Arsenal travel to Tottenham for a potential decider for the final Champions League spots in the season's second North London derby. Both teams are arriving into this fixture bagging big results.
A win will secure the Gunners fourth spot on the table while a defeat for Spurs and a subsequent win for Chelsea will cement them in the Europa League spot with two more games left to play after this.
TOT vs ARS Premier League 2021-22 Match Details
Date: Thursday, 12 May 2022/ Friday, 13 May 2022
Time: 19:45 (BST)/ 00:15 (IST)
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TOT vs ARS Premier League 2021-22 Match Preview
First Manchester City and now Liverpool, Tottenham may have handed each one of the clubs a favor in the title hunt by halting each one's approach at the defining point of the season. Spurs could also have won to break their curse at Anfield in the 1-1 draw with the Reds but the point earned puts them in a do or die situation for the much-awaited North London derby this Thursday. Antonio Conte said the initial time of the derby, which got rescheduled due to a large number of Covid cases in both the camps, would have been hard for Spurs as they were having a bad spell under the Italian. Also, Arsenal was on a hot streak of form at that moment. Whatever the case may be, the manager won't deny this derby now becomes a season-defining game for the Lilywhites. Conte knows his side have to avoid defeat at all costs to stay in the hunt for the Champions League places. Arsenal are four points off them and any share of points will give them even more leverage. Then there is the case for another London rival, Chelsea. The Blues are on a tough ride with the ownership changing at the club but will be up to the task to seal the third place before it's too late. Their result against Leeds will have a direct impact on the top-four hopes of Spurs. Conte's men hope for their vibrant record at home in this derby.
All hopes of returning to Champions League football after six long years seemed to have been destroyed in the three games losing streak Arsenal endured last month in the crucial stage of the season. Towards the end of April, the Gunners finally managed to get up on their feet and brushed aside a tough calendar with back to back important wins over Chelsea and Manchester United to put them in a pole position to clinch the top four places. They have now won four games on a spin in the Premier League and can fulfill their wish in the derby itself with a win provided Chelsea wins too in their match against Leeds a day before. However, Mikel Arteta won't have to look around and focus on their task in a promising derby. Arsenal fans are hoping Edward Nketiah will step up again after scoring a brace at the weekend just as he did against Chelsea. The 22-year-old has snubbed the striker issue at the club and his crucial strikes restarted Arsenal's venture which seemed to have halted after injuries to key players. Eyes will be on Nketiah if he can help his side clinch the first win over their arch-rivals at their den after seven years and secure destiny. A defeat once again at this ground will close down the gap to a solitary point which will be a shot at their foot and Spurs receiving a much easier ride than them in the last two games of the season.
Recent Form
Tottenham: DWDLW
Arsenal: WWWWL
TOT vs ARS Premier League 2021-22 Team News
Spurs had confirmed that Sergio Reguilon is ruled out for the rest of the season with a groin injury. He won't be able to recover by this month. The Spaniard joins Japhet Tanganga, Matt Doherty and Oliver Skipp on the long term absentee list. There are no fresh injury concerns.
Bukayo Saka was withdrawn in the win over Leeds for a possible injury concern while defender Ben White's hamstring injury kept him out for Arsenal's last two games. Mikel Arteta said both are major doubts for the derby. Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey have been ruled out for the season.
TOT vs ARS Premier League 2021-22 Expected Lineups
Tottenham: Hugo Lloris; Christian Romero, Eric Dier, Ben Davies, Emerson Royal, Hojbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ryan Sessegnon, Dejan Kulusevski, Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son
Arsenal: Aaron Ramsdale; Cedric Soares, Rob Holding, Gabriel, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Edward Nketiah
TOT vs ARS Head to Head
Tottenham haven't lost a North London derby at home in the league since 2014 when Tomas Rosicky scored the only goal of the game for Arsenal in the old White Hart Lane as quick as the second minute. Mikel Arteta started that game as a player back then. Star duo Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane got on the score sheet in the last derby meeting at this ground in 2020.
TOT vs ARS Premier League 2021-22 Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Lloris (8.5)
DEF: Emerson (9), Romero (9), Gabriel (9.5), Tomiyasu (8.5)
MID: Kulusevski (9.5), Elneny (8), Martinelli (9)
FW: Nketiah (8.5), Kane (9.5), Son (9.5)
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