Preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal – stats, team news, line-ups

Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal will headline this weekend’s fixture schedule with both sides going head-to-head in what’s expected to be a fiery North London derby.

Spurs will host their arch-nemesis with a new manager in the dugout after Igor Tudor was appointed to succeed Thomas Frank on an interim basis.

A 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United in their most recent Premier League outing sealed Frank’s fate, and Tudor will be determined to get off to a winning start.

That’ll be easier said than done against the league leaders, although Arsenal’s recent wobbles, combined with Tottenham’s new manager bounce, spell trouble for the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta watched as his side squandered a two-goal lead against basement club Wolverhampton Wanderers. It remains to be seen if Arsenal can return to winning ways behind enemy lines.

Match Preview

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host a potential title-decider this weekend, with Spurs looking to pile on Arsenal’s misery and throw yet another massive wrench in their title hopes.

An article from WhiteHeartLane revealed that Tudor has already received a vote of confidence from his countryman Slaven Bilic, who has told Spurs fans to expect “attractive football”.

Whether that’ll help Tottenham’s chances remains to be seen, given their appalling record against Arsenal. But it’s worth noting that Tudor has an excellent debut record.

The Croatian manager has won his debut match in each of his last five clubs – a run that started with his second spell at Hajduk Split in February 2020.

Tottenham fans will also be hoping Tudor hits the ground running, with Spurs still looking for their first Premier League victory so far in 2026 (D4, L4).

It’s their longest winless run from the start of a calendar year since 1994 (10), and there’s a decent chance they could get closer to that record on Sunday.

Arteta admitted it was a “tough night” at Molineux Stadium and will demand a response from his side following their humiliating 2-2 draw with Wolves.

The Gunners missed a chance to extend their lead at the summit to seven points. They now sit five points above title rivals Manchester City, having played one more game.

Match Stats

Tudor will be the second Tottenham manager to kick off his tenure in the North London derby after Glenn Hoddle, who lost 2-1 in the FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford in April 2001.

While he’ll be keen to avoid a similar fate, the fact that Spurs have lost their last three league games against Arsenal on home turf doesn’t help his cause.

In fact, he could mark his Spurs debut by going down in the history books, but for the wrong reasons.

Tottenham haven’t lost four consecutive games against Arsenal in over seven decades.

Meanwhile, the short trip across town could be the pick-me-up Arsenal need to reignite their title challenge, having won six of their last seven league meetings with Spurs (D1).

The Gunners are currently enjoying a four-match winning streak against their rivals and will be keen to make it five in a row for the first time in nearly four decades.

Arsenal’s fantastic record against Tottenham could also reinforce their confidence ahead of the crucial six-pointer. The last time they lost a league game to Tottenham was in May 2022.

Fulham are the only other London team to beat Arsenal outside the Emirates Stadium since then, with the Gunners winning 14 of their subsequent 21 away derbies in the league (D6).

Team News

Tottenham have been handed a timely boost ahead of Sunday’s North London derby with Brazilian striker Richarlison spotted in training.

Tudor will still be unable to call on a host of Tottenham players, including Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Ben Davies, Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogie, Kevin Danso, James Maddison, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski.

He’ll also be without captain Cristian Romero, who is serving a four-match ban.

Arsenal also have a few injury concerns of their own, particularly with Bukayo Saka set for another spell on the sidelines. Mikel Merino, Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossad, and Martin Odegaard are also in doubt.

Tottenham potential starting line-up:

(3-4-2-1): Guglielmo Vicario; Micky van de Ven, Radu Dragusin, Joao Palhinha; Djed Spence, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, Archie Gray; Randal Kolo Muani, Xavi Simons; Dominic Solanke.

Arsenal potential starting line-up:

(4-3-3): David Raya; Piero Hincapie, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber; Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice; Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke.

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