Arsenal Insider

Arsenal are set to take on Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby, and they are very familiar opponents for attacker Kai Havertz.

Havertz has been outstanding as a centre-forward in 2024, and will hope to continue his strong start to the season with a goal against Arsenal’s biggest rivals.

The German is very familiar with the significance of Arsenal’s rivalry with Tottenham, having also played against them with Chelsea, and Havertz netted in last season’s victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Havertz is now playing alongside former Chelsea teammates Jorginho and Raheem Sterling, with the latter in line to make his Arsenal debut after joining on loan on deadline day.

Arsenal are set to come up against another one of Havertz’s former Chelsea teammates, and compatriot Timo Werner in the clash with Spurs, but the 25-year-old will not be in the mood for any friendly greetings.

Arsenal star Kai Havertz does not speak to Tottenham players

In an interview ahead of the North London derby, Havertz was asked whether he had spoken to Werner, but the Arsenal star gave an answer which fans will love.

“I don’t speak to Spurs players now,” Havertz replied.

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Havertz and Werner both joined Chelsea at the same time, as teammates in the German National Team, and have played against each other in the Bundesliga and the Premier League, with Werner coming off the bench in Arsenal’s win at Spurs last season.

Kai Havertz’s record against Tottenham Hotspur

Havertz performed superbly in the 3-2 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last season, assisting Bukayo Saka’s goal before heading in from a corner to make it 3-0 before half time.

In eight appearances against Spurs for Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea and Arsenal, Havertz has scored twice and provided one assist, with his other goal coming for Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.

In the potential absence of Martin Odegaard, Havertz may be forced to drop into midfield, but he will nevertheless hope to make an impact in another huge game for Arsenal.

Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit seems to have angered former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O’Hara just before the North London Derby.

Mikel Arteta and Ange Postecoglou’s men will both be going into the fixture looking for a win, and it could be a great game to watch.

Spurs have a better chance on Sunday than they have had in recent years because as many as seven Arsenal players could miss the North London Derby.

That is a big advantage for them, but Arsenal legend Petit believes the Gunners’ problems will have no bearing on the result whatsoever.

Jamie O’Hara reacts to Emmanuel Petit’s Arsenal and Tottenham combined XI

Petit left Arsenal over two decades ago, but he still remembers how fierce the rivalry is between the Gunners and Tottenham.

The legendary Frenchman, who won a number of trophies including the World Cup, played in plenty of derbies in his career, and he’s a great judge of players.

On talkSPORT, Petit was asked about his prediction for the upcoming North London Derby. Instead of giving a straight answer, he told Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent to name how many Spurs players would get into an Arsenal and Tottenham combined XI.

With Martin Odegaard expected to miss the game and Declan Rice suspended, those two players were not taken into consideration.

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Even then, only Heung-min Son and James Maddison made the cut.

“So maybe two (Spurs) players maximum (get into Arsenal’s team), even when Odegaard and Declan Rice are not there! So you have your answer (on who will win).”

O’Hara, who is a big Tottenham fan, was not happy at all.

He said on talkSPORT: “I think he’s talking garbage and I can’t believe I’m saying that about Emmanuel Petit because he’s literally one of the legends!

“Two players? What’s he talking about? How many Arsenal players get into Spurs’ team?”

O’Hara thinks six Tottenham players would get into Arsenal’s team

We don’t know what O’Hara is so upset about, Petit is absolutely right!

Son is the only Tottenham player who would even get close to the Arsenal team when everyone’s fit. Maddison could get the nod if Odegaard’s unavailable, but if not, he’s not getting anywhere near Arteta’s side.

We completely agree with Petit here, but O’Hara, to defend himself, has come up with his own combined XI, and we think it is absolutely ridiculous.

The pundit picked Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro in defence, with Yves Bissouma, Maddison and Son also in the side.

O’Hara believes only David Raya, William Saliba, Thomas Partey, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz would get into this Spurs side, which is simply absurd.

The three Spurs defenders he has picked conceded 61 goals in the Premier League in the 2023/24 season, which is more than twice as many as Arsenal’s backline did.

Bissouma is a decent player, but he doesn’t even get close to Partey if both players are fully fit.

O’Hara claimed that Petit’s combined XI is ‘garbage’, but we think he should have a long, hard look at his team before commenting on a World Cup winner’s opinion.

Arsenal have a few problems going into the game against Tottenham Hotspur.

Mikel Arteta seemed really positive in his press conference on Friday, but the Spaniard knows it’s not ideal to have multiple concerns regarding player availability.

As many as seven Arsenal players could be ruled out of the Tottenham clash on Sunday, and that is a massive blow.

