Who: Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal
What: English Premier League
The place: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
When: Sunday, February 22 at 4:30pm (16:30 GMT)
Easy methods to comply with: We’ll have all of the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 13:30 GMT prematurely of our dwell textual content commentary stream.
Arsenal will look to banish their premature bout of title race nervousness because the wobbling Premier League leaders head to bitter rivals Tottenham for the north London derby.
Advisable Tales
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Mikel Arteta’s males are at risk of blowing a commanding place within the title race after successive attracts towards Brentford and Wolves left them with simply two wins of their final seven league matches.
The Gunners squandered the lead in each matches, with Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at bottom-of-the-table Wolves particularly galling as they conceded a stoppage-time equaliser having led 2-0.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester Metropolis aspect will transfer two factors behind Arsenal in the event that they beat Newcastle on the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
In the meantime, Tottenham’s new coach, Igor Tudor, faces a baptism of fireplace in his first sport answerable for the membership as he’s tasked with steering Spurs out of a relegation battle.
Thomas Frank was sacked as Tottenham manager following the defeat to Newcastle earlier in February, as a dire home marketing campaign has left Spurs in sixteenth place going into the weekend, simply 5 factors above the relegation zone.
Saka urges Arsenal to ‘recover from the road’
On February 7, Arsenal gamers walked off the sphere after a convincing 3-0 residence win towards Sunderland with their lead within the Premier League at 9 factors. Then issues began to go fallacious.
Defiant Arsenal ahead Bukayo Saka is adamant his aspect will ultimately “recover from the road” and finish their trophy drought.
After permitting Metropolis to overtake them within the 2023 and 2024 title races, the north Londoners, who haven’t gained silverware because the 2020 FA Cup, face pointed questions on their skill to deal with the mounting stress.
Saka stated Arsenal should silence the doubters by getting again on monitor at archrivals Tottenham on Sunday.
“I imagine the following few years are going to be the years that we recover from the road, and we’re capable of win trophies and make historical past for this membership,” Saka stated. “We’re again the place we belong, combating for every little thing.”
Arteta dismisses ‘bottlers’ discuss
Arsenal’s boss rejected the time period “bottlers’ forward of Sunday’s Premier League go to to Tottenham Hotspur.
“It’s not a part of my vocabulary and I don’t see it like this as a result of I don’t suppose anyone needs to do this as an intention,” Arteta advised reporters on Friday, when requested concerning the time period getting used relating to their newest wobble within the title race.
“That’s particular person opinion, perspective. It’s important to respect that. That’s what I stated after within the press convention. You lose two factors towards Wolves within the method that the sport performed out, it’s important to take it on the chin. It’s a part of our function.”
“What I’m very curious about is the following one, what we’re fabricated from, what we love about this and the way we write our personal future from right here.”
‘No time to search out excuses’
Tottenham Hotspur’s new interim head coach Tudor says instilling the gamers with confidence is his most pressing process.
“First precedence is to provide every little thing the staff wants in these moments. The staff want, I imagine, to begin with, to get some confidence, to get some braveness, but additionally, in similar approach, the concrete issues within the pitch,” Tudor advised Spursplay.
“After all, I’m coming right here realizing that scenario shouldn’t be simple. There isn’t a time to search out excuses. What I stated from the primary day right here, every of us, want to provide one thing extra, one thing further.”
He added: “The place of the membership on this second is one which no one can settle for. Each Tottenham fan can not settle for the scenario. We’re conscious of that. But it surely’s not sufficient to only concentrate on that.”
Tudor needs a staff ready to ‘undergo’
Whereas Tudor is conscious of the importance of a derby win over Arsenal, he’s extra involved with constructing a robust staff spirit to assist gasoline their survival bid.
“I perceive the significance of this sport. This can be a derby, a north London derby,” he stated.
“This can be a staff that is stuffed with high quality, stuffed with proficient gamers, with good motor engines. However my aim in these first coaching classes is that we turn into a staff, with a extremely proper approach of going to battle.
“A staff who need to undergo. To combat, to run, to have the precise mentality. That is the beginning.”
Head-to-head
Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have locked horns on 212 events; Arsenal gained 90 of the video games, whereas Spurs gained 67, and 55 had been attracts.
Arsenal are actually unbeaten towards Spurs of their final seven video games. Earlier this season, Eberechi Eze scored a hat-trick in November because the Gunners thrashed Tottenham 4-1 on the Emirates.
Arteta’s aspect additionally did the double over their bitter native rivals in 2024-25, successful 1-0 at Tottenham and incomes a 2-1 victory at residence.
Tottenham’s staff information
Spurs had been dealt a giant blow when promising younger winger Wilson Odobert ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament towards Newcastle.
He joins an extended damage record of gamers who will miss the derby, together with James Maddison, Ben Davies, Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Future Udogie, Kevin Danso and Lucas Bergvall.
Cristian Romero will serve the second of his four-game suspension after the Spurs captain was despatched off within the defeat to Man United earlier this month.
Brazilian ahead Richarlison is again in coaching after a knock and could possibly be obtainable for choice, whereas Pedro Porro faces a late health take a look at as he appears to be like to return from damage.
Predicted beginning XI:
Vicario (GK); Palhinha, Dragusin, Van de Ven; Grey, Gallagher, Sarr, Spence; Kolo Muani, Simons; Solanke
Arsenal’s staff information
Versatile midfielder Mikel Merino has undergone surgical procedure for a stress fracture in his proper foot, an damage sustained in January, and will miss the remainder of the season.
Leandro Trossard is a severe doubt for the derby after he went off injured in stoppage time towards the Wolves.
However Arteya has stated he hopes to have captain Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz obtainable for choice after they had been battling accidents, and teen Max Dowman has returned to coaching after an ankle downside.
And whereas Saka additionally limped off towards Wolves, he’s anticipated to be declared match for this match.
Predicted beginning XI:
Raya (GK); Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
