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Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has revealed why he opted against starting summer signing Raheem Sterling against Tottenham Hotspur.

England international Sterling joined Arsenal on loan from Premier League rivals Chelsea on deadline day. This move came about after he fell down the pecking order under Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge.

Sterling has a good relationship with Arteta as they previously worked together while they were at Manchester City.

The experienced forward’s £47.5m move from Man City to Chelsea didn’t go to plan and failed to live up to his price tag.

In the summer, Arsenal were in the market for a forward as they required competition for Bukayo Saka on the right flank.

The Premier League giants were heavily linked with Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams after he shone for Spain at Euro 2024, but they eventually signed Sterling as a cheaper alternative.

Earlier this week, Arteta revealed Sterling’s “first words” after discovering Arsenal were interested in signing him.

“His first words were: ‘I was dreaming about this call’,” said Arteta. “That’s it. That tells you that he really wants it and was already thinking about the possibility and he could see himself here, delivering and enjoying his profession.”

READ: Arsenal dominate but Rice, Odegaard blows see Spurs trio make North London derby combined XI

“After 10 seconds I knew we had to bring him (to Arsenal) because he really wanted it, and that was my only question mark, what stage is he at in his career? But after 10 seconds I knew.

“He looks great. He has got a big smile on his face, a lot of energy and he wants to prove a point. When someone has got that in their belly you sense it straight away. I don’t need to discuss his quality and what he can bring to the team.”

Sterling was not part of England’s squad during the international break, so Arteta and his coaching staff had time to work with the 29-year-old to get him up to speed.

Despite this, Sterling was not named in Arsenal’s starting XI for Sunday’s North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. Instead, Arteta selected Saka, Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli as his attacking options.

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Explaining his decision, Arteta said: “Well, the good opportunity came, and we were really happy with it. We took it, and now we have to make it work.

“When you have a player like this, you are always tempted [to throw them straight in].

“But obviously he’s missed quite a lot of football in recent weeks, but he’s in a good place.”

Speaking before kick-off, Paul Merson explained why he expected Spurs to win the midfield battle against Arsenal.

“Arsenal haven’t got any legs in there. The only consolation is you look at Tottenham’s midfield and it isn’t great,” Merson

“The two midfields are not top drawer. I look at them and they’re not the standard today of top of the league midfields.

“I wouldn’t bring the Spurs full-backs in. I would want to make in a three v three in there. If it becomes spacey in there, and Maddison and Kulusevski start squaring up Party and Jorginho, they could run riot.

“But if Udogie comes in and it becomes congested, then Partey and Jorginho don’t have to go anywhere, then Arsenal will be alright. Spurs have to open it up.

“Advantage Tottenham if they play three versus three in midfield.”

Richarlison has dropped a hint ahead of the North London derby over who may be starting for Tottenham in a major boost for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Spurs take on Arsenal on Sunday afternoon at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and much has been made of the Gunners’ selection concerns.

Declan Rice’s suspension and injuries to Martin Odegaard and new signing Mikel Merino have left them light in midfield, though Tottenham have injury problems of their own, with doubts over the fitness of Yves Bissouma, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke.

Solanke – signed for £65m from Bournemouth in the summer – has missed the last two games with an ankle injury that also meant he wasn’t considered for Lee Carsley’s first England squad.

Postecoglou was hopeful their marquee signing may feature in the North London Derby in his pre-match press conference, saying: “It’s fairly positive [news]. Micky [van de Ven]’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.

“[Dominic Solanke] 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.

“We had the last of the boys in late yesterday so we’ll have a look at them today and everyone’s reporting all well except for [Yves Bissouma]. He’s got a bit of an issue, but we’ll have a look at him over the next couple of days and see how it settles.

“[Richarlison]’s still got a bit of work to do, alongside Will Lankshear who is still in rehab.”

