Fortunately for Arsenal, form is believed to fade away on derby day.
The gunners emerged as an impressive force under Mikel Artetabut their ability to turn defeats into long runs could undermine another season. They go into Wednesday’s north London derby on the back of back-to-back domestic cup defeats and their chances of silverware this term are suddenly slim.
The football gods conspired against the Gunners, but they were handed a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup on a silver platter at the weekend to redeem themselves. Arteta’s men refused to accept the gift.
It is a critical point in Arteta’s project, and the Spaniard’s seat will undoubtedly heat up if Spurs secure their first Premier League win at the Emirates since 2010.
Arsenal this needs more than their bitter rivals, and here’s the team Arteta could pick to visit Tottenham.
GK: David Raya – Arsenal’s number one gave the impression that he knew what he was doing from the penalty spot against Porto and Atalanta last year, but his performance in Sunday’s shootout was poor. Harry Kane’s absence means a Spurs penalty is not imminent on Wednesday.
RB: Jurrien Timber – Timber suffered a strained hamstring over the weekend and needs to be monitored ahead of the derby. However, it is expected that the Dutchman will be ready to start.
CB: William Saliba – Saliba suffers a small outage. Alexander Isak and Joshua Zirkzee have had their way with the Frenchman in recent outings, and Dominic Solanke presents another tough challenge.
CB: Gabriel – The hero in reverse fixture and goalscorer on Sunday, perhaps Arteta should consider throwing Gabriel up top.
LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly – Riccardo Calafiori missed the FA Cup defeat with a muscle injury and his status for Wednesday is up in the air. However, Arteta won’t mind using Lewis-Skelly again.
DM: Thomas Partey – Partey will be forced into the backline if Timber misses out, but should earn a starting spot at the base of midfield. The Ghanaian scored in this game two seasons ago.
CM: Declan Rice – It wasn’t just Kai Havertz guilty of missing opportunities over the weekend, Rice also needed to put the tie to bed. The England midfielder is certain to return to the XI after coming off the bench against Manchester United.
CM: Martin Odegaard – Captain, like Ricehe missed the reverse fixture in N17 and the Emirates need a flamboyant performance from Odegaard to lift their spirits. On Sunday, he created abundance without reward.
RW: Raheem Sterling – Sterling’s direct and positive result at the weekend should convince Arteta that he is worthy of starting in the derby. Arsenal’s options are slim with Gabriel Jesus, Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Jesus all out.
ST: Kai Havertz – The German has a great opportunity to get straight back into the good books of Arsenal’s fan base after a couple of wasteful outings on the bounce.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli – Arsenal need a transition threat against this Tottenham side and Martinelli is their most dangerous weapon when attacking space. He should be preferred over Leandro Trossard.
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