Arsenal vs. Spurs predicted line-ups - Gunners make big call on £65m midfielder as Spurs face striker question

A huge north London derby match beckons this weekend, with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur both looking to confirm their credentials as title challengers with a statement win over the bitter rivals – and we’ve got all the latest team news and predicted line-ups for you as Mikel Arteta and Ange Postecoglou go head-to-head for the first time.

Both sides sit in the top four and level on points, so there’s no much to choose between the two old enemies on paper – but whoever comes out on top will earn a huge psychological edge as the race for the top spots in the Premier League takes shape. The game kicks off at 14:00 BST on Sunday.

Goalkeepers & Defence

David Raya has taken the gloves from Aaron Ramsdale for the last two games and while Arteta insists they will be rotating, it seems most likely that the Spaniard will start in net on Sunday. In defence, Jurriën Timber and Thomas Partey, who played at right wing-back before succumbing to injury, are long-term absentees, meaning the same back four that lined up against PSV Eindhoven is likely to take to the turf at the Emirates.

Spurs were rocked this week by the news that Ivan Perišić will miss the rest of the season with a cruciate ligament injury, and the 34-year-old Crotian will join fellow left-back option Ryan Sessegnon in the treatment room. That means that they too will probably be unchanged at the back, with Destiny Udogie continuing on the left-hand side.

Midfield

The big decision for Arteta is whether to trust Kai Havertz, who was dropped for the win over Everton but restored to the line-up in the Champions League. The £65m German midfielder will most likely get the chance to prove himself to his new coach, but Fábio Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe, who got his first competitive minutes of the season against PSV, will be snapping at his heels. Mohamed Elneny, who hasn’t played since March courtesy of a serious knee injury, is finally back in training but the Egyptian is highly unlikely to play a part so early in his rehabilitation cycle.

Spurs are still about six weeks away from Rodrigo Bentancur’s return, so the midfield three of Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma and James Maddison will likely continue to establish themselves as first choice.

Forwards

Arsenal have a question mark over the availability of Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli after a minor hamstring injury kept him out of action during midweek – which could mean that Leandro Trossard continues on the left after scoring in the Gunners’ past two matches. Assuming Arteta is happy that he is fully fit, Gabriel Jesus will most probably supplant Eddie Nketiah up front.

Postecoglou has a big decision as to whether he continues with Son Heung-Min at central striker or gives Richarlison another chance after the Brazilian’s crucial late goal against Sheffield United last weekend. He also gains another option thanks to the availability of Alejo Véliz, the young Argentinian striker who signed in the summer transfer window, although he is highly unlikely to get any further than the bench for now. Bryan Gil remains out, while £55m summer signing Brennan Johnson is most likely to be used as an impact sub for now.

Full predicted line-ups for Arsenal vs. Spurs

Arsenal: Raya; Zinchenko, Gabriel, Saliba, White; Havertz, Rice, Ødegaard; Trossard, Jesus, Saka.

Spurs: Vicario; Udogie, Van de Ven, Romero, Porro; Bissouma, Maddison, Sarr; Solomon, Son, Kulusevski.