Solanke took to Instagram on Saturday, his birthday, to post a thank you message to well-wishers: ‘Thank you Lord for another year. Thank you all for the love and messages.’

Richarlison commented on the post, indicating that Solanke had come through that training session and is in line to play his part on Sunday. The Brazilian wrote: ‘Sonny [Son Heung-min) will give you a gift tomorrow bro.’

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Postecoglou warned his players ahead of the game of falling into the “trap” of thinking the absences of Rice and Odegaard have handed Spurs a significant advantage.

“God, that’s a hell of a trap to fall into, if you think they [Arsenal] are reliant on two players,” Postecoglou said.

“Two important players, but we were missing key players last year as well and we still managed to give significant performances.

“A team like Arsenal have been very, very consistent over the last two years and can fill whatever gaps they have. They have quality in their squad. The key for us is to focus on our performance.

“When we’ve played well, and we certainly have played well in the first three games, if we are] a little more clear-headed in both boxes, we’re a match for any team. That’s what we’ve got to think about at the weekend.

“If we go in there thinking they’re somehow weakened, we’re going to get punished.

“If we go into it thinking they’re going to be very strong, which I think they will be, then we’ve got to be at our best. We know, at our best and playing the football that we can, we can match them.”

Arsenal, Arsenal, Arsenal. That’s been the build-up to Sunday’s North London Derby which, last we checked, involved two sides. Yet all we’ve heard about is the pressure on Arsenal not to drop any points, knowing that any slips are costly in any title race against Manchester City.

Spurs have barely got a mention. As much as their fans would beg to differ, the popular perception is that this game is a free hit for them. Despite Tottenham Hotspur playing host this weekend, the bookies are universally favouring Arsenal.

But the reality is that this is the exactly the kind of game that Tottenham need to start winning if they are serious about breaking back into the top four.

Over the past two seasons, Tottenham have taken just 12 points from 18 games (0.67 per game) against sides who finished the respective campaigns in the top five: three wins, three draws and 12 defeats. Go outside the top five and it’s 114 from 58 (1.97 per game).

Getting just two more points from those encounters last season would have qualified Spurs for the Champions League. Their record of just 10 points from 14 games against the sides above them in 2022/23 was exactly why they finished as low as eighth.

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Naturally, you’d expect those games to be tougher for all concerned, but that’s a poor record. And it’s not just that Tottenham lost a lot of those games against their top five rivals: they’ve been characteristically defensively feeble, keeping just two clean sheets in those 18 games and conceding 42 in the others. There have been seven occasions on which Spurs have scored at least twice in those high-pressure games and still not won.

Just to add a little bit of extra oomph, Tottenham’s worst record of all in the Premier League over the past two seasons has been against Arsenal. Their closest rivals are the only Big Eight side Spurs have not beaten at all since 2021/22.

City and Arsenal’s title challenges have been built on avoiding defeat against the top sides and consistently winning against the rest; Spurs are far closer to achieving the second than the first.

Tottenham have shown the same traits already in this nascent campaign, dominating as they did for so much of the game against Newcastle just before the international break, only to end up on the losing side.

There’s a reason we picked out Ange Postecoglou as one Premier League manager happy to see Erik ten Hag under so much pressure. Their only five wins in the last 14 Premier League games have been against Luton, Burnley, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United and Everton.

That means that even setting the local rivalry to one side, getting these points is just as important for Tottenham as it is for Arsenal – even if just to prove they can.

Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard won’t be involved against Tottenham Hotspur, but Arsenal still dominate this North London Derby combined XI…

Goalkeeper: David Raya (Arsenal)

Arsenal’s decision to replace Aaron Ramsdale with Raya was heavily scrutinised at the start of last season, but Mikel Arteta and Edu – as with most of their recent transfer business – were quickly proven right with the Spain international, who is in our Premier League team of the season so far.

Right-back: Ben White (Arsenal)

A huge ‘change’ would reportedly make an England return possible for White. But for now, Lee Carsley’s loss is Arsenal’s gain as the Premier League title contenders benefit from the 26-year-old focusing on matters at club level.

