Tottenham will make the extremely short trip across North London to take on Arsenal in the Premier League today, and the hosts have no known injury absences to contend with.
I can’t recall the last time that we had 100% of our players available for selection for a single fixture, let alone a North London Derby day, but Arsenal.com confirms that the time has come.
Emile Smith Rowe was assessed ahead of the Europa League match on Thursday, and was deemed ready to return, coming off the bench in the 82nd minute, and he could well make his return to the starting line-up this evening.
Alex Runarsson was the only player missing in midweek due to no longer being registered to play in Europe, and returns to the squad today also.
Predicted XI:
Leno
Chambers Luiz Mari Tierney
Partey Xhaka
Saka Odegaard Smith Rowe
Aubameyang
READ MORE: Arsenal get huge boost ahead of North London Derby
Willian’s return to form could well see him have a chance of starting today, but I can’t help but feel like the young and exciting trio in behind Aubameyang is the favoured selection when fit.
Nicolas Pepe’s improved performances in recent months also give him a chance, but if all of our squad is 100% I struggle to overlook SOS.
Chambers was assured in the right-back role last week, and appears to offer a more sound defensive unit which could be needed against the likes of Harry Kane, Son and Bale this afternoon, and while I’m not sure I want Luiz to be starting today, I believe Arteta rates him ahead of Holding.
Who do you expect to line-up in attack? Which defensive pairing would you choose to stop our noisy neighbours today?
Patrick
I think the starters in Greece would start again today. We’d likely be okay if Kane is injured, since Spuds rely too much on his hold-up play and vision
It’s matchday!!!!! A win against them is long overdue – the last time was the 4-2 back in 2018!! What better way to get in the mood than go and watch the highlights of that game (again!!!) 🔴
COYG!!!! Come on Mikel, 3rd time lucky!!
For stats
1. Arsenal are winless in their last 5 meetings with spurs reads 3loss 2 draw
2. No arsenal manager have ever lost his first 3 London derby with spurs and no spurs manager has ever won 3 straight London derby against arsenal
Would rather see Cedric and Holding on the right side of our back four but suspect it’ll be Bellerin and Luiz.
NLD is always big but today feels huge. We can argue about needing a different manager or different players but what this team really needs is more intangible – a healthy dose of self-belief. Really feel a win today can kick us on to a strong finish on league and EL.
i don’t think the north London derby means as much to the players as it means to the fans…
We have so many foreign machineries who barely understands what it means to play in a north London derby..
Bellerin ,Gabriel and Willian ,for Mari chambers and the unlucky ESR.
Luiz and Gabriel our are best pairing at the back and all our best work in midweek came down the right so I see no reason why Bellerin would be left out unless Arteta is going to play boring defensive football again ,if that’s the case I suppose chambers starts .
Personally I wouldn’t be playing Odegaard ,my front 4 would be
Saka. ESR. Martinelli
Auba
Why is no one really talking about Ryan
i think Ryan should start ahead of Leno
Leno need to know that he has a competitor and also move away from the spotlight a bit….
He has been very poor even before his red card against wolves…..
I saw dean Henderson started for united instead of de gea against Manchester city and kept a clean sheet with his quick throw starting a counter attack that united scored from…
I don’t understand arteta’s squad management
Giving few players some games and minutes will only serve as a healthy competition and keep players up their feet….
A Chelsea fan told me that we looked different defensively from when Martinez played as our gk..
Martinez made the entire back line looking solid and ozzing confident
I believe that with a keeper like him we would have been within champions league places now…
The truth is i don’t believe that we would have won the fa cup without Martinez. He was as crucial as auba he marshalled the defense so well…
Leno is a good goolie but always put his defense under pressure and not commanding for a top team
Poor with his feet too….
Poor long pass, poor hand service for a quick counter, bad decisions even when playing short…
We should be rotating him with Ryan for few games
My opinion…
Because Leno is on the list of Arteta ‘ s favourite players.
Leno
Luiz
Bellerin
Xhaka
Willock
William
Nketiah
Ceballos
These are the players who can do no wrong before Arteta, but trust me they will get him sacked soon
I think we should nor rotate so much by doing so players cant form any relationships if they have to learn each others strengths this game then adapt to playing alongside some one else with different strength and weaknesses the next. I understand injuries can happen but we need consistency in order to establish these relationships.
It is highly unlikely Spurs and/or Arsenal will make top 4 from the league.
It is the EL which can save these club’s season and the respective team’s manager’s jobs.
