Arsenal travel to Tottenham on Thursday for what is going to be arguably their most important match of the season, so let’s take a look at the team news.
It was a huge three points at the weekend for the Gunners as they beat Leeds United to get their fourth consecutive win. That has put them four points ahead of Spurs who will know that they can close the gap to just one with a win during the week.
As for the team news, there are two players who continue to be unavailable, and they are Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey. One player that could be back is Ben White, who has missed the last two games.
Bukayo Saka is also expected to be fine and that is a huge boost for such an important game. There may be some shuffling in the team selection as Mikel Arteta looks to shore up the defence.
Arsenal Fever View:
The equation for the north Londoners is quite simple; win the game and get Champions League football for next season. But doing that is not going to be easy, given the quality that Spurs have, especially in attack.
Having the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son is enough to strike fear into any opposition defence. The visitors need to be careful of how much space they give these two as they enjoy a great record against the Gunners.
For Arteta, the focus will be not to concede first but if they do, it can be really tough to score after that. It will be interesting to see how the Spaniard approaches the game given its magnitude. The players have shown in the past that they can pull off big performances and another one is needed on Thursday.
Arsenal face the prospect of finishing in the top four for the first time in six years and this is as good an opportunity to accomplish that feat. It will be a nerve-wracking north London derby, but the players will be up for the challenge.
Read More: Arsenal open talks with Mohamed Elneny over contract extension
