Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are set to battle it out in the third north London derby of the season this weekend.
The Gunners have the opportunity to move within a point of their fierce rivals with a victory at Wembley, while Spurs will be aiming to pull away in the race for Champions League qualification.
The sides go into the game in very different shape, with Tottenham having lost their last two Premier League outings and Arsenal aiming for a fourth-straight league win.
Read on for Spurs vs Arsenal live stream options, team news, predicted XIs, stats and TV channel info.
When is Spurs vs Arsenal?
Competition: Premier League
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Date: Saturday, 2 March
Kick-off: 12.30 PM GMT
Match preview
When Arsenal convincingly beat Tottenham 4-2 at the Emirates back in December, many onlookers suggested this may be the year the Gunners revive their Premier League dominance over Spurs.
Since then, however, Spurs have settled into their groove, until recently consolidating third place while Arsenal battled Chelsea and Manchester United for the fourth Champions League spot. However, Unai Emery’s side have the chance to make Tottenham sweat this weekend.
Spurs quickly took revenge on their neighbours after the league defeat, beating Arsenal 2-0 in a Carabao Cup quarter-final at the Emirates. Pochettino’s men will be eager to replicate that display with another victory on Saturday, which would see the hosts move back to seven points clear of the visitors.
That said, it won’t be an easy task. Arsenal are bound to take advantage of the pressure on Spurs, who have just lost back-to-back league games against Burnley and Chelsea. The atmosphere at Wembley will be raucous but cagey, which could suit the Gunners.
Both sides have been questionable defensively of late, and with the amount of attacking talent on show we could be treated to an open contest.
Where can I watch live?
UK residents can watch Spurs vs Arsenal on BT Sport 1, channel number 413 for Sky customers, 527 for Virgin Media subscribers, and 430 on BT TV. BT Sport subscribers can also watch the game online at sport.bt.com and via their BT Sport app.
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Will Pochettino be banned from the touchline?
Mauricio Pochettino is yet to discover the degree of his punishment for an improper conduct charge following an angry exchange with referee Mike Dean at Turf Moor last week.
At the time of writing, we are yet to find out whether Tottenham will contest the charge. The club had until 6pm on Thursday to respond to the FA and were reportedly expected to make a formal decision that afternoon.
With the Arsenal match taking place under 48 hours after the deadline, it is believed Pochettino’s punishment – potentially a touchline ban – won’t come into play until after the derby, so it is likely the Argentinian will be in the dugout at Wembley.
Have Spurs been dragged into a top-four scrap?
Going into last weekend, Spurs were 10 points clear of Arsenal and nine clear of Manchester United. But by the end of this weekend, they could be just one and two points clear of those sides respectively.
Tottenham have seen their title hopes fade away over the last two games. They will need to win at Liverpool and Manchester City while still relying on the leading duo dropping points if they are to have any chance of winning the title – it’s looking increasingly unlikely.
Instead, it looks as if Spurs are now well and truly embedded in the top-four scrap, or at least they will be if they fail to beat Arsenal on Saturday. Their position just goes to show how valuable every point is at this stage of the season.
Arsenal must end their winless derby run on the road
Arsenal haven’t won a league game at Tottenham – White Hart Lane or Wembley – since a 1-0 victory in March 2014 when Tim Sherwood was in the Spurs dugout.
Indeed, the Gunners have failed to win an away league match while Pochettino has been in charge of Spurs; their only victory against Pochettino at White Hart Lane came in a League Cup tie in September 2015.
They have lost their last two Premier League trips to Tottenham without scoring, including a 1-0 defeat at Wembley last term. It’s something that needs to change if Arsenal are to overtake the old enemy this time.
Head-to-head
Arsenal’s complete dominance over Spurs in the 1990s going into the 2000s saw them move way ahead in the wins column, but Tottenham have started to fight back in recent years.
Spurs have lost just two of the last eight north London derbies across all competitions, while there hasn’t been a draw in the fixture since November 2016.
Spurs wins: 64 Draws: 51 Arsenal wins: 82
Team news
Dele Alli remains unavailable as he continues to recover from a hamstring strain, while Eric Dier missed the Chelsea defeat with tonsillitis and could still be sidelined. Jan Vertonghen is expected to return from a hip problem that ruled him out at Chelsea.
Rob Holding, Danny Welbeck and Hector Bellerin are long-term absentees for Arsenal, but Stephan Lichtsteiner could return after missing the 5-1 win over Bournemouth with a minor back issue. Laurent Koscielny and Sead Kolasinac were both hurt in midweek but should be available.
Predicted Spurs XI: Lloris; Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen; Aurier, Sissoko, Winks, Rose; Eriksen; Son, Kane.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Leno; Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Koscielny, Kolasinac; Xhaka, Torreira; Ozil, Mkhitaryan; Lacazette, Aubameyang.
Squawka Prediction
Tottenham have struggled in their past two games on the road, but a return to Wembley should see them back to their best against their rivals. 2-1 Tottenham.
The post Spurs v Arsenal predictions & match preview appeared first on Squawka News.
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