The 200th North London derby will take place on Sunday as Arsenal travels across the city to face Tottenham Hotspur in a fixture that could have a significant impact on the European fortunes of both sides in the near future.
Both London giants have been underwhelming this season and while Mikel Arteta has managed to fix a few problems for Arsenal, Tottenham seems to be struggling under the charismatic Jose Mourinho.
Arsenal and Tottenham slumped to morale-sapping draws earlier this week and will want to set the record straight against their fiercest rivals on Sunday. Arsenal has been in decent form since David Luiz's Manchester City debacle but Eddie Nketiah's red card and a late Jamie Vardy goal condemned the Gunners to a draw against Leicester City.
Jose Mourinho's Tottenham side did not fare any better and was shockingly poor in a 0-0 stalemate against relegation-threatened Bournemouth. The Portuguese manager has not improved the current crop at Spurs as yet and will look to make a massive statement against Arsenal.
The North London derby is one of the most exciting matches in the Premier League and the absence of a crowd will certainly make for an odd spectacle. Fixtures between Arsenal and Tottenham never seem to disappoint, however, and the Premier League is set to witness one of its most intense clashes since the restart.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal Head-to-Head
The North London derby is the culmination of one of the oldest rivalries in English football. Arsenal and Tottenham have been at each other's throats for nearly a century and the results have often been spectacular.
The two Premier League have played 199 fixtures in their history and the Gunners are the historically dominant force with 82 victories. The Spurs do not go down without a fight, however, and have recorded 64 wins against their bitter rivals.
The reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium last year ended in a 2-2 draw after a late equaliser from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stole a point for Unai Emery's side. Much has changed for both sides in the months following the fixture and Mikel Arteta will hope that Arsenal can get one over Jose Mourinho's side in a potentially career-defining match for the Spaniard.
Tottenham Hotspur form guide: D-W-L-W-D
Arsenal form guide: W-W-W-W-D
Also Read: Who was the best defender in the Premier League 2019/20 season?
Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal Team News
Tottenham Hotspur
Harry Kane has been an absolute nightmare for Arsenal in the past few years and is sure to lead the line for Tottenham on Sunday. The England captain has scored 10 goals in only 10 games against Arsenal and will look to add to his stellar tally on Sunday.
Juan Foyth is recuperating from an injury and Tottenham's defence is likely to remain unchanged. Eric Dier has been handed a four-match ban by the FA for threatening behaviour in a fixture in March and will give Jose Mourinho a minor selection headache against Arsenal.
Injuries: Juan Foyth
Doubtful: None
Suspensions: Eric Dier
Arsenal
Arsenal has had terrible luck with injuries over the past few weeks. The Gunners lost Pablo Mari to injury in the first match of the Premier League restart. Bernd Leno suffered a horrible long-term injury in the following match against Brighton and was stretchered off in what was yet another shocking loss for Arsenal.
Alexandre Lacazette is likely to start for the Gunners after Eddie Nketiah received a straight red card for a dangerous challenge against Leicester City. Gabriel Martinelli is also injured and will play no part in the match.
Dani Ceballos is likely to continue his fruitful partnership with former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka in the middle of the pitch. Nicolas Pepe may also get a chance to put on a display alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on one of the biggest stages in the Premier League.
Injuries: Bernd Leno, Gabriel Martinelli, Pablo Mari
Doubtful: None
Suspensions: Eddie Nketiah
Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal Predicted XI
Tottenham Hotspur Predicted XI (4-3-3): Hugo Lloris; Serge Aurier, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Ben Davies; Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko, Giovani Lo Celso; Heung-min Son, Steven Bergwijn, Harry Kane
Arsenal Predicted XI (3-4-3): Emiliano Martinez; David Luiz, Sead Kolasinac, Shkodran Mustafi; Granit Xhaka, Dani Ceballos, Hector Bellerin, Kieran Tierney; Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal Prediction
Neither Arsenal nor Tottenham has managed to impress over the past week and with Jose Mourinho involved, fans are in for a tight and cagey spectacle. Mikel Arteta has improved Arsenal's ability to hold the ball and win possession in dangerous areas but Jose Mourinho has plenty of experience against teams that play fluid football.
Arsenal is at a lowly 8th place in the Premier League table and Tottenham is 9th with a point less than its local rival. The prospect of European qualification is slipping away from Arsenal and Tottenham and all three points from his fixture are an absolute must for both sides.
Arsenal has a considerable amount of attacking firepower and will look to seize the initiative at White Hart Lane. Jose Mourinho's side has been disappointing since the Premier League restart and may succumb to a narrow defeat.
Prediction - Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Arsenal