Tottenham v Arsenal LIVE: Latest score as Gabriel Martinelli wastes gilt-edged chance in north London derby
Spurs host the first North London derby of the season on Sunday as Arsenal visit looking to remind the league of their title credentials
Tottenham Hotspur face Arsenal in the first north London derby of the season on Sunday, as the Premier League continues its return after the international break.
Ange Postecoglou’s side have had a mixed start to the new season, with a draw in their opening fixture followed by a convincing win against Everton and a disappointing loss to Newcastle. And they host an Arsenal side who started the season in fine fashion – with two commanding wins from two – before slipping to a frustrating draw against Brighton in the last match before the international break.
Mikel Arteta’s side will be without Declan Rice and potentially Martin Odegaard, but both sides should otherwise be at full strength as they gear up for what promises to be a fiery contest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Follow all the latest build-up, score updates and reaction from the Premier League fixtures below.
Arsenal line-up
Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber; Partey, Jorginho, Havertz; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.
Subs: Neto, Kiwior, Kacurri, Heaven, Lewis-Skelly, Sterling, Nwaneri, Jesus, Kabia.
Spurs line-up
Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son.
Subs: Forster, Spence, Davies, Dragusin, Gray, Sarr, Bergvall, Odobert, Werner.
How will Mikel Arteta set Arsenal up?
The big question today is how Arsenal set up without Declan Rice and likely without their captain, Martin Odegaard.
Jorginho will likely come into midfield to ease the loss of Rice, and he would probably start alongside Thomas Partey.
Odegaard is arguably a bigger loss though, with the Gunners captain also acting as their main creative spark. One interesting option – especially if Gabriel Jesus is fit – could be dropping Havertz into Odegaard’s role, or in a more attacking role as a traditional ‘10’ – where the German started his career for Bayer Leverkusen.
Alternatively, Leandro Trossard could play the advanced midfield role, or even start up top if Havertz was moved back. An even more surprising move would be if Arteta were to have faith in 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, who has long been rated as one of the most promising prospects at the club.
Additionally, it will be interesting to see if we get the first glimpses of Raheem Sterling in an Arsenal shirt today.
Line-ups are expected at around 12.45pm.
Talking points: Can Spurs build on a mixed start to the season?
Spurs have won one, drawn one and lost one in their first three games this season, so it is a mixed start for a side that promised much in Postecoglou’s first season in charge.
But, like last season, Spurs have played well for the most part but have had lapses in concentration and quality that have cost them.
A disappointing draw in their opener away at Leicester was followed by a thrilling 4-0 win over Everton, but Spurs then slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle before the international break.
Today will be their toughest test so far, but it would certainly be a marker to their rivals if Spurs could grab a win.
However, it would pose more questions around the side and Postecoglou, mainly regarding why their form is so up-and-down for prolonged periods despite having a squad that boasts plenty of quality.
Arteta v Postecoglou
Postecoglou is yet to beat Mikel Arteta, with Spurs having drawn and lost to Arsenal last season.
The two teams drew 2-2 at the Emirates just under a year ago, before a 3-2 thriller went Arsenal’s way in April at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Ange Postecoglou: I’d be disappointed if Spurs wanted derby win more than usual
“I don’t feel any more pressure because there was pressure in that (Man City) game. I want to win every game,” Postecoglou said.
“I don’t care who we are playing. Let’s go out and play each other. I would want to beat you!
“I really would hate to think there are players in the dressing room who want to win this game more than any others.
“Or prepare differently or try harder in this game than any other, because that’s not the way forward. We understand the significance of it because if we do win, our supporters will be over the moon.
“I understand that if we don’t win, they are going to be devastated, but if we prepare this game differently than any other, then I’m disappointed because I want to win every time. That’s the only way you can be successful.
“I make no apologies for that. I’m not going to prepare any different for this game than I did against Newcastle or I will against Coventry.
