Set-pieces & midfield issues - where north London derby could be won

The rivalry betwixt Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal resumes connected Sunday pinch nan first northbound London derby of nan season.

It will beryllium nan 175th convention gathering betwixt nan clubs, pinch nan Gunners victorious successful 71 of them.

BBC Sport takes a person look astatine nan statistic down nan derby and examines wherever nan cardinal battles could be.

Arsenal won 3-2 erstwhile nan sides met astatine Tottenham Hotspur Stadium successful April.

It was their 2nd successive triumph astatine Spurs, nan first clip since September 1988 they had won consecutive top-flight matches astatine nan location of their fiercest rival.

Prior to winning location successful nan past 2 seasons they had only won 2 of their erstwhile 17 distant games against Spurs successful nan Premier League (D6 L9).

Recent results propose nan astir apt result from this fixture is simply a triumph for 1 of nan sides, because conscionable 1 of Tottenham's past 49 Premier League location games has been drawn (2-2 v Manchester United successful April 2023), and nary of nan past 22 (W15 L7).

Of each nan grounds successful Premier League history, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - which opened successful 2019 - has witnessed nan lowest percent of draws (9% - 9/101) and remarkably has yet to big a goalless convention game.

Arsenal spell into nan crippled depleted successful a cardinal area, pinch Declan Rice suspended and skipper Martin Odegaard set to beryllium missing for 3 weeks aft injuring his ankle connected world duty.

New signing Mikel Merino is besides ruled retired pinch a fractured shoulder, leaving Mikel Arteta pinch a problem to lick successful midfield.

Rice has been superb pinch nan shot truthful acold this season, boasting a passing accuracy of 97.1% - amended than immoderate different top-flight subordinate to person featured for astatine slightest 90 minutes truthful acold this term.

The nonaccomplishment of Odegaard would mean nan nonaccomplishment of their astir imaginative spark, pinch nary Arsenal subordinate having created much chances than nan Norwegian since nan commencement of past season.

The astir evident campaigner to travel into midfield is Jorginho.

Last season, nan Italy midfielder played much successful passes into nan last 3rd per 90 minutes than immoderate different Arsenal subordinate (average 23.9), and his expertise to play meticulous passes complete nan apical could beryllium an plus against Tottenham's precocious line.

Leandro Trossard could capable Odegaard's domiciled down Kai Havertz, which whitethorn let Raheem Sterling to make his debut arsenic portion of nan 3 down nan striker on pinch Bukayo Saka.

"No coach likes it erstwhile you miss 1 aliases 2 of nan astir important players successful your team," erstwhile Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas told nan Planet Premier League podcast.

"When Manchester City aliases Liverpool miss apical players they still woody pinch it successful nan champion mode but not really missing them and Arsenal request to get to this level arsenic well.

"I can't retrieve an Arsenal crippled successful nan past 2 aliases 3 seasons without Odegaard successful nan squad and much precocious Rice.

"They are important players but large teams are made of large squads and they will request to beryllium they are fresh to situation nan difficult moments arsenic well."

There has besides been talk 17-year-old midfielder Ethan Nwaneri could play a portion for nan Gunners connected Sunday.

"I person nary doubts if Mikel puts him successful nan starting 11 aliases moreover during nan game, it's because he's seen that he's bully capable to make an impact," added Fabregas.

"Obviously, nan consequences of Rice and Odegaard being retired makes it a small spot faster than possibly what he would person liked.

"If he's portion of nan squad, it's because he [Arteta] really believes he tin bring thing to nan table."

It has been a mixed commencement to nan play for Tottenham pinch a loss, a tie and a triumph from their 3 games.

However, each 3 could easy person been victories. Against Leicester City and Newcastle United they created plentifulness of chances but were incapable to put them away, resulting successful a tie and conclusion respectively.

They person had 48 shots truthful acold this play - arsenic galore arsenic Manchester City and Liverpool - pinch only Nottingham Forest managing much (53).

They will nary uncertainty look to onslaught early, arsenic they person done successful different games this term. In their opening tie pinch Leicester they had 7 corners successful nan first 19 minutes, underlining their high-tempo start.

"I deliberation Tottenham will person a existent belief they tin spell and triumph this game," said erstwhile Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha.

"A guidance to losing to Newcastle earlier nan world break will beryllium key, not slightest of each to beryllium successful your location stadium."

Fabregas added: "Tottenham are a squad who are increasing and playing very, very bully football.

"They are very difficult to play against because they for illustration to person possession and create chances, truthful you person to beryllium coagulated defensively."

The first gathering betwixt these 2 sides past play ended successful a 2-2 tie astatine Emirates Stadium, pinch Saka connected target for Arsenal and Son Heung-min scoring for Tottenham.

Both players are expected to beryllium cardinal erstwhile again connected Sunday.

Son loves nan northbound London derby. He has scored 8 goals against Arsenal successful each competitions. Only Harry Kane (14), Emmanuel Adebayor (10) and Bobby Smith (10) person netted much than nan South Korea striker successful nan fixture.

Meanwhile, Saka scored location and distant goals against Tottenham successful nan Premier League past season.

The only Arsenal players to people successful 3 aliases much consecutive northbound London derby appearances successful nan title are Adebayor (five betwixt 2006 and 2008) and Robert Pires (four betwixt 2002 and 2004).

Both had akin attacking statistic past season, pinch Son having nan flimsy separator by scoring 1 much extremity than Saka (17-16) and providing 1 much assistance (10-9).

Arsenal were deadly from set-piece situations past season, scoring 22 times from them - much than immoderate different team.

That is doubly nan magnitude Tottenham managed, pinch Spurs conceding 16 times from dormant balls past word including 2 successful nan 3-2 conclusion against Arsenal. Only Sheffield United, Luton Town and Nottingham Forest conceded more.

The Gunners person seen a large betterment successful this area since set-piece master Nicolas Jover joined successful 2021.

In nan 111 matches earlier Jover's arrival, Arsenal scored a extremity each 32 corners. In nan 111 fixtures since his arrival, they person recovered nan nett each 16 corners - a important improvement.

We are only 3 games into this season, truthful a minimal magnitude tin beryllium publication into immoderate team's set-piece spot this campaign, but Arsenal are yet to people from 1 but Tottenham have.

However, Spurs leader Ange Postecoglou has antecedently indicated that set-pieces - some defending them and scoring from them - is not thing he is overly concerned about.

"I'm not interested," he said successful May., external "Never person been. Not successful nan least.

"It's not nan first clip I've been questioned astir set-pieces successful my coaching career. There is an underlying logic for that, which I'm very, very comfortable with."

For nan first clip successful 38 years, Arsenal will deterioration their distant kit aft their red-and-white location garment was deemed to conflict pinch Tottenham's colours.

The Gunners will usage their achromatic distant portion astatine Tottenham Hotspur Stadium aft referees' assemblage Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said their location garment "features excessively overmuch white".

Arsenal besides said wearing their location garment pinch reddish shorts and socks was discussed but not agreed on.

As portion of PGMOL's decision, Tottenham will besides deterioration their distant kit erstwhile they sojourn Emirates Stadium successful nan reverse fixture successful January.