Arsenal vs Tottenham team news: Theo Walcott starts as Harry Kane returns from injury but Dele Alli ruled out
Arsenal welcome back Walcott, Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal, while Spurs are forced into a re-jig with Kevin Wimmer starting in defence
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsenal welcome Theo Walcott back into the side after the England international recovered from injury to feature in the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, who are able to call on Harry Kane once again after seven weeks out injured.
Arsene Wenger hinted that he would recall Walcott given that he was the closest of Arsenal’s injury concerns to a return. Walcott is joined in the side by a fit again Nacho Monreal, while Olivier Giroud is dropped to allow Alexis Sanchez to return to his role as lead striker with Alex Iwobi coming in on the left.
Granit Xhaka starts in midfielder after serving his three-match suspension for a red card against Swansea last month, while Hector Bellerin has also been passed fit to start at right-back.
Spurs are missing a number of key players, most notably England midfielder Dele Alli, but manager Mauricio Pochettino is able to recall Kane after he missed the best part of two months. He leads the attack with Christian Eriksen and Son Heung-min flanking him, but the absence of Alli has forced Pochettino to shuffle his midfield along with deploying a three-man defence.
With Moussa Sissoko suspended, and Toby Alderweireld and Erik Lamela injured, Pochettino recalls Kevin Wimmer to join Jan Vertonghen and Eric Dier in defence, with Kyle Walker and Danny Rose pushed forward in an advanced wing-back role. They join Mousa Dembele in midfield - fit to start after passing a fitness test on Saturday - along with Victor Wanyama.
Hugo Lloris continues in goal, while striker Vincent Janssen has to make do with a place on the substitutes' bench along with youngsters Harry Winks and Cameron Carter-Vickers..
Teams
Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Xhaka; Walcott, Özil, Iwobi, Sanchez.
Subs: Ospina, Gibbs, Gabriel, Ramsey, Elneny, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud.
Tottenham: Lloris; Walker, Wimmer, Vertonghen, Rose; Dier, Wanyama, Dembele; Son, Kane, Eriksen.
Subs: Vorm, N’Koudou, Trippier, Onomah, Carter-Vickers, Winks, Janssen.
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