Arsenal take on Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby in what is a massive game for both clubs.
The Gunners are challenging for the Premier League title, and almost every fixture is a must-win. They dropped points against Brighton before the international break, which was not ideal at all.
That puts more pressure on Mikel Arteta to get a result in the North London Derby, but Arsenal could be without seven players for the game at Tottenham.
Declan Rice is suspended after his red card against Brighton, while Martin Odegaard is likely to be ruled out for a month due to his ankle injury.
Arteta has a few selection headaches going into the derby now.
Predicted Arsenal XI vs Tottenham for the North London Derby
Injuries and Rice’s suspension have put Arsenal in a really difficult position, but the Gunners still have enough firepower to get the job done against Tottenham.
David Raya will continue in goal behind Ben White, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. Arteta has a few options at left-back, but we think he will go with Jurrien Timber.
In midfield, we expect Thomas Partey and Jorginho to start together for the first time ever, and they have huge Rice-sized boots to fill.
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Odegaard’s injury is a massive blow for the Gunners, especially as Arteta decided to sell Emile Smith Rowe and loan out Fabio Vieira in the summer.
Ethan Nwaneri is an option to replace Odegaard, but we think this game is a bit too early for him. So, we expect Arteta to go with Leandro Trossard there.
Bukayo Saka is a guaranteed starter on the right wing, while Kai Havertz is likely to lead the line again at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
On the left, we expect Raheem Sterling to get his debut, and his pace could cause Tottenham’s high-line all sorts of problems on Sunday.
Predicted Arsenal XI vs Tottenham: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Jorginho, Partey, Trossard, Saka, Havertz, Sterling.
As we mentioned above, as many as seven Arsenal players could be ruled out of the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Rice is suspended, so he’s definitely out, while Odegaard’s nasty ankle injury is expected to keep him on the sidelines for a few weeks.
Riccardo Calafiori is a big doubt having suffered a calf issue while on international duty, while Gabriel Jesus could also miss the game due to the groin issue that has kept him out since after the first game of the season.
The long-term absentees, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney, are both expected to be out for the derby on Sunday as well.
The odds are definitely against Arsenal, but if they take their chances against Spurs, there is every chance Arteta will come away with a win.