Centre-back: William Saliba (Arsenal)

Arguably the best centre-back in the Premier League? Saliba is f***ing brilliant, so there’s no wonder Arteta wants ‘crazy money’ with three elite European clubs trying to sign him.

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Centre-back: Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)

Saliba is naturally joined in this XI by his centre-back partner, Gabriel. We boldly encouraged Arsenal to sell the Brazil international in the summer and this would have been harsh, but the north London club could do with tying him down to a new contract.

Left-back: Jurrien Timber (Arsenal)

You’re joking – not another Arsenal defender!

Timber was sorely missed last season and his return to fitness boosts what’s already a really strong defence. His selection was made easier by Destiny Udogie’s struggles before the international break as Tottenham’s disappointment needs to step up.

Centre midfield: James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur)

Phew, it’s finally time for a representative of Spurs in this team and we start with Maddison, who has fit Tottenham like a glove following last year’s move from Leicester City.

He’s struggled to hit the heights he reached before last season’s injury, but he’s the Christian Eriksen-type player they had craved for years.

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Centre midfield: Jorginho (Arsenal)

At £12m, Jorginho has been a massive bargain for Arsenal after they missed out on Moises Caicedo as the Italy international’s experience has been priceless since signing in January 2023. The best Italian signing from Serie A in Premier League history is likely to have a significant role to play against Spurs with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard unavailable.

Centre midfield: Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur)

Speaking of bargains, 21-year-old Sarr – who joined Spurs for around £14m – was a great find by Ange Postecoglou’s side and has limitless potential.

Right winger: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

It’s pretty impossible not to adore Arsenal’s beloved star boy and he’s shown remarkable levels of consistency as Arteta’s side have emerged as proven Premier League title contenders. This could be the 23-year-old’s best season to date as he already has four goal involvements in three matches.

Centre-forward: Kai Havertz (Arsenal)

Arsenal’s critics had their pitchforks out when they spent £65m on Havertz rather than signing a proper striker.

But just like with the Raya deal, the Germany international has made the Gunners hierarchy look very smart (and Chelsea equally foolish) as he’s found his position as a No.9. and made a superb start to this season with two goals and an assist in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison says that the fans make the North London derby one of the most intense experiences in English football.

Maddison claims that each derby has its own local feel that is different as he experienced while at Leicester City and now at Spurs.

He noted that the build-up to a North London derby gets everyone in the mood for the clash.

Maddison believes that the North London derby is the biggest match he has been involved in across his career.

He adds that every Spurs fan lets the players know how much this fixture means to them.

“When you join a new club, rivalries are always a new thing to you,” Maddison told Showmax.

“So, for example, the last club I played for, Leicester, when I joined, I didn’t realise how big of a derby Leicester and Nottingham Forest was. And then you grow to learn about it, and get a feel for it amongst the city, and it’s the same with joining Spurs. Obviously, the North London derby is a big one, which I think everyone knows about.

“When the games come around, you feel the build up around the city and among the people and the media. You get more of a feel once you’re involved in the fixture. Like I said, the North London derby is the one that sticks right out in my mind. That’s the one.

“I think the one thing that you must grasp between derbies and rivalries, is how your supporters feel.

“Since I joined the club, it’s been made very clear by fans you bump into locally on the streets or in the stadium or anywhere else, that this derby means a lot to them. A lot of people who live around here in North London are divided in their families.

“They are split by this rivalry, and that’s what football does to people. So, firstly, we know what it means to them, and how big it is to them. How literally one game can affect bragging rights within families. And it starts with the build-up to the game, media interviews, talking about the game ahead.

“My first experience of it last year was at the Emirates. It was on a Super Sunday, and it was just huge. I never did as many interviews as I did before a game. And on game day, it just had that different feel. Arriving at the stadium, feeling the tension. It was the same in the other one as well. Really looking forward to the one coming up. It’s just a big, big, historic rivalry.”

