The big game is here and while many predicted that this would be the deciding match for the title, the inefficiencies of both the London teams has come to the fore and the game is now one that could decide who amongst Tottenham and Arsenal could be the closest challengers for Leicester.
Tottenham were poor in their last London derby against West Ham and rightly lost to a brilliant side set out by Slaven Bilic. West Ham were never going to be an easy team to play against and Tottenham were caught out, but Arsenal had no excuses and still ended up losing to Swansea at the Emirates, which severely dented their chances of winning the league title.
This North London derby isn’t just about pride anymore; it is about making it to the promised land of the Premier League title.
Team news:
Tottenham don’t have any fresh injury concerns to deal with, though the injuries to Jan Vertonghen and Moussa Dembele do seem to be affecting the side now, with more games being played. Tottenham will hope that Dele Alli is fit to start the game and continue his great form that has seen him almost become a sure shot for the England side for the Euros.
Arsenal were already limping with the injuries to Santi Cazorla and Laurent Koscielny but the major loss would be of Petr Cech who could be out till April. That would mean playing the not always reliable David Ospina and that is never a good thing for the Gunners, especially in the run up to the end of the season.
Probable starting line-ups:
Tottenham starting XI: Hugo Lloris, Kyle Walker, Toby Alderweireld, Kevin Wimmer, Danny Rose, Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Moussa Dembele, Nacer Chadli, Harry Kane
Arsenal starting XI: David Ospina, Hector Bellerin, Gabriel Paulista, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal, Francis Coquelin, Aaron Ramsey, Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud
Stats:
- Arsenal have beaten Tottenham just once in their last seven visits to White Hart Lane in the Premier League
- Harry Kane has scored twice in three games against the Gunners
- Arsenal haven’t lost four games in a row in all competitions since 2002
Form guide: Last five Premier League games (Right most game being the last one played)
Tottenham: WWWWL
Crystal Palace: DWWLL
Prediction:
This will be a tight and tense affair between the two sides and it should be a cagey game due to how much is on the line for the two sides. Tottenham are the home side and that could well be the reason why they just about squeak past Arsenal, and the fact that Petr Cech and Laurent Koscielny will be missing for the Gunners.
