One of the fiercest Premier League rivalries will be renewed this weekend as Arsenal looks to make it three straight away wins at Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby.

Ange Postecoglou looks for his first victory in the north London derby after drawing away and losing at home in his first season. Mikel Arteta became the first Arsenal manager in 36 years to secure consecutive away wins in the North London Derby. The task on Sunday is tougher given the squad's fitness and availability.

Declan Rice will serve his one-game suspension after picking up a second yellow card against Brighton and Hove Albion. Summer signing Mikel Merino is recovering from a shoulder injury suffered in training. Most importantly, Martin Ødegaard is a doubt for the match after suffering a left ankle injury playing for Norway over the international break.

Both teams come into the North London Derby after dropping points in their previous games. Arsenal failed to keep a clean sheet after Rice was sent off in 1-1 draw while Tottenham lost 2-1 to Newcastle United at St. James' Park.

Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3)

Raya; Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, White; Jorginho, Trossard, Partey; Martinelli, Havertz, Saka

How much will Mikel Arteta tinker with his lineup? Not having Rice would just lead to Jorginho coming into the side, but no Ødegaard provides a completely different problem. Rice provides the solidity in midfield, but everything runs through Arsenal's captain.

Thomas Partey and Jorginho will likely start, but who fills into that final midfield slot? Kai Havertz has played as a creative and box-to-box midfielder, but he's played his best soccer up top for Arsenal. Leandro Trossard is the likeliest of options giving Arteta the flexibility to bring Gabriel Martinelli back into the starting lineup.

Raheem Sterling is also an option, but he hasn't logged minutes on the pitch in over a month.

Tottenham Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal (4-3-3)

Vicario; Udogie, van de Ven, Romero, Porro; Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison; Son, Solanke, Kulusevski

Postecoglou announced Solanke was back in training plus Mickey van de Ven trained with the team during the international break. The former Bournemouth striker started Spurs' opener against Leicester City before missing the team's last two matches. Spurs should have its premier center-back duo with Solanke leading the line.

Yves Bissouma is the only player in Spurs' camp that's questionable ahead of the derby with a race to fitness to make the squad on Sunday.

What a Win Means for Both Sides This Early in the Season

Arsenal heads into a difficult stretch without its midfield generals. Arsenal play three games in seven days starting with the north London derby. Mikel Arteta's side then travels to face Europa League champion Atalanta to kick off its 2024/25 Champions League campaign. Then, it's a trip to Etihad Stadium against the reigning Premier League champion Manchester City.

A victory in the north London derby would do wonders building confidence with key players missing from the side.

Tottenham have three games in six days, but got a much-needed boost with Solanke back in training. Postecoglou getting his first derby win can build confidence in the manager's second season with aspirations of getting back into the Champions League. Spurs must start strong and dominate the midfield if it wants to pick up a win. Make the game physical and don't allow Arsenal to get settled early on.

Why Arsenal is Wearing its Away Kit

Arsenal will wear its away kit in the match after PGMOL and the Premier League determined this year's home kit could create a kit clash with Tottenham.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as North London Derby Preview: Arsenal Pushes for Third Straight Win at Spurs.