Tottenham Hotspur vs. Arsenal - Preview , missing players,prediction, available players,team news, lineups, kick off time
On Thursday night, Spurs will face bitter rivals Arsenal in a potentially season-defining North London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Gunners start the day one place and four points ahead of their opponents, whose Champions League hopes will be dashed if they lose on their own ground.
The Gunners' depleted squad due to injuries, the Africa Cup of Nations, and COVID-19 led to the postponement of the originally scheduled North London derby on Spurs' turf, much to the delight of Arsenal fans and the chagrin of Tottenham, and the Lilywhites certainly made their feelings known on the matter.
However, Antonio Conte's side may be in a better position to welcome the Gunners to their headquarters than they were previously four months ago, with the club's January arrivals starting to flourish and confidence in the camp gradually returning
Team Updates
Tottenham should be well-stocked for the North London derby, barring the quartet of Sergio Reguilon, Japhet Tanganga, Oliver Skipp, and Matt Doherty, with the former potentially missing the rest of the season due to a groin injury.
Conte's starting lineup is set at this point, with Ryan Sessegnon and Emerson Royal holding down the fort in their wing-back positions and Ben Davies continuing in the three-man backline after a man-of-the-match performance at Anfield.
Harry Kane enters Thursday's clash looking to add to his derby record of 11 goals in 16 games against Arsenal, though he has now failed to make the net ripple in back-to-back North London clashes.
Arsenal's key defender Ben White has now missed the club's last two games due to a tight hamstring, and Arteta is unsure whether the defender will make the squad alongside Bukayo Saka, who was forced off in the win over Leeds.
The Spaniard's pre-match concerns about the duo may have been unfounded, but Thomas Partey and Kierney will be on the sidelines, with Takehiro Tomiyasu likely filling in on the left for the latter.
With Rob Holding performing well since his recall to the first team, Arteta may be tempted to move White to right-back for the derby if he is passed fit, as the prospect of Cedric Soares facing Son Heung-min is not appealing.
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