Tottenham vs Arsenal : 13 Players Set to Miss North London Clash
- Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and Arsenal F.C. are both set to be without important players when they clash in the North London derby on February 22
- Spurs face the more severe crisis, with new boss Igor Tudor missing enough first-team stars to fill an entire starting XI for his debut
- Arsenal are chasing a fourth straight away win against their rivals, as Manchester City F.C. continue to apply pressure in the title race
- A Ghanaian journalist believes Tottenham will struggle to trouble Arsenal in the North London derby due to their mounting injury concerns
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Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur go into the North London Derby facing completely different injury circumstances.
The fierce rivals meet on Sunday, February 22, with all three points vital at both ends of the table, Arsenal chasing the title and Spurs battling to stay clear of relegation trouble.
Source: Getty Images
According to Flashscore, Mikel Arteta’s side has had significantly less recovery time after their worrying 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday, February 18.
Dropping points against Tottenham could hand Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City the opportunity to overtake them in the following round.
Meanwhile, they come up against a Spurs team unexpectedly fighting to avoid relegation as the season draws to a close. Tottenham dismissed Thomas Frank after a run of poor results left them just four points above the drop zone.
13 players to miss Tottenham vs Arsenal
Former Juventus head coach Igor Tudor has been appointed on an interim basis to steady the club, but he faces a daunting first assignment against the Gunners.
Tudor will be without 11 first-team players as Tottenham’s injury crisis deepens. Wilson Odobert is the latest casualty after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.
He joins James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, both sidelined for much of the campaign with serious knee injuries.
Rodrigo Bentancur is also expected to miss almost the remainder of the season with a hamstring issue, while summer signing Mohammed Kudus is battling a similar problem.
Defensively, Ben Davies, Destiny Udogie and Kevin Danso will also miss out. Other absentees include Lucas Bergvall (ankle) and club captain Cristian Romero, who is serving the second match of a four-game suspension.
Source: Getty Images
Arsenal, by contrast, are not facing a similar crisis. Only Max Dowman and Mikel Merino are effectively ruled out. Arteta has eased fears over Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard after both appeared to pick up knocks against Wolves.
He also confirmed that Kai Havertz could return after initially being sidelined with a muscle problem, while captain Martin Odegaard is set for a late fitness test.
“Well, we have to wait until tomorrow, but there is a big possibility that they are available for the game,” Arteta said via Arsenal’s official website.
Why Tottenham can't beat Arsenal
Meanwhile, Ghanaian journalist Derrick has expressed confidence that Tottenham will struggle to trouble Arsenal in the North London derby due to their mounting injury concerns.
“With close to 11 first-team players unavailable, Tottenham simply do not have the firepower or depth to pose a serious threat to Arsenal,” he told YEN.com.gh. “Even though they are playing at home, that advantage is reduced when you are missing almost an entire starting XI.”
He added that Arsenal’s recent slip-up should not be overstated.
“Yes, Arsenal failed to beat Wolves in midweek, but that result will only motivate them to respond strongly. Tottenham’s injury crisis makes it very difficult for them to capitalise on that draw.”
Opta Supercomputer predicts EPL winner
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Opta’s supercomputer has trimmed Arsenal’s title chances to 79.69% after the Wolves draw, while Manchester City’s hopes have risen to 17.26%, tightening the race.
With demanding fixtures ahead for both sides, every slip-up could prove decisive as Arsenal face Tottenham, Chelsea, Brighton, Everton, and Bournemouth, while City take on Newcastle, Leeds, Nottingham Forest, West Ham, and Chelsea.
Source: YEN.com.gh
