Tottenham vs. Arsenal
Venue: White Hart Lane
Kick off: 4:30PM
Tottenham Hotspur play host to Arsenal on Sunday (today) in the last meeting between the North London sides at White Hart Lane, aiming to make certain of achieving the rare feat of finishing above their rivals.
A ninth Premier League victory on the spin for Spurs will make certain of holding off the Gunners no matter what happens in the final month of the season, while also derailing their opponents’ bid to finish fourth.
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino insisted after his side’s latest victory, a tough 1-0 triumph away to Crystal Palace in midweek, that bettering Arsenal and claiming North London bragging rights is now the least of his worries.
Tottenham, you see, are still attempting to chase down Chelsea at the summit, clawing the gap back to just the four points after beating Palace with an improved second-half display a day on from the Blues battling past Southampton.
Meanwhile, finishing below Tottenham for the first time since 1994-95, the year before Arsene Wenger took charge of the club, may fill supporters with dread, but failing to nail down a spot in the top four is the most damaging aspect of Arsenal’s disappointing campaign to date.
A run of three wins in succession, all since Wenger reverted to a three-man backline for the first time in two decades, has given those disgruntled fans something to smile about but it may well be a case of papering over the cracks – again!
One of the most important victories of the Frenchman’s long-running reign in North London arrived at Wembley Stadium last weekend, with a 2-1 triumph against Manchester City after extra time ensuring that the Gunners’ season remains alive, keeping them on course for a third success in the competition in the space of four years.
Arsenal trails United and City, but it is arguably Liverpool who are most at danger of being caught right now, sitting six points in front after playing two games more than the Gunners. It is not quite in their own hands, but Wenger’s men know that a run of wins will give them a serious chance of finishing in the top four for the 21st year in a row.
Tottenham Possible XI: Lloris, Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Walker, Wanyama, Dembele, Rose, Eriksen, Alli, Kane.
Arsenal Possible XI: Cech, Gabriel, Koscielny, Holding, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Xhaka, Monreal, Sanchez, Ozil, Welbeck.