Arteta will be hoping his replacements come through for them against Spurs. — Reuters
ARSENAL’S crucial first fixture after the final international break – the North London Derby – is already shadowed by a significant injury crisis.
In the highly anticipated match of the weekend, Arsenal hosts bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow.
With Arsenal leading the league standings by four points from Manchester City, and eight ahead of their opposition tomorrow, they’ve been roundly tipped to beat Thomas Frank’s Spurs side whom, it must be said, have shown promise.
However, the Gunners will be hoping to retain their cushion at the top of the standings at the very least, if not extend it.
They will also be keen to prove their squad depth is sufficient to finally win the title they last secured over two decades ago.
Arsenal spent north of £250mil in the summer transfer window, a move designed to circumvent injury crises like those that thwarted their title bids last season and the season prior.
The Gunners finished runners-up in the Premier League over the past three campaigns and now look a solid bet to go one step further and land the crown this season.
And if Mikel Arteta, who will have no excuses about an inferior bench to fall back on in May, can get his charges fired up to deal with the task at hand and make his back-up players come through for the cause, then he’ll be well on his way to a first league title.
But the list of absentees from tomorrow’s clash is a major concern for the home side, no matter how optimistic one might be about the replacements.
Perhaps Arsenal’s biggest worries will be the absence of defender Gabriel Magalhaes and skipper Martin Odegaard.
Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli have also been ruled out for Spurs’ visit, further stretching the resources available to Arteta this weekend.
To compound matters, German forward Kai Havertz’s knee injury flared up on international duty this week and he is not expected to feature in the London derby tomorrow.
Questions also remain over the availability of £64mil striker Viktor Gyokeres, and whether he’ll be back in action tomorrow.
He missed Arsenal’s last two matches before the international break, having been sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie, both signed in the summer, are Gabriel’s likely replacements.
They’d be stepping into a rearguard that has conceded only five goals in 11 league games this season – the meanest defence in the game.
For Spurs, the key issue might be psychological.
Frank’s squad, which he took over in the off-season, appear good enough to score against anyone.
They proved this with wins over Man City, Villarreal, West Ham, Everton and Copenhagen – all achieved with clean sheets.
They scored two against Manchester United in their last outing, taking the lead in time added-on, only to relinquish that advantage and settle for a 2–2 draw.
It’s obvious Frank needs to work on his side’s ability to close out games when they have the upper hand, and that requires full commitment until the final whistle.
One gets the impression that they might have learnt something from that Man United game and could give Arsenal a real run for their money in the derby.
That’s why quite a few pundits have gone for a draw in tomorrow’s top billing.
The pressure on Arsenal to perform, especially with the resurgence of Man City, might also weigh on the home team’s chances.
Pep Guardiola’s Citizens seem to have found their stride again, having quietly crept into second place on the log, and now pose a huge threat to the Gunners’ ambitions.
With their momentum, City should see off Newcastle United at St James’ Park in the late game today.
The dominant league side of the past decade, City have won seven of their last eight matches across all competitions and are beginning to look as formidable as they were when they won the league four seasons in a row before Liverpool’s triumph in the last campaign.