Maddison revealed that he wasn’t sat down by anyone for a chat about the match before his first derby. The England international added that he was dialled in already ahead of his first brush with Arsenal in a Spurs shirt.

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“I don’t think I needed it, to be honest. I love football. I’ve watched football my whole life. I knew exactly what the North London derby meant to the people,” Maddison adds.

“The other rivalries, like the ones against West Ham and Chelsea, I didn’t know much about it and how much these games meant to our fans, but I don’t think the North London derby needed any explaining.

“Watching it on TV and watching all these historic games in the past, you understand what it means. Even in the build-up, there’s always a different feel. No player sat down with me and had a chat with me about a specific game. You can feel the magnitude of the game already when you are preparing for the game.”

Maddison has backed Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou to get the team up for the big clash on Sunday.

He feels that the Australian is one of the great motivators in the sport.

“Ange is very good at motivating and is good at giving speeches.

“He is good at that anyway, for any game. So, it’s about getting the balance right of building up the derby and understanding what this game means to our fans is very important. But also, not taking it too far, and trying to treat it like a normal game and to focus on just doing our job.

“The gaffer came from Celtic, and the Celtic and Rangers derby is one of the biggest in the world in terms of rivalries, so he knows exactly what it means to manage a rivalry and a derby game. So he is very good in those situations, very calm and gets his message across well.”

As the Premier League returns, let’s look at some real moments of fury on the pitch. You don’t want to see that? Of course we do…

Hugo Lloris v Heung-min Son

In 2020, the goalie runs up to his Spurs teammate as they walk off the pitch and he remonstrates with him angrily. Lloris looks furious and to be fair, Son looks terrified of the keeper. Other players keep them apart but they’re back at it in the dressing room, with Son more aggressive now. No punches are thrown, of course, even though both players look like they’d like to beat each other to a pulp.

Bruce Grobbelaar v Steve McManaman

No-one likes conceding goals, especially in the Merseyside derby. But after Everton score with a 25-yard piledriver, Bruce is furious with floppy-haired Stevie Mac in 1993 and gesticulates wildly, punching the air and shoving his teammate in the face, who does likewise and is having none of it. Rightly so as he couldn’t have done much about it. But the keeper marches after him regardless. The balding Grobbelaar, complete with silly little ponytail, looks beyond angry and barks like a guard dog at him. Maybe he’d had a bet on that he wouldn’t let in a goal.

Lee Bowyer v Kieron Dyer

One of the classic contretemps between teammates. For a few seconds they’re properly going at it and Bowyer has the collar of his shirt torn. As their teammates pull him off and lead him away, Bowyer is literally snarling, baring his teeth like one of those junkyard dogs. Red card for you, son. He’s the manager of Montserrat now. I bet you didn’t know that. Lovely. In contrast Dyer is first-team coach at Chesterfield and has had a liver transplant. The fight was 19 years ago now, back when you had more hair and your knees didn’t hurt. Proper Barclaysmen stuff.

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Lewis Dunk v Antony

The Manchester man repeatedly hacks at Dunk above the ankle, something he’s prone to do in lieu of playing actual football. It’s a proper kick as well. Dunk, being about 20 feet taller, pushes him away like an annoying wasp. Antony is naturally cross about this – even though it was his hacking that caused the whole thing – sticking his jaw out, petulantly and generally being up for a fight the way kids were at school, even though no-one is in the slightest bit intimidated by his stroppiness, part of which involves his face looking like a bee sting. Rarely has anyone’s face said ‘slap me’ so loudly.