One of those players is Declan Rice, who is suspended for the North London Derby following his red card against Brighton and Hove Albion.

One thing nobody is talking about as Declan Rice will miss Tottenham vs Arsenal clash

Everybody knows that Rice will be a huge miss for Arsenal against Tottenham on Sunday.

The Englishman is up there with the best midfielders in the world. He’s great on the ball, solid without it, and his presence in the middle of the park makes the Gunners incredibly strong.

However, Rice will not be available for the North London Derby, and with that, Arsenal will lose one of their biggest weapons – no, we’re not talking about his role as a midfielder.

Since the turn of 2024, one of Arsenal’s smartest decisions has been to make Rice their primary right-footed set-piece taker.

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The former West Ham man has been absolutely sensational in that role, and his corners are so good that they cause opposition defenders all sorts of problems.

Even in the North London Derby at Tottenham last season, Rice’s corner led to Arsenal’s third goal – a great header from Kai Havertz.

Nobody’s really talking about how big a miss Rice’s set-piece deliveries will be. It will be interesting to see what Arteta and Nicolas Jover have planned to fill that void on Sunday.

Arsenal’s set-piece takers with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard out

Among Arsenal’s usual set-piece takers are Rice and Martin Odegaard, and it looks like both players will miss the North London Derby on Sunday.

We think Bukayo Saka will take over Odegaard’s duties – the Arsenal number seven already takes the corners from the right side, and he is pretty good at them.

As for Arsenal’s right-footed options to replace Rice, Arteta has a few choices, but we’re not sure if anyone can whip the ball in like the England midfielder does.

Gabriel Martinelli used to take the corners before Rice arrived and he could be tasked with that again. Leandro Trossard is another option, while Raheem Sterling could also do the job if he plays.

It will be interesting to see who Arteta will go with, but we think Rice’s absence is a massive blow against this Tottenham side who are awful at defending set-pieces.

Arsenal’s bitter rivalry with Tottenham Hotspur dates back over 100 years, but the red side of North London has almost always been dominant throughout this time.

Historically, Arsenal are the bigger and more successful club than Spurs, in terms of trophies and global fanbase, and Mikel Arteta has reestablished league dominance over Tottenham in the last two seasons.

Arsenal’s size and popularity across the globe also means that plenty of current footballers all over the Premier League grew up supporting the club.

Current players will have spent their childhoods watching Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, with the likes of Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas inspiring generations of footballers, and this even includes some current Spurs players.

Tottenham’s record goalscorer Harry Kane was notably an Arsenal fan who came through the youth system at the club, whilst other former players including Serge Aurier and Darren Bent have also admitted that they supported the Gunners before or even after their spells at Spurs.

Four current Spurs stars did grow up supporting Arsenal, and it will be interesting to see how they fare in the upcoming North London Derby.

Dominic Solanke grew up supporting Arsenal

Spurs spent a record £65m to sign Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke this summer, but fans saw the funny side as his previous comments about Arsenal emerged.

“Would have probably been Arsenal,” Solanke replied when asked what his first football shirt was.

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“Yeah, my dad was an Arsenal fan, so I used to follow them. I went to a few Emirates Cups, back in the day.

“Back in the day, when you’re young, you love watching football and stuff. When you actually, like, grow up and you start playing against the teams, it’s a bit hard to support a team.”

Solanke has failed to score, assist or win in five games for Bournemouth against Arsenal, and it is hoped that this streak will continue as he returns from injury for his first North London Derby.

What Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison previously said about Arsenal

Before Arsenal signed Martin Odegaard in the summer of 2021, they were heavily linked with Leicester City midfielder James Maddison, who then moved to Spurs two years later.

Fans were quick to point out a series of now-deleted posts on X from the England International, in which he praised Arsenal players and slammed Spurs sensation Gareth Bale over 10 years ago.

“I hate Gareth Bale with a passion, calm down you monkey, [Jack] Wilshere is 10x better than you chimpanzee,” Maddison tweeted on 17th November 2012, the same day as Arsenal’s second 5-2 victory over Spurs at the Emirates Stadium.

“Hope Luis Suarez destroys Tottenham today, don’t like Spurs! Especially that monkey everyone’s on about!” He posted a few months later.

However, it is unclear whether his previous dislike for Spurs does make him an Arsenal fan despite all evidence pointing towards it, as he denied any Arsenal links shortly after joining Spurs.

“I’ve never in my life been a Gooner, just for the record,” he commented on his Instagram early on in his Spurs career.

Dejan Kulusevski admitted his love for Arsenal

Tottenham winger Dejan Kulusevski had a fast start in North London after arriving in January 2022, but has been fairly inconsistent since.

