%20rotate(-8.06)%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22336.19%20136.81%20330.16%2094.25%20326.06%2071.19%20326.44%2071.13%20335.22%2093.54%20352.29%20134.52%20373.95%20131.46%20362.7%2052.01%20350.02%2053.8%20356.05%2096.36%20360.15%20119.42%20359.77%20119.48%20350.99%2097.08%20333.91%2056.09%20312.25%2059.15%20323.51%20138.6%20336.19%20136.81%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22402.91%2059.3%20412.36%20126.02%20427.17%20123.92%20417.72%2057.21%20431.59%2055.24%20429.79%2042.51%20387.23%2048.53%20389.04%2061.27%20402.91%2059.3%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22463.51%20118.77%20458.69%2084.71%20474.68%2082.44%20479.51%20116.5%20494.36%20114.4%20483.11%2034.95%20468.26%2037.06%20472.96%2070.25%20456.96%2072.52%20452.26%2039.32%20437.4%2041.43%20448.65%20120.88%20463.51%20118.77%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22540.5%20107.87%20538.77%2095.68%20518.91%2098.49%20515.77%2076.29%20535.63%2073.47%20533.93%2061.5%20514.07%2064.32%20511.11%2043.42%20530.98%2040.61%20529.25%2028.42%20494.53%2033.34%20505.78%20112.78%20540.5%20107.87%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22299.03%20155.17%20301.29%20171.58%20542.78%20138.39%20540.5%20121.97%20299.03%20155.17%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
Arsenal and Tottenham will face off this weekend in the first North London derby of the season, and fans cannot wait.
There are reasons to be excited and optimistic about the match if you are an Arsenal fan. Arsenal are a top-two team in Europe at the moment, and they are far and away the best defensive team in the world.
However, there are also reasons to be a bit cautious about the game. Form does not always matter when it comes to these meetings. And, also, Gabriel - one of the cornerstones of this solid Arsenal defense - is out for the next two months.
There is one more reason why Arsenal's players and fans cannot get complacent before a big game. Yes, they have the better league position, the better players as well as the better form. However, Tottenham have an excellent record that can bite them.
Arsenal hero Martin Keown - who was part of the Invincibles era - was asked about Sunday's North London derby, and while he obviously wants Arsenal to win, he urged fans and the team itself to be wary of Tottenham's away record.
Martin Keown is concerned about Tottenham's impressive record away from home
He said: “What concerns me this weekend is Spurs’ away form. Spurs at home are like two different entities. At home, it is like one win in five, and I think they’ve won four out of five away from home.
"Their manager is very good at slowing things down, just quietening the crowd and the keeper just puts his foot on the ball.
“I’ve had a little look this week to see what they do away from home, and they do it really well. Arsenal are going to have to go in and press high and look to dominate the game.”
Keown has got it bang on. There are reasons to be excited and reasons to be nervous, but there is no reason for Arsenal to be complacent in this game.
I am sure they won't be, but Tottenham's away record is also something worth keeping an eye on. Arsenal players would have seen this, and even though the team they are facing is much better than the teams they have travelled to earlier this season for away games, it is still a great statistic to have for Tottenham in their favour.
Just for this reason alone, Arsenal have to be very diligent in how they play. They will have to press, and they must not let Tottenham get comfortable. That would be the last thing they'd want.