It will be a clash between two north London giants Tottenham and Arsenal on Saturday as two of the top teams in the Premier League go head to head. As both sides chase Leicester City, neither will want to drop any points in this crucial upcoming fixture. Spurs currently have three players missing with injuries, while the Gunners have a total of seven stars out. Arsene Wenger knows the importance of this game after some poor round of form in recent weeks though Mauricio Pochettino’s side will be in no mood to drop any points as well.
A huge match which could decide the fate of the league title and the fans will have high hopes that their side can outperform the other on the night. Here are how the two teams could possibly lineup for this game:
Expected lineup:
Tottenham: (4-2-3-1)
Lloris; Alderweireld, Rose, Walker, Wimmer; Alli, Dier, Eriksen, Lamela, Mason; Kane.
Arsenal: (4-2-3-1)
Ospina; Monreal, Mertesacker, Gabriel, Bellerin; Coquelin, Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez, Campbell, Welbeck.
Goalkeeper:
Hugo Lloris will start at goal for the hosts while the away side will be missing first choice keeper Petr Cech due to a calf injury, which means that David Ospina will be back at goal. The Colombian international has not made a Premier League appearance so far this season and will be called upon for this crucial encounter in the absence of the former Chelsea man.
Defence:
Both sides will employ a back four as they have been doing right through, with the home side using the combination of Danny Rose and Kyle Walker on the left and right-hand side respectively, with Toby Alderweireld and Kevin Wimmer at the center.
On the other hand, Arsenal will use Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista at the center, with Nacho Monreal on the left and Hector Bellerin on the right. Laurent Koscielny will miss the game, due to an injury as confirmed by Wenger is his press conference.
Midfield:
In front of the back-line Spurs will play the pairing of Dele Alli and Eric Dier, with the trio of Erik Lamela, Christian Eriksen and Ryan Mason, from left to right. The pair will be expected to do the creative work and create as many chances for Harry Kane as possible.
For the visitors, it will be Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey in front of the defence, though the Welshman has been poor in recent weeks. Also, the trio of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Joel Campbell should be once again in the starting eleven for Wenger’s side and will be expected to create early chances to score goals.
Attack:
Harry Kane will be the lone striker for Spurs and could prove to be a huge threat for Arsenal. It will be a tough task to keep the England international quiet on the night. On the other hand, his team-mate Danny Welbeck should start for Arsenal up front in place of Olivier Giroud, who just can’t score a goal.