Nevertheless, the Swedish winger is talented, and given his position and nationality, he has been compared with Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg.

Kulusevski probably grew up idolizing Ljungberg, and he has actually admitted his admiration for The Gunners on several occasions.

“My favourite team is Arsenal because I like everything about the club, the city, the players and the way they play football,” he stated on the Swedish Lundh Podcast early on in his career in Serie A.

Kulusevski then caused fury as he hinted at his desire to play for Arsenal whilst still at Spurs. He joined Tottenham on an initial loan with an obligation to buy, but before the permanent deal was confirmed, he hinted that he would one day love to play on the other side of the North London divide.

“There’s one team I’ve always wanted to play for, and I think I will play there one day. But I don’t want to say what team it is because it’s sensitive stuff. But people close to me know,” he stated in the summer of 2022.

Who knows, perhaps we could see Kulusevski follow the path of Sol Campbell, in playing for both Arsenal and Tottenham.

Yves Bissouma has previous connections with Arsenal

Before he joined Spurs, Arsenal were interested in signing Yves Bissouma from Brighton, and it was reported at the time that he was a fan of the club.

Bissouma even played alongside Gabriel Magalhaes at Lille, but he ended up joining Tottenham two years ago.

The midfielder did anger Arsenal fans back in 2019, as he was pictured laughing at the crestfallen players after Unai Emery’s side drew with Brighton, costing them a place in the top four, despite his boyhood admiration for the Gunners, and it is easy to see why a move never materialised.

Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur welcome Arsenal for the North London Derby on Sunday.

The two sides share a very fierce rivalry, and anything but a win for the two clubs, especially Arsenal, will be viewed as a disappointing result.

Mikel Arteta will go for the win on Sunday, but Arsenal could be without seven players for the North London Derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

That, in all likelihood, makes them weaker, but Postecoglou is just not prepared to allow his players to think that way ahead of the big game.

Ange Postecoglou reacts to Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard missing Tottenham vs Arsenal

Arsenal will definitely be without Declan Rice when they face Tottenham because the Englishman is suspended following his red card against Brighton.

That is a huge blow in itself, but unfortunately for the Gunners, there’s more bad news.

Martin Odegaard could be out for a month due to an ankle injury he suffered while playing for Norway against Austria.

Everyone will agree that Arsenal are weaker without Rice and Odegaard in their side, but Postecoglou is having none of that.

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The Tottenham boss still believes the Gunners are ‘very strong’, and he has claimed that if his players think Arsenal will be weak without Odegaard and Rice, Spurs will get ‘punished’.

When asked if Rice and Odegaard’s unavailability gives Tottenham an advantage, Postecoglou said as relayed on HaytersTV: “That’s a hell of a trap to fall into if you think they’re relying on just two players.

“Yeah, they are two important players, we were missing key players last year as well but we still managed to have significant performances.

“I think it seems like Arsenal, like I said have been very, very consistent over the last two years, can fill whatever gaps they have, they’ve got some good quality in their squad. The key for us is to focus on our performance.”

Postecoglou further added: “If you go in there thinking they are going to be somehow weak, I think you’re going to get punished. I think we go in there thinking and believing they are very strong, which I think they will be.

“We’ve got to be at our best. We know, at our best and playing the football we can, we can match with them.”

How Arsenal could beat Tottenham in the North London Derby

Postecoglou has definitely improved Tottenham since he took charge of the club, and as annoying as it is to say, Spurs are a good side now.

However, there are still some very obvious weaknesses that Arsenal could exploit.

Individually, Tottenham’s first-choice backline of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie are very good, but collectively, they can be a mess.

In the 2023/24 season, Spurs conceded 61 goals in 38 games – that’s over twice as many as Arsenal did in the entire campaign.

Tottenham play a high line that often gets them in trouble. If Arteta’s midfielders can get the ball in behind those defenders and release the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Raheem Sterling, Arsenal will destroy Spurs.

Arsenal will definitely have chances in the derby on Sunday. All they need to do is convert them.

Ethan Nwaneri is in contention to feature for Arsenal when they face Tottenham Hotspur.

The first North London Derby of the season is scheduled to take place on Sunday, and it is a massive game for both clubs.

Spurs will fancy their chances because as many as seven Arsenal players could be ruled out of the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Martin Odegaard has suffered an ankle injury, and the Norwegian will likely be the biggest miss for the Gunners. However, that could open the door for Nwaneri.

Mikel Arteta hails Ethan Nwaneri’s maturity ahead of Tottenham vs Arsenal

Nwaneri is one of the biggest talents Arsenal’s academy has produced in recent years.

