Tottenham Hotspur Vs Arsenal 

Mar 3, 2013 at 4pm (UK)

​White Hart Lane

 

It’s the second North London derby of the season and all eyes will be on a certain Gareth Bale when the London rivals face each other. The Welsh man has single handedly turned the tide for Spurs this season and made the bookies mark Arsenal as underdogs for the derby. Arsenal and particularly Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal have not been tipped as the underdogs when facing their rival, but this season has been a different story. The Gunners are still 4 points behind their rivals and failing to pick up 3 points today could be a disaster as there are not many games left in the season to recover a 7 point deficit.

 

Can Bale steal the show yet again?

Tottenham under the management of Andre Villas-Boas has certainly developed into a better team than they were in the last season. They host the match on the back of an impressive run of form and many a thanks to Gareth Bale for that. The winger has been in explosive form and 15 goals of Tottenham’s 45 Premier League goals this season does not do any justice to the impact he has made. The entire derby has been entitled around him and if the Gunners managed to pull their socks up and stop the Welsh International, they could be in with every chance of talking 3 points back to the Emirates.

Meanwhile Arsenal are in a pretty good run in the premier league as well and on any day Arsene Wenger’s men cannot be easily written off and especially when face Tottenham. Arsenal, who were brandished as an one man club last season, have had bits and pieces of players showing form in a few matches and then go on a winter break this time around, but that has been the case of the Gunners since the invincibles. If players like Cazorla, Wilshere and Walcott ( has not scored in the last 5 games) can be at their best, who knows we could in for a repeat of what happened last time around.

Ahead of the game, Arsene Wenger had the following to say:

“We don’t plan for anybody. It is always the same – focus on our strengths and forget about your opponent. There is nobody special that you least like to face. All players have different qualities. What is important when you are a manager is that you are focused, that hasn’t changed over the last 15 years, you always make sure your team is at its best, prepares well and focuses on playing the football that we love. What is important before a game like that is just to focus on our game and forget all the rest.”

 

Team News and Injury News: 

Arsenal: 

Cazorla and Wilshere will have to be at their very best today

The Gunners will be without the services of their first choice right back Bacary Sagna who is yet to recover from his knee injury, which leaves Arsene Wenger to choose between Jenkinson and Coquelin or even call upon Koscielny.

The match could be decided on the left wing today as Gareth Bale would be steaming up and down throughout the 90 minutes and Arsene Wenger has to make the right choice of who he selects to mark the man of the moment.

Along with Sagna, the usual suspect Abou Diaby is also missing the game.

Tottenham: 

The hosts will be without Jermain Defoe which leaves Adebayor to start the game. Other than that AVB have all his first team players fit to start the game.

Possible starting lineups

Tottenham: Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto; Parker, Dembele; Lennon, Bale, Holtby; Adebayor

Arsenal: Szczesny; Monreal, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Jenkinson/Koscielny; Arteta, Wilshere; Walcott, Cazorla, Podolski; Giroud

Match Facts: 

• Tottenham have lost only one of their last seven Barclays Premier League home games against rivals Arsenal.
• Spurs have thrown away leads in their last two Premier League games against Arsenal and have lost both matches 5-2.
• 12 of the last 13 league matches between Tottenham and Arsenal have gone over 2.5 goals.
• There have been 121 goals between these sides in Premier League history, only Everton v Man Utd games have seen as many.
• Gareth Bale has scored more away goals than any other player in the Premier League this season (11).
• Bale is only the eighth different Tottenham player to score 15+ goals in a Premier League season.
• Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale are the only players from Europe’s big five leagues to score six league goals from outside the box this season.
• Olivier Giroud has had more headed attempts than any other player in the top-flight this season (26).
• No ground has featured fewer first half goals this season (10) than White Hart Lane.