Tottenham play host to Arsenal in a north London derby at Wembley on Saturday that will have lost just a little of its spice as Spurs’ Premier League title challenge has faltered over the course of the last week.
Successive losses against Burnley and Chelsea have left Mauricio Pochettino’s side nine points back from leaders Liverpool with just 10 matches remaining.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are looming only four points behind their great rivals, eager to regain their lost superiority over their neighbours and full of confidence after a thumping 5-1 win over injury hit Bournemouth in midweek.
The title may be off the cards, but local pride remains as important as ever.
| Game | Tottenham vs Arsenal |
| Date | Saturday, March 2 |
| Time | 12:30pm GMT/7:30am ET |
| Stream (US) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) .
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| NBCSN / UNIVERSO | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 4K UHD. It can be streamed via BT Sport Live.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| BT Sport 1 / BT Sport 4K UHD | BT Sport Live |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Tottenham players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Lloris, Vorm, Gazzaniga |
| Defenders | Trippier, Rose, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Sanchez, Foyth, Aurier, Davies, Walker-Peters |
| Midfielders | Lamela, Wanyama, Dier, Sissoko, Dembele, Eriksen, Lucas Moura, Winks, Nkoudou, Amos |
| Forwards | Kane, Son, Llorente, Janssen |
Harry Winks misses out for Tottenham, with Victor Wanyama, who hasn't played since February 13, restored to the starting XI.
Belgian centre-back Jan Vertonghen returns in what appears a back three for Spurs, while there's still no place for the injured Dele Alli in the squad.
Harry Kane, as expected, resumes in attacked, supported by Christian Eriksen and Heung-Min Son, with Erik Lamela dropping to the bench.
Tottenham starting XI: Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Rose; Wanyama, Sissoko; Eriksen, Son; Kane.
Subs: Gazzaniga, Lamela, Llorente, Aurier, Moura, Davies, Skipp.
| Position | Arsenal players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Cech, Leno, Martinez |
| Defenders | Koscielny, Lichtsteiner, Jenkinson, Kolasinac, Medley, Pleguezuelo, Mustafi |
| Midfielders | Elneny, Ramsey, Torreira, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Willock |
| Forwards | Ozil, Iwobi, Saka, Lacazette, Aubameyang, Nketiah, Suarez, Mkhitaryan |
Unai Emery has made the bold decision to drop both Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to the bench for the north London derby meeting with Tottenham.
Both players scored in the 5-1 win over Bournemouth last time out, although they haven't been able to retain their spots in the XI, with Alexandre Lacazette and Aaron Ramsey coming in.
There's also a start for Alex Iwobi, with Emery deciding to leave out Sead Kolasinac. Lucas Torreira, who scored in Arsenal's 4-2 win over Spurs back in December, also has to settle for a place on the bench.
Arsenal starting XI: Leno; Mustafi, Sokratis, Koscielny, Monreal; Guendouzi, Xhaka; Ramsey, Iwobi, Mkhitaryan; Lacazette.
Subs: Cech, Ozil, Torreira, Aubameyang, Maitland-Niles, Suarez, Kolasinac.
Betting & Match Odds
Tottenham are warm 21/20 favourites with bet365 . Arsenal are priced at 14/5 to win the game, while a draw can be backed at 13/5.
Click here to see more offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.
Match Preview
It’s been a painful couple of years for Arsenal. For so long the Gunners took finishing above Tottenham in the Premier League standings for granted, yet Mauricio Pochettino has successfully turned the tables on the Emirates club.
For the duration of the 2018-19 season, Spurs have been above their neighbours, but after back-to-back defeats they suddenly find themselves with their rivals looming in their rearview mirror only four points behind.
Now fending off the Gunners and securing third appears the best that Tottenham can hope for.
Even if Pochettino said he had publicly given up on winning the Premier League title before Wednesday’s 2-0 loss to Chelsea, he would surely have been harbouring some belief of a miracle, yet defeat at Stamford Bridge has extinguished any flickering hopes of a remarkable recovery.
“After Burnley I said it was difficult, and tonight makes it impossible to fight Man City and Liverpool. Only they can win the league - we must fight to win games and to be fair,” he said.
“The competition will put us in our place. It's a 10-month competition, not just three or four months. We are disappointed now.”
Arsenal, meanwhile, could barely be going into a huge week of fixtures in better shape.
They were formidable in midweek against Bournemouth, and even allowing for their opponents’ injury-hit squad, the manner in which they swept to a 5-1 victory was impressive.
“We worked with intensity and we imposed, little by little over the 90 minutes, our superiority,” Unai Emery said.
“It was a good performance and we can be proud of every player.”
And every player at his best is exactly what the Spaniard will need over the course of the next fortnight, which will extend the squad to its limits. After Spurs, a Premier League fixture against Manchester United is sandwiched by Europa League matches against Rennes.
It was a delicate but decisive time in the campaign, and with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil apparently striking their best level, the Emirates side could not approach it in any better condition.
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