All eyes might be solid in direction of north London on Sunday for a derby that might have important implications within the tussle for the Premier League title and the hunt for a top-four end.
Arsenal’s lead on the prime of the Premier League might be simply two factors if Manchester Metropolis beat Manchester United on Saturday, whereas victory for Erik ten Hag’s facet would put them 5 forward of Spurs within the quest for Champions League soccer.
Having a lot at stake is nothing new for clashes between Arsenal and Spurs, with a gathering at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium final Could being decisive within the two sides’ battle to clinch fourth spot, the place a 3-0 win for the hosts noticed the Gunners miss the possibility to safe a return to Europe’s elite membership competitors.
Arsenal then misplaced to Newcastle United and noticed Spurs leapfrog them to safe a top-four spot on the ultimate day of the season, however Mikel Arteta’s facet have responded fantastically.
Gunning for glory
Arsenal’s pursuit of a primary league title since 2003-04 has caught many without warning this season, as has Tottenham’s incapability to kick on having overwhelmed their arch-rivals to Champions League soccer final time period.
Since that loss to Spurs in Could, Arsenal have received 15 of their 19 Premier League matches, choosing up 47 factors out of a potential 57, with losses coming within the aforementioned journey to Newcastle final season and at Outdated Trafford towards United in September.
Spurs, in the meantime, have received 12 of 20 Premier League fixtures because the win towards Arsenal, choosing up 39 factors from a potential 60 – six of which got here in back-to-back victories to complete the 2021-22 season.
In assault, the 2 nice rivals boast the same report, with Arsenal scoring 45 targets in 19 matches and Spurs discovering the web on 43 events, having performed a sport extra, although 5 got here in a 5-0 thrashing of Norwich Metropolis on the ultimate day of final season.
Defence is the place Arsenal have proven the most important enchancment, conceding 17 targets in 19 matches – simply 14 of which have been this season – whereas Spurs have conceded 25 targets in the identical interval,
These enhancements for Arsenal have put them 15 factors higher off than they have been on the identical stage final season, whereas Spurs have precisely the identical factors whole as they did on the midway mark final yr.
Kane main the way in which as Arsenal come of age
Unsurprisingly, England captain Harry Kane has the perfect goalscoring report because the two sides met on the again finish of final season, scoring 17 targets in 20 video games – 15 of which have come this season, solely Erling Haaland (21) having extra.
An absence of targets from different sources has been a problem, nonetheless, with Son Heung-min scoring six within the Premier League since Could 13, 2022, and Richarlison but to search out the web for Spurs in his 10 Premier League appearances.
Arsenal’s top-scorer in the identical interval is Gabriel Martinelli (eight targets in 19 appearances), although Bukayo Saka is carefully behind with six and Eddie Nketiah’s high quality run since stepping as much as change the injured Gabriel Jesus leaves him with three targets in 17 appearances, solely 5 of which have been as a starter.
Saka (seven) and Martinelli (three) each have extra assists than Kane, Richarlison and Son (two), although the England captain’s tally of targets offers him the perfect minutes per purpose/help common of 105 minutes, with Arsenal’s greatest being Nketiah (189 minutes).
Nketiah (17 per cent), Saka and Martinelli (each 15 per cent) have been equally environment friendly in entrance of purpose, whereas Kane’s 21.8 per cent shot conversion price is considerably increased than Son (11.5 per cent).
The pretty even unfold of Arsenal’s attacking choices shows the shared accountability that Arteta’s facet have within the remaining third, whereas Kane continues to hold his team-mates.
Kane stands because the highest-scoring participant of all-time within the north London derby with 14 targets, scoring in all however certainly one of his eight dwelling Premier League video games towards the Gunners as he stands one away from matching Jimmy Greaves’ all-time report for the membership of 266.