“I want to win all the time and I want our club to win all the time. And if you do that then, yeah, if you beat your rivals in a big derby game then everyone gets excited and everyone feels great, but I want more than that.”
Ange Postecoglou: I’d be disappointed if Spurs wanted derby win more than usual
Ange Postecoglou understands the significance of Sunday’s visit of Arsenal, but would be disappointed if his Tottenham players wanted to win this match more than next week’s trip to Coventry.
Spurs have failed to taste success in any of the last four north London derby fixtures, with Mikel Arteta able to turn the Gunners into Premier League title contenders in recent years.
Postecoglou largely enjoyed a positive debut campaign in England but found himself at odds with sections of the Spurs fanbase in May when Manchester City visited N17.
City made the trip to Tottenham on May 14 with home supporters conflicted, given a positive result for Spurs would have put Arsenal in the driving seat to win the title, but the visitors ran out narrow 2-0 winners.
Nevertheless, Postecoglou wants his squad to go into every match with the same desire.
Ange Postecoglou: I’d be disappointed if Spurs wanted derby win more than usual
The Australian coach is unwavering in his belief that Spurs are on the right path under his management.
Ange Postecoglou feels Tottenham can bridge gap to Man City and Arsenal quickly
Ange Postecoglou knows it will not be easy for Tottenham to close the gap on last season’s Premier League top two but believes they can achieve it quickly.
Spurs finished 25 and 23 points behind champions Manchester City and runners-up Arsenal respectively last season despite a largely positive debut campaign for Postecoglou.
Arsenal make the short trip across north London to face Tottenham on Sunday and Postecoglou is firm in his belief they can bridge the gap to Mikel Arteta’s title challengers.
He said: “You have to acknowledge it. That’s the starting point. If you think there isn’t a massive gap, then it kind of defeats the purpose.
“That shouldn’t be daunting. It shouldn’t make you think it’s insurmountable. I certainly don’t think it is.
“I think that gap that exists between us and the top teams, we can bridge and we can bridge very quickly if we stay disciplined and focused on what we’re trying to do.
“Improve our squad, improve the way we play our football, allow our group to learn to win on a consistent basis and what that requires. And that sometimes means missteps along the way,” he added.
Mikel Arteta signs new Arsenal contract
Some of the big news in the lead-up to this weekend has been Mikel Arteta’s decision to sign a new three-year contract with Arsenal, committing his future to the club until 2027.
The Spaniard, who has been in charge since late 2019, had entered the final 12 months of his previous deal at the start of the season.
Arteta has helped transform Arsenal’s ambitions since replacing Unai Emery, leading the club to Premier League title challenges in each of the last two seasons.
Upon announcement of the extension, Arteta said: “I feel extremely proud, very excited, and I am looking forward to what is coming next. I’m proud to be where I am and have the relationships that I have with everyone at the club.
“I feel extremely lucky to work every single day with good people and the ambition we have here. I feel very inspired, I feel challenged, I feel supported and I want to do much more than what we’ve already done together.
“Together with the players and everyone at the club, we are looking forward to the coming years, with our supporters, who have emotionally transformed the club and the team. Our supporters have transformed individuals and we are different now. You can tell that we are different and for me, that is down to them. We look forward to continuing the journey together.”
Arteta will hope it’s third time lucky this season as he challenges Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for the title once again.
Arsenal have quality in their squad to cope with absentees – Ange Postecoglou
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has warned his squad not to expect to face a weakened Arsenal team on Sunday.
The Gunners will definitely be without midfielder Declan Rice due to suspension, while summer recruit Mikel Merino is sidelined with a shoulder injury and captain Martin Odegaard is expected to miss out after he sustained an ankle issue on international duty with Norway.
However, Postecoglou bristled at the notion it could be a good opportunity for Spurs to face their north London rivals, who have finished second in each of the last two Premier League seasons.
“God, that’s a hell of a trap to fall into if you think they’re reliant on two players,” Postecoglou said. “Two important players, but we were missing key players last year as well and we still managed to give significant performances”.
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