North London Derby
November 19, 2010: Saturday will see one of the biggest clashes of the season as Arsenal will take on their biggest North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates stadium. One of the most ferociously fought derbies of all times, this one promises great action for the viewers as it gives a chance to the Gunners to bypass Chelsea as league leaders.
Venue: The Emirates Stadium
Referee: Phil Dowd
History
Spurs have never won against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. In the17 previous visits to Highbury and the Emirates, Spurs have drawn six matches and lost sixteen!
The teams last met in September at White Hart Lane for a Carling Cup tie where Arsenal ran out 4-1 on penalties after the match went into extra time.
Pre-Match Stats
Arsenal come into this match at 2nd place in the Premier League table 2 points adrift of league leaders Chelsea with a 2-1 win against Everton last week before Chelsea lost at home to Sunderland. They have amassed 26 points from 13 matches played. Arsenal will go a point clear of Chelsea if they win this match as it is scheduled for lunchtime kick-off and the leaders don’t play till late. The gunners will be missing Aaron Ramsey, Thomas Vermaelen, Abou Diaby and Emmanuel Frimpong due to injury. Arsenal have won 5 out of the last 6 matches in the league.
Spurs will be without the services of Tom Huddlestone, Jonathan Woodgate, Giovani Dos Santos, Robbie Keane, Aaron Lennon, Ledley King, Michael Dawson and Jamie O’ Hara in an injury plagued season. Jermain Defoe is also doubtful of a start as he hasn’t fully recovered from an ankle injury. Spurs are currently placed at 7th position in the league table with a tally of 19 points from 13 matches. Out of the 6 matches, they’ve played away from home, Spurs have lost three, won two and drawn one. They haven’t kept a clean sheet since the first day of the season. They have won two, drawn two and lost two in their last six matches in the Premier League.
Men To Watch
For Arsenal, the players to watch are Andrey Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh who have both been in red hot form since the opening day of the season.
For Spurs, the player to watch will definitely be new signing Rafael Van der Vaart who has already scored 5 goals for his club this season.
Conclusion
Expect fine attacking football from both sides, both possessing flair for the offensive. Here’s hoping for lots of goals at the Emirates!
Tags: Andrey Arshavin, Arsenal, Emirates Stadium, Football, Marouane Chamakh, North London, North London Derby, Rafael Van der Vaart, Spurs, Tottenham Hotspur
