September 9th 2024.
It's that time of the year again, football fans! The highly-anticipated north London derby is here, as Tottenham prepares to host Arsenal on Sunday. This will be the first match between the two rivals this season, and it's already shaping up to be an intense one. Unfortunately for Arsenal, they will be without star player Declan Rice, who is set to miss the match due to a red card suspension.
The Gunners had a strong start to the Premier League season, winning their first two games. However, last Saturday's game against Brighton ended in a heated 1-1 draw. It was a bad-tempered match, and Rice's red card was one of the most controversial decisions of the season so far. He was given a second booking for a delay in the restart, only to be clattered by Joel Veltman moments later.
This is a major setback for Arsenal, who are also dealing with the absence of new signing Mikel Merino. The Spanish midfielder sustained an injury during his first training session with the club, after colliding with Gabriel Magalhaes. It's a fractured shoulder, and he is expected to be out until mid-October, after the international break. This leaves manager Mikel Arteta with the option of bringing in Jorginho to join Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey in midfield.
Another player who is pushing to make his debut for Arsenal is Raheem Sterling. He has been training with the team for a week now and is eager to show what he can do on the field. On the other hand, Gabriel Martinelli has struggled to make an impact this season, and Leandro Trossard has been more effective coming off the bench.
Injuries have been a major concern for Arsenal, with Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kieran Tierney, and Gabriel Jesus also missing the first few games of the season. Arteta is expected to provide an update on Jesus' condition soon, as he is currently dealing with a groin injury. However, the manager seemed confident that it's nothing serious and that the forward will be back soon.
During the international break, Arsenal also had to deal with an injury scare for new signing Riccardo Calafiori. He was involved in a nasty collision with France's Ousmane Dembele and received treatment for a calf injury on the pitch. While there is no serious injury, Calafiori left the national team to return to Arsenal for further assessment.
Meanwhile, Tottenham is hoping to have Micky van de Ven available for the derby. The Dutch defender started the first two games but missed the last one due to a knock. Manager Ange Postecoglou stated that it was just a precaution, given the busy schedule ahead. The situation is less clear for Dominic Solanke, who has been out with an ankle injury since his debut against Leicester City. Postecoglou believes he's close to being fit, but they will be cautious with him and he will not be playing in the derby.
As for the predicted lineups, Tottenham is expected to have Viacario, Porro, van de Ven, Romero, Udogie, Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison, Kulusevski, Son, and Odobert. On the other hand, Arsenal's predicted lineup includes Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Odegaard, Partey, Jorginho, Saka, Havertz, and Trossard.
For those wondering where to watch the match, it will be live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event. So, get ready for an action-packed derby between these two fierce rivals!
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