Set-pieces & midfield issues - where north London derby could be won

The rivalry betwixt Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal resumes connected Sunday with the archetypal northbound London derby of the season.

It volition beryllium the 175th league gathering betwixt the clubs, with the Gunners victorious successful 71 of them.

BBC Sport takes a person look astatine the statistic down the derby and examines wherever the cardinal battles could be.

Arsenal won 3-2 erstwhile the sides met astatine Tottenham Hotspur Stadium successful April.

It was their 2nd successive triumph astatine Spurs, the archetypal clip since September 1988 they had won consecutive top-flight matches astatine the location of their fiercest rival.

Prior to winning determination successful the past 2 seasons they had lone won 2 of their erstwhile 17 distant games against Spurs successful the Premier League (D6 L9).

Recent results suggest the astir apt result from this fixture is simply a triumph for 1 of the sides, due to the fact that conscionable 1 of Tottenham's past 49 Premier League location games has been drawn (2-2 v Manchester United successful April 2023), and nary of the past 22 (W15 L7).

Of each the grounds successful Premier League history, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - which opened successful 2019 - has witnessed the lowest percent of draws (9% - 9/101) and remarkably has yet to big a goalless league game.

Arsenal spell into the crippled depleted successful a cardinal area, with Declan Rice suspended and skipper Martin Odegaard set to beryllium missing for 3 weeks aft injuring his ankle connected planetary duty.

New signing Mikel Merino is besides ruled retired with a fractured shoulder, leaving Mikel Arteta with a occupation to lick successful midfield.

Rice has been superb with the shot truthful acold this season, boasting a passing accuracy of 97.1% - amended than immoderate different top-flight subordinate to person featured for astatine slightest 90 minutes truthful acold this term.

The nonaccomplishment of Odegaard would mean the nonaccomplishment of their astir originative spark, with nary Arsenal subordinate having created much chances than the Norwegian since the commencement of past season.

The astir evident campaigner to travel into midfield is Jorginho.

Last season, the Italy midfielder played much palmy passes into the last 3rd per 90 minutes than immoderate different Arsenal subordinate (average 23.9), and his quality to play close passes implicit the apical could beryllium an plus against Tottenham's precocious line.

Leandro Trossard could capable Odegaard's relation down Kai Havertz, which whitethorn let Raheem Sterling to marque his debut arsenic portion of the 3 down the striker on with Bukayo Saka.

"No manager likes it erstwhile you miss 1 oregon 2 of the astir important players successful your team," erstwhile Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas told the Planet Premier League podcast.

"When Manchester City oregon Liverpool miss apical players they inactive woody with it successful the champion mode but not truly missing them and Arsenal request to get to this level arsenic well.

"I can't retrieve an Arsenal crippled successful the past 2 oregon 3 seasons without Odegaard successful the squad and much precocious Rice.

"They are important players but large teams are made of large squads and they volition request to beryllium they are acceptable to situation the hard moments arsenic well."

There has besides been speech 17-year-old midfielder Ethan Nwaneri could play a portion for the Gunners connected Sunday.

"I person nary doubts if Mikel puts him successful the starting 11 oregon adjacent during the game, it's due to the fact that he's seen that he's bully capable to marque an impact," added Fabregas.

"Obviously, the consequences of Rice and Odegaard being retired makes it a small spot faster than possibly what helium would person liked.

"If he's portion of the squad, it's due to the fact that helium [Arteta] truly believes helium tin bring thing to the table."

It has been a mixed commencement to the play for Tottenham with a loss, a gully and a triumph from their 3 games.

However, each 3 could easy person been victories. Against Leicester City and Newcastle United they created plentifulness of chances but were incapable to enactment them away, resulting successful a gully and decision respectively.

They person had 48 shots truthful acold this play - arsenic galore arsenic Manchester City and Liverpool - with lone Nottingham Forest managing much (53).

They volition nary uncertainty look to onslaught early, arsenic they person done successful different games this term. In their opening gully with Leicester they had 7 corners successful the archetypal 19 minutes, underlining their high-tempo start.

"I deliberation Tottenham volition person a existent content they tin spell and triumph this game," said erstwhile Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha.

"A absorption to losing to Newcastle earlier the planetary interruption volition beryllium key, not slightest of each to beryllium successful your location stadium."

Fabregas added: "Tottenham are a squad who are increasing and playing very, precise bully football.

"They are precise hard to play against due to the fact that they similar to person possession and make chances, truthful you person to beryllium coagulated defensively."

The archetypal gathering betwixt these 2 sides past play ended successful a 2-2 gully astatine Emirates Stadium, with Saka connected people for Arsenal and Son Heung-min scoring for Tottenham.

Both players are expected to beryllium cardinal erstwhile again connected Sunday.

Son loves the northbound London derby. He has scored 8 goals against Arsenal successful each competitions. Only Harry Kane (14), Emmanuel Adebayor (10) and Bobby Smith (10) person netted much than the South Korea striker successful the fixture.

Meanwhile, Saka scored location and distant goals against Tottenham successful the Premier League past season.

The lone Arsenal players to people successful 3 oregon much consecutive northbound London derby appearances successful the contention are Adebayor (five betwixt 2006 and 2008) and Robert Pires (four betwixt 2002 and 2004).

Both had akin attacking statistic past season, with Son having the flimsy borderline by scoring 1 much extremity than Saka (17-16) and providing 1 much assistance (10-9).

Arsenal were deadly from set-piece situations past season, scoring 22 times from them - much than immoderate different team.

That is doubly the magnitude Tottenham managed, with Spurs conceding 16 times from dormant balls past word including 2 successful the 3-2 decision against Arsenal. Only Sheffield United, Luton Town and Nottingham Forest conceded more.

The Gunners person seen a large betterment successful this country since set-piece specializer Nicolas Jover joined successful 2021.

In the 111 matches earlier Jover's arrival, Arsenal scored a extremity each 32 corners. In the 111 fixtures since his arrival, they person recovered the nett each 16 corners - a important improvement.

We are lone 3 games into this season, truthful a minimal magnitude tin beryllium work into immoderate team's set-piece spot this campaign, but Arsenal are yet to people from 1 but Tottenham have.

However, Spurs brag Ange Postecoglou has antecedently indicated that set-pieces - some defending them and scoring from them - is not thing helium is overly acrophobic about.

"I'm not interested," he said successful May., external "Never person been. Not successful the least.

"It's not the archetypal clip I've been questioned astir set-pieces successful my coaching career. There is an underlying crushed for that, which I'm very, precise comfy with."

For the archetypal clip successful 38 years, Arsenal volition deterioration their distant kit aft their red-and-white location garment was deemed to clash with Tottenham's colours.

The Gunners volition usage their achromatic distant portion astatine Tottenham Hotspur Stadium aft referees' assemblage Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said their location garment "features excessively overmuch white".

Arsenal besides said wearing their location garment with reddish shorts and socks was discussed but not agreed on.

As portion of PGMOL's decision, Tottenham volition besides deterioration their distant kit erstwhile they sojourn Emirates Stadium successful the reverse fixture successful January.