3 talking points ahead of Tottenham vs Arsenal

2. Serious availability problems

Mikel Arteta faces some serious problems in regard to player availabilty ahead of the match against Tottenham.

Declan Rice is suspended having picked up a debatable second yellow card against Brighton, while Mikel Merino remains unavailable after suffering an injury in his first training session as an Arsenal player.

Club captain Martin Odegaard also looks to be unavailable for selection due to suffering an injury while on international duty with Norway. National team doctor Ola Sand has suggested the midfielder will spend at least three weeks on the sidelines.

As a result of these issues, the Gunners find themselves worryingly light in midfield with Thomas Partey and Jorginho the only fit senior options. Ethan Nwaneri could step up and make his first senior start but this would be a huge risk for such a big game, given his lack of Premier League experience.

Kai Havertz and Oleksandr Zinchenko are both capable of playing in midfield but have grown accustomed to playing at centre-forward and left-back respectively so a positional move for either of the two could disrupt Arteta's tactics. Riccardo Calafiori faces a fitness test ahead of the game so it is likely Jurrien Timber will start at left-back.

The expected return of Gabriel Jesus could also accommodate a move into midfield for Havertz. However, no matter the remaining options and possibilities, Mikel Arteta faces some big decisions ahead of the North London Derby.

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