Mason Holgate v Roberto Firmino

In the 2017/18 FA Cup the Everton man is trying to get the ball by the touchline and decides the way to do this is to push the Liverpool forward into the crowd. That’s not allowed, Mason. Naughty. Firmino naturally objects to this, is pushed out of the crowd and runs towards the player in that typical footballer way which says I’m going to punch your lights out, mister. But of course he doesn’t. All wind and pish. The referee intervenes. Holgate took his pushing technique to Sheffield United, Southampton and West Brom.

Tyrone Mings v Anwar El Ghazi

In 2019 against West Ham, Mings is cross with his teammate for letting an opposition player get past him and cross the ball for Mings to kick it out for a goal kick. An impartial observer might comment that it’s Mings’ job to defend crosses and he shouldn’t moan. Mings looks very annoyed indeed that he’s had to do what he’s paid to do. But his stern look is somewhat undermined by his haircut which looks like it’s a daft bet. Mings peers out from under a cock-a-poo barnet. El Ghazi is at Cardiff having been at Everton, PSV and Mainz since leaving Villa.

Ben Brereton Diaz v Fabian Schar

The striker has only the Newcastle man between him and the goal and Schar is dawdling with the ball, so obviously Diaz just outright pushes him over with both hands. The defender naturally objects to this, gets up and pushes him back, at which point Diaz clutches his face and collapses like he’s been tasered. What’s more, he refuses all attempts to be picked up and, like a six-year-old, goes all floppy and pretends he’s badly hurt. Every fan hates this sort of play acting and would gladly hurt him properly if it would help.

Juliano Belletti v Cristiano Ronaldo

CR7 is doing his thing on the wing for Manchester United, slips past the Chelsea man who doesn’t accept he’s been beaten and takes the traditional way out by scything Ronaldo down with a sweep of the leg. Ronaldo takes this as well as you’d expect and clearly believes the tackle was a human rights crime, arches his back and swan dives. His reaction is of shock that anyone would commit this sort of crime against his wonderfulness and is quick to check on the monitor to make sure he still looks gorgeous.

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Rafael v David Luiz

The full-back is hacking at the Chelsea player, trying to get the ball, finally crunching him to the ground with a wild kick. Luiz doesn’t leap up and act petulantly. No, he’s not hurt at all and is lying on the floor laughing as the Manchester United player gets sent off.

Ange Postecoglou understands the significance of Sunday’s visit of Arsenal, but would be disappointed if his Tottenham players wanted to win this match more than next week’s trip to Coventry.

Spurs have failed to taste success in any of the last four north London derby fixtures, with Mikel Arteta able to turn the Gunners into Premier League title contenders in recent years.

Postecoglou largely enjoyed a positive debut campaign in England but found himself at odds with sections of the Spurs fanbase in May when Manchester City visited N17.

City made the trip to Tottenham on May 14 with home supporters conflicted, given a positive result for Spurs would have put Arsenal in the driving seat to win the title, but the visitors ran out narrow 2-0 winners.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou wants his squad to go into every match with the same desire.

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“I don’t feel any more pressure because there was pressure in that (Man City) game. I want to win every game,” Postecoglou said.

“I don’t care who we are playing. Let’s go out and play each other. I would want to beat you!

“I really would hate to think there are players in the dressing room who want to win this game more than any others.

“Or prepare differently or try harder in this game than any other, because that’s not the way forward. We understand the significance of it because if we do win, our supporters will be over the moon.

“I understand that if we don’t win, they are going to be devastated, but if we prepare this game differently than any other, then I’m disappointed because I want to win every time. That’s the only way you can be successful.

“I make no apologies for that. I’m not going to prepare any different for this game than I did against Newcastle or I will against Coventry.

“I want to win all the time and I want our club to win all the time. And if you do that then, yeah, if you beat your rivals in a big derby game then everyone gets excited and everyone feels great, but I want more than that.”

The Australian coach masterminded statement triumphs over Manchester United and Liverpool during the first two months of last season.

Spurs were also able to win comprehensively at Aston Villa in March, but during the final month of the campaign suffered losses at Liverpool and Chelsea alongside the 2-0 home reverse to champions City.