So I think both managers can wring the changes and play all out attacking football.
Hoping for a high scoring free flowing game.
Ryan
Cedric Gabriel Luiz Tierney
Partey Odegaard
Pepe ESR Martinelli
Aubameyang.
I really like this line up
That’s Perfect starting XI, but it is a bit risky because that Midfield partnership has never tested it might be too weak. So for me it has to be
Partey _ Elneny
MŐ/ESR the rest is just perfect.
I like that line up ! That selection with a strong, belligerent, combative performance could overcome the spurs hoodoo. I don’t why people above are talking about Chambers’s. Whilst he might’ve been seen as a potential before arriving at Arsenal, he’s never ever lived up to the expectation and has been poor!
I prefer Cedric over Chambers and Bellerin as Cedric can defend first and foremost and is also very much attack minded.
I’m gonna try a reverse jinx on us today. I’m gonna say that the majority of our team are going to have a daymare against spurs. They’re gonna romp all over us and we’ll be lucky enough to get away with a hiding……….wink wink !
if its the same line up as in greece we are screwed … against anyone but a bunch of farm hands we would have been down at half time … spurs are more threatening and clinical even with moaners brand of defensive football and he will know that pressing a defence that wants to play out but cant do it properly will get him rewards .. we immediately looked more composed when ceballos came on even with his contribution to the goal … so cedric holding and mari at the back and ceballos to partner with partey only way to get a grip on this game
Big game let’s see what these players have can they turn up and do the buisness need to cut out this playing from the back does not benefit the team one bit trying to play that way if it happens again today and spuds score Arteta should be held responsible and shown the door! Hope for a win and best of all wipe the smile of Mourinho smug face that will be priceless!!
I think pepe can start this one because
He plays well against those big teams
But we are not playing a big team…….😜
Man for man spurs are better than us and that hurts saying it but we have to believe that at some time we will turn in a decent performance against one of the so called bigger clubs. If we can start really solid and not give away a silly goal I’m going for a 2-0 win 🤞
They are a better team man for man but still not a big team as Declan said
Absobloodylutely
I think it’s better we go by.. Leno, Defense:Tierney, Pabro, Luiz, soares, Chaka, Party, ESR, Odegaard,Saka then Ouba.. we may look better defensively and offensively
I don’t really know what nicolas pepe did to you guys
Whatever the lineup today, I am looking for a brave performance from the team today. Team need to put pressure on tottenham defence and not get caught playing out from the back or just playing it in the middle and defence for possession sake. if the team pressure tottenham defense they will crack big time. COYG
What about if we employ two goal keepers and have the rest of the team all camped in the 6 yard box then say to Spurs, ‘breaks us down now’ lol. Might be boring but surely we couldn’t get beat……could we lol🤔😅
I’m still going for the reverse jinx. We have a daymare. Players out of sorts and Spurs gives us a Tonkin! With the hope that my scorn actually goes against me and we win sublimely ! 👍
Team i’d like to see
Leno
Bellerin holding mari kt
Partey xhaka
Saka odegaard pepe
Auba
We should make one change with Willian out and ESR in. Rest let’s keep it same. We had a good win away from home so no point in changing. I agree with my fellow fans that Leno should be dropped for his errors in last few matches but unfortunately we don’t have good back up keeper. I don’t know what Arteta n Edu were smoking when they sold Martinez. This is more of a must win for us then spuds. I have this feeling from inside we will win this today and Arteta will have his tactics spot on.
i predict
Leno
Bellerin Luiz Gabriel KT
Partey Xhaka
Saka Odegaard Auba
Laca
i rather see Pepe tbh but don’t think he’ll start
Leno
Bellerin Luiz Gabriel Tierney
Partey Xhaka
Saka Oddegard Willian
Auba
This game is going to set how we finish the season. 5 games out of 11 are against oppositions above us in points table. The mentality shift that every player as well as manager puts in this match will decide how much they are willing to go further up the table or have they already given up?
Is it true Martinelli isn’t good enough to make the match day squad.
Today’s match is definitely going to be a cracker! guess what? Arsenal are winning this match if approached clinically and technically. No matter the line up, my only fear is Luis. Tiernly, auber, Saka, ESR, Gabriel, Partey, Pablo,Holding, and Martinez or Leno should start tonight.
So annoying when you say “confirmed” line up in your heading, then” predicted” in the piece. Don’t be that arsehole.
It says “confirmed team news” and also “predicted XI” in the title.
Okay, YOU can be that arsehole….