North London enemies Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur renew hostilities at the Emirates on Sunday as both sides look to maintain their rip-roaring Premier League form.
With the Gunners boasting a five-match winning streak and Spurs unbeaten since the first day of the season, this weekend's derby has the ingredients to conjure up something very special.
Arsenal
© Getty Images
Demoralising Champions League defeats aside, things are good for Arsenal. Arsene Wenger's men sit level with Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League, having won their last five games by an aggregate score of 16-3. Indeed, things are good on the domestic front but whether or not they can sustain their title bid this time remains to be seen.
Arsenal are no strangers to leading the table. In 2013-14, they sat top for 128 days, but eventually finished fourth, seven points behind eventual champions City. Wenger intimated that injuries scuppered his side's title hopes that season, and with 10 of the Gunners' current squad on the treatment table, there are fears of history repeating itself.
For the moment, though, few can doubt that they are serious contenders. Draped in gold, Arsenal beat Swansea City 3-0 in South Wales last week to strengthen suggestions that they can be first past the post come May. It was not the scoreline which was impressive - it was the way they won.
If the hallmark of prospective champions is playing poorly and still grinding out victories, then Wenger can cross that quality off the checklist. They were demolished in a first half which saw Swansea scupper a number of clear-cut chances. After the break, Arsenal - and, in particular, Mesut Ozil - came to the fore as goals from Olivier Giroud, Laurent Koscielny and Joel Campbell sealed all three points.
They were dressed in gold and navy but it could have been black and white. It was a robbery of sorts; an immensely flattering victory which papered over the cracks, but their defensive problems were brutally exposed at Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Wenger called it an "extremely poor" defensive effort. He was being kind. Bayern cruised to a 5-1 win at the Allianz Arena, scoring three first-half goals to leave Arsenal teetering on the brink of a group-stage exit. Two weeks previous, Arsenal had beaten Pep Guardiola's side 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium. They will need to summon the same courage on Sunday to get past a Spurs side without a defeat in 10 league outings.
Recent form: LWWWWW
Recent form (all competitions): WWWLWL
Tottenham Hotspur
© Getty Images
Hours after Arsenal's humiliation at the Allianz Arena, Tottenham Hotspur's official Twitter account aimed a dig at their North London rivals by tweeting "good morning @FCBayernEN".
Spurs' social media team are certainly up for Sunday's clash and, if recent results are anything to go by, the playing staff should be too.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino was quick to play down the notion of fifth-placed Tottenham - who sit five points behind City and Arsenal - mounting a title challenge, but the truth is that on this form, anything is possible for the Argentine's troops.
The Lilywhites have not lost since a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United on the opening day of the campaign - a loss which came about due to Kyle Walker's own goal. Since then, Pochettino's side have drawn five and won five.
Arguably their most significant win came in September when they welcomed in-form Manchester City to White Hart Lane and sent them packing with an emphatic 4-1 defeat, with Harry Kane netting his first of the season that day.
It was a victory which reminded the Premier League of how good Spurs can be; not dissimilar to the 5-3 win over champions elect Chelsea in January. On their day, Tottenham are very good, but a hectic schedule has given rise to suggestions that Sunday will not be their day.
The trip to the Emirates comes three days after Spurs - who also played on Monday in beating Aston Villa 3-1 - welcomed Anderlecht to the Lane in Europa League duty on Thursday. It gives Arsenal an extra day's recovery period, having played on Wednesday, but Pochettino has already warned his side that their busy period is not a valid excuse.
Should they win, though, the 43-year-old would find it increasingly harder to justify claims that his troops are not in the title race, as the league table says otherwise.
Recent form: WWDDWW
Recent form (all competitions): DDLWWW
Team News
© Getty Images
Arsenal have been rocked by the news that highly-rated right-back Hector Bellerin is unavailable due to injury, having missed the defeat in Munich as Mathieu Debuchy prepares to deputise once more.
On the plus side, Wenger revealed that defender Koscielny - who also sat out the Bayern loss - has an 80% chance of being fit.
Meanwhile, club captain Mikel Arteta, yet to start a Premier League game this season, will have a fitness test on Saturday.
For Spurs, summer signing Son Heung-min is in line to start after returning from a five-week absence in Thursday's Europa League win over Anderlecht.
Another pre-season recruit in Clinton N'Jie could also return to the matchday squad if he shrugs off a hamstring injury in time. There is further good news in the form of Danny Rose, who is expected to come back into the side despite suffering a knock in the win over Villa.
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Cech; Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla, Ozil, Sanchez, Campbell; Giroud
Tottenham possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Walker, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Rose; Alli, Dier, Dembele, Eriksen, Lamela; Kane
Head To Head
Sunday's clash will be the second North London derby of the season after Arsenal won 2-1 at White Hart Lane in a third-round League Cup clash in September. History favours the Gunners again this weekend, with Tottenham only winning once in their rivals' backyard since 1993.
Video Preview
Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:
We say: Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Arsenal will be favourites on Sunday - and for good reason. Despite a spate of injuries, Wenger still has a number of excellent players at his disposal, with the form of Ozil, Giroud and Alexis Sanchez a big reason behind their red-hot displays as of late.
That being said, Tottenham have only conceded nine goals - one more than the Gunners - and another sound defensive display is on the cards, but we reckon that the hosts will have that little bit extra on the day.
No Data Analysis info
