with blessings, Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ loan move to Roma should have come later in the window. This is farcical.

Xhaka being Xhaka certainly doesn’t help, and now this team is really up against it away at a side they haven’t beaten on the road since 2015, and not in the Premier League since 2014.

Fatigue is going to play a huge part with half the squad collapsing to the floor after their valiant efforts at Anfield, with the overwhelming majority of them having to do it all again in just three days’ time.

So much will hinge on Smith Rowe returning. While it’s vital that Tomiyasu does as well, Smith Rowe can at least by somewhat shoehorned into a midfield role, as Odegaard isn’t even available to drop deeper either. It’s looking bad. Really bad.

But what for spirit and desire? The performance at Anfield was outstanding and if the team can channel that attitude over to the Toilet Bowl then they at least stand a chance of giving Tottenham a good game. After all, whether it’s a sit back and soak up pressure approach or not, Arsenal have forwards who can hurt even the best defences in Europe.

It’s going to be a battle. An almighty struggle. By the 60th minute there will probably be no gas left in the tank for most of them.

When will Harry Kane get his penalty and subsequent brace in a 2-0 win then?

Score Prediction: Tottenham 1-1 Arsenal