MY ACCOUNT
Arsenal travel to Tottenham for a North London derby with extra spice as the local rivals battle for a spot in next season’s Champions League.
The Gunners have the edge and they make the short journey to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the back of four straight victories, the last of which was a 2-1 win over Leeds.
If they make it five in a row, their return to Europe’s top table will be secure.
But Spurs know they will likely need to win their final three games and will be keen to kick on having held title-chasing Liverpool to a 1-1 draw last Saturday.
Team news
Both sides have injuries to contend with heading into the game.
Matt Doherty, Sergio Reguilon, Japhet Tanganga and Oliver Skipp are all out for Tottenham and there is every chance Antonio Conte will name the same starting XI that drew with the Reds.
Arsenal will be without Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney, who will not return until August.
They also have a doubt over Ben White, who missed the victory against Leeds with a knock, but Mikel Arteta has described his fitness as “much better” and is likely to make a late call on his participation.
Match stats and facts
This game will be the defining fixture in deciding who finishes in the top four and it is Arsenal who hold all the aces.
Arteta’s men currently have 66 points from 35 games, four more than Tottenham, who have played the same number of matches.
But it could be argued that the hosts have the easier run-in, with Spurs set to face Burnley on Sunday before travelling to relegated Norwich on the final day.
North London derbies are often lively affairs and goals are usually a feature. In fact, both teams have scored in six of the pair’s last seven league meetings.
Tottenham are the joint-third highest home scorers in the top flight this season, while Arsenal are ranked joint-fourth most prolific in front of goal away from home.
Spurs have also netted three or more in four of their last five outings at home and the Gunners have netted a combined six times in their last two on the road.
Everyone knows about Harry Kane’s record against Arsenal but Heung-Min Son’s current form suggests he is the main man for Spurs.
The South Korean broke the deadlock at Anfield to record his ninth Premier League goal in his last seven matches and take him to within two of Mohamed Salah in the race for the Golden Boot.
Son, 29, has scored four times against the Gunners during his career, including earlier in the campaign, falling somewhat short of Kane’s 11 strikes against Spurs’ North London rivals.
But the England captain’s game has become more about assists in recent seasons.
While he has netted 13 times in the league, he has also added eight assists and there is still time for him to match his 14 from last term.
Predictions
A first win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would be very timely for Arsenal and they will be confident after dominating their neighbours at the Emirates.
Emile Smith Rowe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka were all on the scoresheet that day as they ran out 3-1 winners.
Plenty has changed in the Spurs camp since then, with Conte seemingly installing a winning mentality — and the way he set his side up at Anfield reiterated just how tactically sharp he is.
The Italian, who won the league with Chelsea, is sure to have something up his sleeve and his extra experience on Arteta may prove the difference.