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Asked if Tottenham needed a big win to restore faith in his methods, Postecoglou provided a defence of his progress, only 15 months into his reign.

Postecoglou questioned: “What do you mean by faith? If people have lost faith in what we’re doing, I cannot let that be my guide to what we’re doing.

“My guide is what I see on a daily basis, the way we play our football, the way the team is growing and I’m as optimistic and as bullish as I’ve ever been.

“Is it important to win big games? Absolutely yes, I want to win big games, but we won big games early last season.

“It doesn’t mean it’s going to get you to where you want to get to. There’s got to be a consistency in approach. There’s nothing I’ve seen to make me waver in my belief about what we’re doing.”

Tottenham Hotspur reportedly ‘fear’ they have been ‘hijacked’ by Arsenal in the race to sign England international Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.

Eze was superb for Crystal Palace in the Premier League last season as he grabbed 11 goals and four assists in his 27 appearances.

The 26-year-old was expected to leave Palace during the summer transfer window, but Oliver Glasner’s side managed to keep him.

The talented attacking midfielder – who has a £68m release clause in his contract – was linked with several Big Six clubs in the summer and could secure a move elsewhere in January or next summer.

A new report from Football Transfers claims Tottenham have been pushing to sign Eze, but they face competition from arch-rivals Arsenal.

The Gunners invested heavily in the summer as they signed David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Neto and Raheem Sterling.

Sterling joined Arsenal on loan from Chelsea, but the report claims they are ‘keeping their options open’ as this deal does not include an obligation to buy next year.

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It is also claimed that Tottenham ‘fears’ they have been ‘hijacked’ by Arsenal for Eze. The report says.

‘Tottenham’s pursuit of Crystal Palace star Eze seems to have hit a roadblock, with sources indicating to Football Transfers that the player’s head has been turned by a top-four Premier League club, believed to be Arsenal or Manchester City.

‘Spurs have been chasing the attacking midfielder for over a year and even had a gentleman’s agreement with Eze, based on meeting Crystal Palace’s £68 million valuation.

‘In fact, Eze’s family was invited by Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to attend the last North London Derby at the end of last season, a match Spurs lost 3-2. However, the deal took a sudden twist when Eze’s representatives informed Ange 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.

‘Following this development, a conversation between Postecoglou and sporting director Johan Lange led Spurs to shift focus. The funds earmarked for Eze were redirected to secure Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke in a £65 million deal, with £55m paid upfront and £10m in add-ons.’

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Former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp has made his prediction for this weekend’s North London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal.

“I can’t wait for this one, year on year, this game delivers some classics,” Redknapp told BetVictor.

“I had some memorable games against Arsenal in my time as Tottenham boss, I loved this derby. Spurs need a lift, a big result to kickstart the season and get the fans going. It’s been an okay start to the season but probably not what they would have wanted.

“For Arsenal, how will they cope without Martin Odegaard? Mikel Arteta was probably watching the international break from behind the sofa, and it looks like he’s gone and lost his captain for a while.

“Obviously, there’s no Declan Rice in this as well, this becomes a real test for his side.

“I can see goals and a lot of drama. If Odegaard is out, which it looks like he will be, it’s hard for me to predict an Arsenal win. 2-2.”

Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit thinks Mikel Arteta will turn to both Jorginho and Thomas Partey in the North London Derby against Tottenham.

The Gunners will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 1-1 draw against Brighton before the international break with Arteta aware that every dropped point could hand an opportunity to their title rivals.

It’s an extra important match on Sunday with Arsenal travelling to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to take on arch-rivals Spurs, who have won one, drawn one and last one of their first three Premier League matches this season.

Arsenal will have to do without Martin Odegaard through injury after the midfielder joined the already-suspended Declan Rice on the sidelines for their clash against Tottenham when he picked up an ankle injury on international duty for Norway.

