Few people would have predicted at the end of last season that rivals Arsenal and Tottenham would head into the first north London derby of 2023-24 level on points and both in the Premier League’s top four.
Spurs had finished 2022-23 eighth, a mammoth 24 points behind second-placed Arsenal and in relative disarray. A positive start under Ange Postecoglou has, however, earned them 13 points from their opening five games to match their fierce rivals, who have also won four games and drawn one ahead of Sunday’s meeting.
That said, Arsenal are way, way ahead of Spurs in their project, having run Manchester City close in last season’s title race and reinforced over the summer to strengthen their chances of fighting on multiple fronts this season. Having this week also got their return to the Champions League off to a flying start with a 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven, there are signs of genuinely sustainable progress at the Emirates.
have the home advantage. Arsenal have not lost any of their last 12 home Premier League games against Tottenham, winning eight and drawing four, while Arteta has overseen three wins from three in home north London derbies. They come up against a resurgent Spurs this weekend, though, and won’t be taking victory for granted.
At the heart of both sides’ hopes will be the influence of their superb number 10s.
In Martin Ødegaard and James Maddison, Arsenal and Spurs have players who are equally crucial to their teams, as well as leaders both on and off the pitch. Ødegaard is of course Arsenal’s captain, while Maddison was made part of Postecoglou’s ‘leadership group’ immediately after signing for the club this summer.
They both play in versions of the number 10 position, though despite similarities in their position on the teamsheet and in terms of their importance to their sides, there are a lot of differences in how they influence games. On Sunday, getting the most out of these two could be key to who gets a result.
