Mauricio Pochettino’s men moved back to within four points of leaders Chelsea with a 1-0 defeat of Crystal Palace in midweek. Spurs were a little flat in the first half as they struggled to create clear-cut chances against their in-form opponents, but there was a vast improvement after the interval and in the end they deserved the win that was given to them by Christian Eriksen’s fine long-range strike. Chelsea remain heavy favourites to end the season at the summit of the standings, particularly as their run-in in the final weeks is much more favourable, but this Tottenham team refuse to go away and will keep fighting until it is no longer mathematically possible for them to win the championship.
Arsenal were more than a little fortunate to beat Leicester City by a goal to nil on Wednesday night, with Robert Huth’s own goal in the 86th minute ultimately handing all three points to the hosts at the Emirates Stadium. That result keeps the Gunners’ slim Champions League hopes alive – at the time of writing prior to Thursday’s Manchester derby, Arsene Wenger’s side are four points adrift of the final qualification spot – but anything less than a victory over their fierce rivals will surely end their chances of finishing in the top four this term.
Tottenham will have to make do without Danny Rose (knee), Harry Winks (ankle), Michel Vorm (knee) and Erik Lamela (hip), while midfielder Mousa Dembele will be assessed after picking up an ankle injury against Palace. Pochettino has switched between 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-2-1 setups throughout tis campaign, although the fact that Spurs finished their win at Selhurst Park in the former shape would seem to suggest that a four-man defence is more likely on Sunday afternoon.
Arsenal, meanwhile, will be unable to call upon the services of Laurent Koscielny (knee), Santi Cazorla (leg) and Shokdran Mustafi (thigh). Wenger could stick with the 3-4-2-1 formation he has used in his side’s last three matches in all competitions, although the absence of both Koscielny and Mustafi may persuade the Frenchman to shift to four at the back. Regardless of the formation employed, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil will be relied upon for the creation and conversion of chances in the final third.
Taking everything into account, it is probably worth backing Tottenham to come out on top in this weekend’s north London derby. Pochettino’s men have now won eight consecutive matches in the Premier League and are particularly strong in front of their own supporters at White Hart Lane, having avoided defeat at home since a 2-1 reverse against Southampton almost a year ago. Doubts remain about Arsenal’s tactical planning in the big games, so it would be advisable to stick some money on Spurs in this one. In the anytime goalscorer market, Dele Alli would be an astute choice.
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