Arsenal v Spurs preview

Arsenal will need Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in top form if they're to beat Spurs on Sunday

Arsenal v Spurs preview

Arsenal take on the old enemy in what is sure to be a tense north London derby with fans returning to the fixture.

Both sides head into Sunday's game in a difficult position after poor starts to the season.

Arsenal's record of two wins and three defeats leaves them sat in 13th, and despite encouraging signs in the first three fixtures, Tottenham have dropped down the table to seventh after back-to-back losses.

The Gunners have a fully fit squad to choose from, with Granit Xhaka back in contention after a three-game ban, meaning Mikel Arteta is likely to make a host of changes from the side that played AFC Wimbledon.

Spurs are without Steven Bergwijn and Ryan Sessegnon, but Lucas Moura could return from injury to be considered for selection in the matchday squad.

What can we expect from Arsenal?

Arsenal have finally got their season back on track after a disastrous start.

Two 1-0 wins against Burnley and Norwich may not sound that exciting but they were crucial results at a vital time.

The six points lifted Arsenal out of the relegation zone and helped build a bit of momentum at a time when the club felt like it was in a very dark place.

This weekend, Gunners fans will hope for another brilliant defensive performance.

Despite often being trolled for their defensive howlers in recent years, Arteta's defence have shown improvement this season after the groundwork had been laid over the last 12 months.

There are more encouraging signs for Arsenal after the challenging first three games.

The average age of their starting line-up, 24 years and 328 days, is the top-flight's youngest in 2021-22, and the team has looked full of energy in the last two fixtures.

Similarly, new signings such as Ben White and Aaron Ramsdale have hit the ground running in north London.

What can we expect from Spurs?

One thing's for sure. Harry Kane will score.

It almost feels like it's meant to be after the English striker's poor start to the season.

Kane got back to scoring ways with a goal in the EFL Cup and will now be looking to hit the back of the net in the league after his summer transfer drama with Manchester City.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Kane, Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has had some success in north London since joining from Wolves.

They looked exciting in their first three games, especially in a morale-boosting 1-0 home win against Manchester City.

However, their flaws have been exposed for all to see once again, a common theme for Spurs sides over the last few years.

Kane was poor, and they lacked any semblance of defensive solidity as Chelsea ran out comfortable winners.

Similarly, they looked a shadow of the team that beat City in a 3-0 defeat away at Crystal Palace, showing that it's not just the top teams who can carve through Spurs like a knife through butter.

Arsenal will hope to do exactly that to take north London bragging rights.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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