Arsenal vs Tottenham: All you need to know ahead of North London derby and where huge clash will be won and lost

ARSENAL host Tottenham this evening in what is set to be a mouthwatering North London derby.

The Gunners will be desperate to resurrect their spluttering title chase, following devastating cup defeats to Newcastle and Manchester United.

Tottenham, meanwhile, hope to shake off their FA Cup scare at Tamworth to derail their fierce rivals’ campaign.

Arsenal will have to cope without the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri in their front-line, with the trio all crocked.

While Spurs’ defence remains decimated, as Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie miss out.

Here, SunSport runs through the tantalising clash that could make or break both clubs’ seasons.

How much pressure is on the manager going into NLD?

Arsenal: This is the most pressure Mikel Arteta has been under in years, but is he close to the sack? No chance.

Yet there is now an expectation and understanding around the club and the fan base that going a few games without a win is unacceptable.

Lose to their most bitter rivals at home and that will be ramped up another notch with major questions being asked of Arteta, as well as putting another dent in their withering title charge.

Tottenham: Some, but not as much as you may think given Spurs have lost half their 20 Premier League games this season.

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Ange Postecoglou remains backed by the hierarchy who are understanding of his injury crisis, while the Aussie still has the team in all cup competitions.

The “very poor” form in the league, as Postecoglou put it, must improve though and you would fear for him if the losing ratio does not improve.

Supporters, at least the ones that attend games, are still generally on Postecoglou’s side too.

Unlike his predecessors, the 59-year-old has not aimed any thinly-veiled digs towards Daniel Levy and the board over backing and says the responsibility lies squarely with him.

That will not be enough to save the ex-Celtic boss if there is not an upturn eventually, but cannot hurt when Levy is mulling over his latest manager’s fate.

Where has it gone wrong this winter?

Arsenal: To put it simply: injuries, illness and key players out of form. Losing Bukayo Saka was a huge blow, and without him the squad look bereft of ideas, inspiration or belief.

Kai Havertz and skipper Martin Odegaard suffered the most from the Christmas sickness bug that hit the players, and their performances have slumped as a result.

The likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Jesus are also either injured or preparing to come back from injury.

It has been a brutal winter for Arsenal, one they need to shake off fast.

Tottenham: Injuries mainly, and also, in part, Postecoglou’s refusal to adapt in spite of them.

Spurs have been decimated, particularly in defence.

Starting centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven – as well as back-up Ben Davies – have all been out for a while and continue to be absent.

The same can be said for left-back Destiny Udogie, while Guglielmo Vicario’s fractured ankle was so key that the club pushed forward plans to buy another goalkeeper and brought in Antonin Kinsky last week.

Yet Postecoglou continued to persevere to play out from the back in Vicario’s absence, even when Fraser Forster, the man who came for the Italian, was ill-suited to it.

But being down the to the bare bones, as Harry Redknapp would put it, was the key.

Richarlison is back for the North London derby but has been injured for nigh-on the whole season.

Do they need to buy in January?

Arsenal: Yes, badly. An attacking threat is required with Saka, Jesus and Nwaneri currently out as well as Havertz missing his shooting boots the last few weeks.

Arsenal are actively on the lookout for recruits, but they have their limitations when it comes to finances, and could even eye a makeshift loan move.

That is how desperate they are.

Tottenham: Yes, and they already have.

Kinsky, 21, has been recruited from Slavia Prague for £12.5million plus add-ons.

He has made an electric start and became the first Spurs keeper for a hundred years to keep a clean sheet in his first two games after Sunday’s shut-out against Tamworth.

But more is needed with the club identifying centre-back, central midfield and a versatile attacker before the window opened.

A midfielder is looking less likely at the moment but up top is definitely an area they want to have bolstered by February.

What is an acceptable finish to the season?

Arsenal: While top spot is what Arteta, the players and the fans dream of, there must be a realisation that given how this season has gone and the gap between themselves and Liverpool, a top four finish – preferably in second place – would just about be acceptable.

However, supporters will not be happy if the Gunners end up battling for fourth spot with the likes of Manchester City, Newcastle and Chelsea.

Tottenham: The cups and Europe have become hugely significant.

For fans, the league is gone. Spurs are nearer to the drop zone than fourth spot, so hopes have dwindled of reaching the Champions League.

Postecoglou still feels his side can go on a run when they get their players back but winning the Europa League looks their best route to qualifying for Europe’s elite club competition.

Levy and the board will not like to see regression after last season’s fifth-placed finish and generally have not seemed to put too much stock in the cups.

Indeed, Levy even hinted that the League Cup should be done away with when speaking at a fans’ forum earlier this season.

Ironically though, if Postecoglou can win that competition, then it could go a long way to quelling the fan disharmony towards Levy, given the lack of trophies is the stick they beat him with during his 25-year tenure.

Describe the mood of the manager in three words…

Arsenal: Edgy, impatient, determined.

Tottenham: Jekyll-and-Hyde (IF THAT’S ONE WORD), spiky (then) charming.

Where will the derby be won and lost?

Arsenal: The wide players.

Arteta has a choice of whether to throw Raheem Sterling on the right, or use one of either Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli as a makeshift right winger to link up with playmaker Odegaard.

Get that right, and Havertz could finally get the service he needs to end his mini-rut.

Tottenham: Arsenal’s struggles in front of goal, especially without stricken striker Gabriel Jesus, is an obvious boost to Spurs.

But for all the talk of Postecoglou’s side being wide open at the back, Spurs’ nine goals conceded on the road in the league is actually the lowest in the division.

Tottenham looked more pragmatic in their 1-0 win over Liverpool and Postecoglou could try to replicate it here.

Too often his midfield has been too easy to play through but one of Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma and wonderkid Lucas Bergvall could be more resilient.

That of course would mean benching James Maddison, but that Postecoglou has done that quite frequently this season and will not be afraid to again.

Arsenal’s 1-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this season was a tight affair and a similar game would not be a surprise.

Predictions

Jordan Davies: 2-1 Arsenal

Tom Barclay: 1-1