The versatile attacker, still only 17 years old, broke the Premier League record by becoming the youngest player to make an appearance in the history of the competition.

There’s real excitement at Arsenal around Nwaneri, who had a really impressive pre-season tour of the United States earlier this summer.

Now, with Odegaard injured, Nwaneri could be an option for Arsenal against Tottenham in the North London Derby on Sunday.

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Arteta, as he always does, kept his cards close to his chest when asked about the teenager playing against Spurs, but he admitted that he has seen ‘huge development’ in Nwaneri with respect to his maturity and understanding of the game.

He said, as per The Standard: “Huge development! I think big credit to everybody working in the academy, the coaches starting with Jack (Wilshere), Mehmet (Ali), all the coaches around him, Per (Mertesacker), that have prepared the player to be in the right position right now to shine and be prepared for the different context, and obviously the demands that he is going to be facing right now.

“He’s been doing really well, physically very mature, personally really mature, his game understanding has improved a lot. And then let him do. He has an enormous quality, a lot of talent and he needs the space to shine.”

When asked if Nwaneri could play a part in the derby, Arteta said in the live section of his press conference, as relayed on HaytersTV: “The young kids have given us a lot of hope and a lot of right reasons as well to count on them.

“If we need to, we will do it, for sure.”

Should Nwaneri start vs Tottenham in the North London Derby?

Odegaard’s absence is a significant blow for Arsenal ahead of what will likely be their toughest test of the 2024/25 season so far.

The Norwegian is the man who usually runs the show for the Gunners, but Arteta will have to find someone else to do it on Sunday.

Nwaneri is definitely an option, and for the reasons Arteta mentioned above, he has the quality to have a positive impact in the game.

However, throwing a 17-year-old into a high-pressure North London Derby away from home just seems a bit too risky for us.

We’d rather see Nwaneri come off the bench against Tottenham than start on Sunday.

Arsenal may have got one over Tottenham Hotspur before the North London Derby.

The two sides are scheduled to face each other on Sunday in what is a huge game. Both Mikel Arteta and Ange Postecoglou will be going for the win, and any other result will be viewed as a disappointing one.

All eyes are on what will happen in the derby, but the Gunners have reportedly done something that cost Spurs the chance of signing one of their top targets.

Arsenal fans will love this!

Tottenham fear Arsenal have ‘hijacked’ Eberechi Eze deal

Eberechi Eze was widely expected to leave Crystal Palace for a bigger club in the summer.

The England international had a terrific 2023/24 season. He scored 11 goals and provided six assists in 31 appearances, which is a stunning return considering Palace were really poor for over half the campaign.

Eze was heavily linked with a move to a number of clubs in the summer, but Tottenham seemed like the favourites to land him.

Football Transfers reveal that Eze and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy even had a gentleman’s agreement over a move to Tottenham. The versatile attacker was also invited to last season’s North London Derby as a guest.

Just as it seemed like Eze to Spurs would be done without any trouble, the report claims that there was a ‘sudden twist’.

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The player’s representatives reportedly ‘informed Postecoglou’s side that their rivals had made contact with the England international, urging him to put the move on hold and reassess his options before making a final decision’.

The Gunners are believed to be that club, and the outlet reveals that Tottenham now ‘fear Arsenal have hijacked’ the Eze deal.

The Crystal Palace star is protected by a release clause worth £68 million including add-ons (Daily Mail), and that will become active in next summer’s transfer window.

Who Eze will replace at Arsenal if Mikel Arteta signs him

Eze is a fantastic player.

The 26-year-old is great on the ball, is a brilliant dribbler and the way he just glides past defenders is just a joy to watch. The fact that he’s extremely versatile and can consistently score goals and provide assists makes him a really attractive option.

The report claims that Arteta really likes Eze’s profile, and the Palace star has been suggested as a replacement for Raheem Sterling in 2025.

The Chelsea man is expected to return to Stamford Bridge at the end of his loan spell, and Eze would be a great option to replace him at the Emirates.

If this happens, we’re sure it will really annoy Tottenham fans.

Arsenal could be without several key players for the North London derby this weekend, but the same cannot be said of their opponents Tottenham Hotspur.

Mikel Arteta could be without his entire first-choice midfield, but he has not yet ruled out Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.

Arteta has revealed that Gabriel Jesus could return, but with Declan Rice absent, it is a severely depleted squad that will head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the North London derby.

It is a different story for the Spurs, as despite suffering a 2-1 defeat against Newcastle in their final game before the international break, they have now been handed a double boost over two previously injured players.

Tottenham handed double injury boost ahead of North London derby clash with Arsenal

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou revealed that injured pair Micky Van de Ven and Dominic Solanke could now return to face Arsenal.

