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Would victory over Tottenham automatically make this season a success for Arsenal? By Jonny Bray Thursday night's North London derby will be one of the most crucial games of Arsenal's season.  Not only is it the latest instalment of a historic rivalry, but the Gunners will also qualify for the Champions League if they win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.  With so much riding on one game, it is hard not to feel like victory over Spurs automatically makes this season a success for Arsenal.  But is that really the case?  A win would make this season a success Champions League football is crucial for the Gunners and for Mikel Arteta.  With three games remaining, the North London side are four points ahead of Tottenham in fifth and will be guaranteed a spot in Europe's premium competition with a win on Thursday.  Qualifying for the Champions League would surpass the expectations many people placed on Arteta's side at the start of the season.  Following the...

By Oli Dickson Jefford The announcement that Sunday's crunch North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham had been called off did not come as a surprise. It follows almost a month of similar disruption and postponements that have impacted almost every club in the Premier League, with Spurs one of the first majorly affected a few weeks back. However, this latest postponement has caused some controversy, with Arsenal currently having only one Covid case in their camp. With accusations that clubs are exploiting the system in place simply to avoid matches when they are dealing with injury issues and AFCON absences, there are questions as to whether this match should have been delayed. Arsenal’s issue Arsenal’s problem is that they do not have the 13 outfield players and one goalkeeper that guarantees that a match will go ahead in any circumstances. It’s thought that Mikel Arteta currently has only 12 outfield players at his disposal, with the main issue coming with his midfield. Ma...

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is back to his best after a difficult 12 months Realistic expectations for the rest of Arsenal's season Just a few weeks ago, things looked bleak at the Emirates Stadium.  Arsenal’s worst league start in 67 years left Mikel Arteta seemingly on the brink of being fired, with a looming air of negativity over all areas of the club.  However, just a month on, things are suddenly looking a little brighter.  Wins over Norwich and Burnley steadied the ship, before a stunning performance saw the club beat North London rivals Tottenham 3-1 on Sunday.  Having been bottom of the league at one stage, Arsenal now sit mid-table and there is more positivity around the club.  Heavy investment into the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu is paying off, while the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe are shining brightly.  It is important to remember that we are just six games into a 38-match league campaign; there is plenty...

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is back to his best after a difficult 12 months How has Arteta turned things around? At the end of August, many Arsenal fans were calling for Mikel Arteta's head. The Spaniard had overseen a disastrous start to the 2021/22 campaign, suffering three consecutive defeats, though two came against Premier League champions Manchester City and European champions Chelsea. One month later, it's all change at the Emirates, with the Gunners finally resembling a cohesive unit both in attack and defence. Sunday's 3-1 win against Spurs came after two hard-fought 1-0 victories over Burnley and Norwich. While the first two may not have been the most glamorous of results, they were needed and have got the season back on track heading into October. It's been quite the turnaround, and though we shouldn't get carried away due to the number of false dawns we've seen over the last decade, it is good to see Arsenal back performing well. Here's what Arteta...

  North London derby review: Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham By Oli Dickson Jefford   What. A. Performance. Arsenal suddenly look a different team to the one that suffered embarrassing defeats to Brentford, Chelsea and Manchester City earlier this season. Victories over Norwich and Burnley certainly steadied the ship, but a huge North London Derby win? That’s another level. It has to be mentioned that Tottenham were poor, looking limp and lifeless throughout the opening 65 minutes before belatedly finding something in the closing stages. However, praise should be heaped on the entire Arsenal XI who played superbly well and brought some joy back to the Emirates after years of negativity and hopelessness. Having been under real pressure just a few weeks ago, Mikel Arteta will now be riding high and hoping that the  Gunners keep this momentum going. Saka and Smith-Rowe Star  There are plenty of positives from an Arsenal perspective, but perhaps the two brightest talking points ...

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 disastr...

Remembering the  five best  North London derby days    The Gunners take on bitter rivals Tottenham at  t he Emirates this Sunday. The North London derby has a history of being unpredictable and producing some of the best games of the season.   Fans of both teams can take a lot of encouragement from North London derbies of the past, with the matchup often producing goal-fests and historically significant  moments.  Sunday's contest will be the 190th meeting of the two sides, and both managers will be desperate to win.   Here's a look at some of the best North London derbies of the past.   Arsenal 4-4 Tottenham (2008)  It may not be one of the best results from an Arsenal perspective, but there's no denying that the 4-4 draw at t he Emirates during the 08/09 season is one of the best games in Premier League history.  It had everything from great goals to huge characters.   The game took place very early in Harry Redknapp's T...