3 talking points ahead of Tottenham vs Arsenal

Arsenal head to their North London rivals Tottenham on Sunday afternoon in their first game following the September international break.

The Gunners drew 1-1 at home to Brighton in their last game, in arguably controversial circumstances. Kai Havertz opened the scoring for his side before Declan Rice was dismissed in the second half and Joao Pedro rescued a point for the Seagulls. Arsenal fell to fourth place as a result, sitting six places above and three points better off than their upcoming opponents.

Having lost early ground in the title race, Mikel Arteta will be desperate for his side to resume their season in positive fashion. There are three key talking points to discuss ahead of this exciting North London Derby.

1. Bouncing back

Arsenal saw their perfect start to the season halted before the international break by a 1-1 draw at home to Brighton. Arteta will have assessed this and made himself and his side aware that bouncing back against Tottenham is a necessity.

Dropping points at any point of the season when up against a juggernaut like Manchester City can prove to be devastating come the end of the campaign. This was shown perfectly with the ultimate fate of the title last season. Remember that early-season draw at home to Fulham?

With a trip to the Etihad on the horizon, another slip-up in the North London Derby could prove costly and leave Arsenal with plenty of ground to make up so soon into the new season. Not only must the Gunners get their current form back on track, they need to set a precedent for the remainder of the campaign.

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