Arsenal vs Tottenham - as it happened: North London derby ends all square as Harry Kane scores on his return
Re-live all the action from the Emirates Stadium
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Your support makes all the difference.It's that time of year again when north London stands still. In the 179th encounter between the two sides, Arsenal and Tottenham go head-to-head once again.
Whichever side emerges victorious from the Emirates today will inevitably be handed the momentum and confidence to push on with the title campaign, placing a stake in their claim to Premier League glory.
There's no doubt though that defeat for Tottenham would be far more damaging. Without a win in six, Mauricio Pochettino's side look vulnerable and dangerously close to falling behind. Out of the two, they are the side who need this win the most.
For the Gunners, Arsene Wenger's men are continuing to establish their authority both on the domestic and European stage. The side have won 10 of their last 11 games in league and cup, scoring a total of 32 goals, and have lost just one of their last 20 Premier League games.
It's all up for grabs today in what should be the highlight fixture of the weekend.
Teams:
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Xhaka; Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi; Sanchez.
Tottenham (3-4-2-1): Lloris; Dier, Wimmer, Vertonghen; Walker, Wanyama, Dembele, Rose; Son, Eriksen; Kane.
Follow live updates from the Emirates below:
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Sunday's Premier League fixtures:
- Arsenal vs Tottenham
- Hull vs Southampton
- Liverpool vs Watford
- Swansea vs Manchester United
- Leicester vs West Brom
Harry Kane returns for Spurs! The away side make two changes to the side that played in their 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Wednesday with Kane and Kevin Wimmer coming into the team for Dele Alli and Ben Davies. Will the gamble to play Kane pay off for Mauricio Pochettino at the Emirates?
Arsenal, on the other hand, have made four changes to the team that earned a dramatic late 3-2 victory against Ludogrets on Tuesday night with Theo Walcott, Alex Iwobi, Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellerin all coming in for Aaron Ramsey, Olivier Giroud, Carl Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs. Can Arsenal end their four game winless run against Spurs this afternoon?
Stat: The team to score first in the North London derby has lost the fixture on 23 occasions which is more than any other fixture in Premier League history. It seems that a slow start could actually benefit the sides at the Emirates this afternoon.
Alli missing? Dele Alli has been left out by Mauricio Pochettino due a slight injury picked up in training yesterday. Pochettino also said earlier on this week that the midfielder needed to 'breathe a little bit' as he defended his poor start to the season.
“Many things happened last season and sometimes he needs to breathe a little bit. He can’t keep his level in every game. Sometimes players might have some problems, such as illness," Pochettino said.
“They are sometimes not at their best because they are human but I am very happy with him. It is just that some periods are good and others not so good.”
The Independent understands that Spurs will adopt three at the back at the Emirates consisting of Eric Dier, Jan Vertonghen and Kevin Wimmer with Danny Rose and Kyle Walker operating as wing-backs. Arsenal have been in free-flowing form of late scoring 32 goals in their last 11 games and Pochettino may be looking to contain the Gunners with a more defensive minded system. Will the change in system have the same effect as it has for London rivals Chelsea?
Stat: Harry Kane has scored four goals in his last three North London derbies. Will he add to his tally at the Emirates today?
Which North London derby fixture is your favourite? This one is pretty hard to beat...
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