“It’s fairly positive…Micky’s good, he’s trained all the way through the international break and it was good for him to stay with us to build him back up so he’s ready to go,” he stated.

“Dom’s improved as well and trained the back half of this week. We still have two days to go with those guys so hopefully they get through training ok and are available.”

Postecoglou did reveal that attacker Richarlison is still absent, but Spurs have nevertheless been handed two huge boosts ahead of Arsenal’s trip across North London.

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Arsenal must be wary of Spurs threat

Arsenal will be aware of the boost Spurs will receive from having both players back. Van de Ven is arguably their best defender, and his speed will be crucial for them as they attempt to keep Arsenal at bay.

Solanke is their record signing, but whilst he has never beaten Arsenal or even scored against them, he will still provide a lot of danger in the air, and centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes will have to be at their best to shut out the home side.

Spurs receiving positive injury news whilst Arsenal could be suffering from a crisis is not ideal preparation, but Arteta will still be confident that his side can secure a third straight victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Arsenal are waiting to see whether captain Martin Odegaard will be available to face Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby.

Mikel Arteta already had to deal with the suspension of Declan Rice, and an injury to new signing Mikel Merino, but was handed an extra headache as Odegaard picked up an injury during the International break.

It has been suggested that Odegaard’s injury could keep him out for three weeks, which would mean he misses trips to face Spurs and Manchester City, in a disastrous blow.

However, the midfielder has not been completely ruled out yet, and Arteta has now given a promising update on his injury.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta revealed that Odegaard needs to undergo more tests before he be included or ruled out of the North London Derby.

“We need some more tests. Let’s see what happens in the next day or so. This afternoon probably. Let’s see the extent of the injury and how quickly we can get him back. He is super positive about everything. Martin wants to be there every single day, but we have to wait and see,” Arteta stated.

“I leave that to the doctor. He’s willing and he wants to be present in every game. We need to make sure we know first how good he is or not.”

Arteta then refused to rule Odegaard out of contention.

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“Players with 48 hours [before the game] are always available. Let’s see what happens,” he added.

Can Martin Odegaard start for Arsenal at Tottenham?

Odegaard may not have been ruled out of contention yet, but the unfortunate reality for Arsenal is that he is unlikely to be able to start even if passed fit.

His injury, which saw him painfully twist his ankle, meant that he needed crutches to walk earlier this week. Even if his injury is not serious, the swelling around it will mean that he is not at full fitness even if available.

Given that Arsenal also have a trip to Man City coming up next week, they may benefit from Odegaard being given additional time to fully recover, even though he will be a huge loss at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Arsenal’s fourth game of the 2024/25 season is the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

The Gunners will be desperate to get back to winning ways after drawing against Brighton and Hove Albion in controversial fashion just before the international break.

The clash against Spurs is always a big one, and Arsenal have almost always been the favourites in this fixture. However, the derby on Sunday could be more evenly balanced.

That’s because seven Arsenal players could be ruled out of the game against Tottenham, which makes them weaker.

However, Mikel Arteta still has many top-class players available at his disposal for the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

Why Leandro Trossard is more likely to start than Raheem Sterling for Arsenal vs Tottenham

Arsenal signed Leandro Trossard for an initial £20 million in January 2023, and he has been one of the best value-for-money signings in recent years.

The Belgian has been a super-sub of sorts for the Gunners on many occasions, but he definitely has the quality to start and have an impact as well.

Against Tottenham on Sunday, Arsenal will likely be without Martin Odegaard, so that opens the door for another attacker to come in.

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GiveMeSport claim that Trossard is a candidate to start in the North London Derby, and the report reveals that he is ‘more likely’ to get the nod than Raheem Sterling.

The Englishman is in line to make his Arsenal debut on Sunday, but it has been claimed that Trossard’s ‘understanding of the team and the system’ puts him ahead in the pecking order.

The former Brighton man is a terrific footballer, and he definitely has the ability to hurt Tottenham if he starts this weekend.

How Arsenal can use both Sterling and Trossard in the same team

Both Sterling and Trossard are incredibly versatile players – they can play anywhere in the front three and the Belgian can even play in midfield.

Cesc Fabregas urged Arteta to use Trossard in Martin Odegaard’s position in the North London Derby, and we think that makes a lot of sense.

The Belgian can interchange positions with Havertz up top, and if they get their movements right, they could cause Tottenham all sorts of problems.

If Trossard starts as Arsenal’s number 10, that opens the door for Sterling to play on the left flank. His pace could really hurt Spurs and he could become an instant hero on Sunday.