And former Arsenal midfielder Petit reckons Arteta will opt to play Jorginho and Partey from the start against Tottenham to solidify their midfield against Ange Postecoglou’s side.

“Of course, Arsenal are going to miss him against Spurs,” Petit told topoffshoresportsbooks.com.

“Declan Rice is a Londoner. He was playing for West Ham, so he knows how important the derbies are in London.

“It’s a massive game. He will be gutted that he can’t be involved. Last season, when Arsenal won at Spurs, he was magnificent on the pitch.

“There will be midfield changes given Rice and Odegaard’s absences, and Merino’s unavailability. I think Arteta will put Jorginho in as the holding midfielder, possibly with Partey in there alongside him.

“One of those two will definitely play, it depends how he wants to approach the game.

“Havertz can drop into the midfield if he plays one of the holders, and then that could open up a place for Trossard up front. With Merino, Odegaard and Jesus injured, his options are a bit limited.”

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On Rice, Petit added: “Arsenal have got so many important players, so it’s hard to pick one, but if I had to, then I would say that it is Declan Rice. I saw Rice’s game against Ireland, he was amazing. He played with full energy and normally always shows the right temperament on the pitch in a hot atmosphere.

“He’s a leader and the way that he plays the game improves everyone around him. He doesn’t miss many games – he’s so reliable – which is why I was so surprised to see him get sent off against Brighton for kicking the ball away.

“I think that was easily the worst game he has had for Arsenal. He looked tired; his legs were heavy. He was unrecognisable. The only good thing about that red card is that he gets a week off. It’s a shame that it’s for the North London derby though.”

On the North London Derby, Petit continued: “Yes, it’s definitely a must-win game for Arsenal. They can’t afford to lose this game because the gap to Manchester City will start to grow. City have got Brentford at home, and then the two sides meet. Arsenal won’t want to go into that game against City 4 or 5 points behind them.

“The pressure on that game would be absolutely huge. It’s a massive game for Arsenal. Playing Tottenham is always a very important game. It’s a derby against one of your main competitors at the top of the Premier League table, but given who Arsenal are playing next, and the fact they dropped points at home to Brighton, it’s a must-win game.”

Tottenham Hotspur are keeping tabs on AC Milan forward Noah Okafor after being alerted that he may be available for transfer in January.

Milan Live write that Okafor looks set to lose his place to former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, who made the move to San Siro on loan from Roma on transfer deadline day.

That could make Okafor surplus to requirements with immediate effect, and it’s claimed that Spurs are eyeing the forward with a view to a January transfer.

Tottenham are said to be willing to put forward a deal worth €20m (£16.9m) plus add-ons for the Swiss international – and Milan are said to be likely to accept such a bid.

Okafor joined Milan from Red Bull Salzburg last summer and alternated between playing on the wings and at centre-forward, but was not able to establish himself as a regular in either position in an injury-hit campaign.

The 24 year old found himself unable to nail down a first-team place even before he was ruled out with a hamstring issue in November, with the bulk of Okafor’s appearances coming from the bench.

Okafor made a goalscoring return to action the week before Christmas, playing 13 minutes as a substitute against Monza, but was then sidelined again for another four weeks.

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Although his six goals in 28 appearances doesn’t look overly impressive on its face, those goals came in just 871 minutes of Serie A action – representing a goal every 146 minutes.

That’s better than anyone in the Spurs squad managed last season bar Richarlison (11 in 1,493 minutes, or one every 136 minutes) and the little-seen Alejo Veliz (a statistically insignificant one in 45 minutes, for a strike rate of, erm, one every 45 minutes).

Okafor was included in Switzerland’s squad for Euro 2024, where they reached the quarter-finals before losing on penalties to England – but played no part in the tournament having been an unused substitute throughout.

Tottenham have made the most mixed possible start to the new Premier League season with one win, one draw and one defeat from their three games to date.

Ange Postecoglou’s side will host North London rivals Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.