North London derbies are always feisty encounters but tomorrow’s clash between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will have an extra incentive with top spot in the Premier League at stake.
Twenty four hours later champions Manchester City host Manchester United as the Premier League returns with a derby bonanza after the international break.
Arsenal and Spurs have both enjoyed flying starts with Mikel Arteta’s table-topping Gunners having won six of their first seven league games – their best start since 2007-08.
Antonio Conte’s Tottenham are unbeaten, with five victories and two draws, their equal best start in the Premier League.
However, Spurs will have to overturn a horrid record at their neighbours if they are to leapfrog them and go top, having won at Arsenal only once in their last 29 league visits.
Despite that statistic, Tottenham have swung the balance of power in north London, finishing above Arsenal for the last six seasons having spent the previous 21 ending up below them.
Arsenal had a golden chance to re-assert themselves last season when they were poised for a top-four finish at Tottenham’s expense but a 3-0 capitulation at Spurs in May allowed Conte’s team to sneak above them.
Tottenham have carried the momentum of last season and are now on a 13-match unbeaten streak in the league going back to April even if there is a suspicion that their results so far have been more impressive than some of their performances.
They will travel to The Emirates for the lunchtime kickoff in buoyant mood and with forward Son Heung-min back in form after a 14-minute hat-trick in Tottenham’s 6-2 victory over Leicester City in their last match.
Son had not scored this season before his explosive cameo against Leicester and with Harry Kane already on six goals for the campaign, Arsenal’s defence faces a stern test. – Reuters
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