Arsenal will face Tottenham Hotspur in what can turn out to be a defining moment in the season for the two north London giants. Tottenham are going through a somewhat patchy run of form and Unai Emery’s men, riding on the back of their excellent home form, have managed to re-enter the reckoning for the top 4 places.
If Arsenal manage to do the double over the Lilywhites this season, only a point will be separating the two which will surely give the Gunners a boost to finish the season strongly and ensure a 3rd place finish which will be a credible achievement for Emery with the restricted budget he has had to work with.
ARSENAL TEAM NEWS
Arsenal’s injury worries have also eased to an extent with Hector Bellerín (knee), Danny Welbeck (ankle) and Rob Holding (knee) the only confirmed absentees. Laurent Koscielny and Stephan Lichtsteiner have returned to full training.
PREDICTED ARSENAL LINEUP VS TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (3-4-2-1)
DEFENCE
Bernd Leno will start in goal. He has had a topsy turvy campaign but has improved as the weeks have gone by. A strong display against their arch-rivals will catapult him into overnight stardom on these shores.
Emery might retain the back three which played against Bournemouth. He believes the three at the back formation helps him in utilising the attack-minded fullbacks to the hilt.
Sokratis, Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal are hence likely to start.
MIDFIELD
Carl Jenkinson played well in the last match but might have to make way for Ainsley Maitland-Niles who has trained for the last couple of days. He should start at right fullback with Sead Kolasinac expected to be fit in time to feature on the left flank.
Lucas Torreira looks like a sure shot starter while Guendouzi might have to make way for Granit Xhaka whose partnership with Lucas has blossomed in recent weeks.
ATTACK
Emery has a bevvy of options for his attacking roles and might be forced into taking a couple of big decisions.
He might be tempted to throw in Aubameyang and Lacazette up top to rattle the under confident Spurs’ backline but Arsenal have themselves been hugely underwhelming in away games. Hence he might opt for a single striker which will see Lacazette (5 goals in the last 6 games) start.
Mesut Ozil was excellent in the last game but considering his sporadic involvements this season and the nature of the match he might have to be satisfied with a spot on the bench. With work-rate the keyword against a well-drilled Spurs unit, a start for Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan might be the way to go today.
Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Aubameyang will offer attacking options from the bench.
