In what promises to be another exciting Premier League weekend, the exciting and much anticipated North London derby takes centre stage at the Emirates. Fierce North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will come face to face, once again this season, after their League Cup clash at White Hart Lane some weeks ago.
It’s being touted to be one of the closest North London derbies in recent times, with both old rivals sitting at 1st and 2nd on the Premier League form table. While Spurs haven’t lost a game since their defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford, Arsenal are yet to concede a defeat in the Premier League since their 2-0 loss to Chelsea in a rather controversial game.
Spurs haven’t won all of their games since their opening-day defeat and have drawn some on the way, but Arsenal’s recent spanking at the hands of Bayern Munich places both sides on a similar footing when they meet at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon. And rightly so, it has all the makings of a thrilling contest.
Team News
Arsenal have a highly substantial injury list to deal with, heading into the clash. Hector Bellerin, who didn’t feature against Bayern Munich due to a groin problem and will miss the derby too. As far as Laurent Koscielny is concerned, Arsene Wenger has said that the Frenchman is 80 percent sure of featuring as he’s fighting for fitness ahead of the game.
Laurent Koscielny
Arsenal will still be without Theo Walcott, who sustained a calf injury during the Gunners’ clash at Hillsborough against Sheffield Wednesday, quite like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain( hamstring). The likes of Aaron Ramsey, Danny Welbeck, Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky are still nursing their respective injuries.
Spurs’ medical room would be far less populated than Arsenal’s. Danny Rose could be back after enduring a knock against Aston Villa on Monday and Hueng Son Min will probably be fit to feature, after making an appearance from the bench against Anderlecht. More so, French new signing Clinton N’Jie will be back in action too.
Predicted Line-Ups
Arsenal: Petr Cech, Mathieu Debuchy, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs, Francis Coquelin, Santi Cazorla, Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Joel Campbell, Olivier Giroud
Heung-Min Son
Spurs: Hugo Lloris, Kyle Walker, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Danny Rose, Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Hueng Min Son, Moussa Dembele, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane
Previous Meetings
As we already know, both these sides have already met this campaign, although in the League Cup but Arsenal emerged 2-1 winners in that one, thanks to a rather unlikely Mathieu Flamini brace.
When it comes to the Premier League, Arsenal have failed to beat Spurs in their previous two encounters, with the last game being a one of Harry Kane’s rejoice. Spurs came back from a goal down when Mesut Ozil had given Arsenal an early lead, only to be cancelled out by a Harry Kane strike in the first half and a thumping, sensational header in the later stages of the game.
Arsenal had beaten Spurs back in the 2013-14 season thanks to a Tomas Rosicky stunner from a tight angle.
Stats
History seems to be in Arsenal’s favor, with Tottenham having won their last game at Emirates back in 1993, which is 22 years ago. But the stat which would encourage the Lilywhites is that Spurs have lost just two of their previous ten away games, winning four and drawing just as many.
But, Arsenal have won 13 and have been beaten just twice, when it comes to Premier League encounters at Emirates.
Mesut Ozil, who’s arguably is back to his very best, has accumulated the most assists in Europe’s top five leagues this season, with his tally standing at 9. More so, four of Olivier Giroud’s 6 goals have been assisted by the German.
Prediction
This Sunday’s North London derby has all the makings of being something truly special, or even the best and the most closely fought in recent times.
Historical stats do favor Arsenal, just a shade, but Tottenham are taking to an under the radar development and are slowly making inroads towards Arsenal and Manchester City. Unlike Arsenal, who are filled to the brim with individual brilliance, Spurs have adhered to a more teamwork, hard work based and method of winning matches. And their domination of Manchester City showed why they are a force to be reckoned with once again. If you look at their goal scorers, apart from Harry Kane who has scored five times, the likes of Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Moussa Dembele, Eric Dier and Erik Lamela have all scored twice, bringing to the fore how much of a collective and teamwork based approach Pochetinno has taken at White Hart Lane.
Mesut Ozil
Arsenal, who were defensively all over the place against the Bavarians at Allianz have showed glimpses of lovely football, thanks to the individual brilliance of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. They’ve ousted defense apart at will, either home or away and that’s one of the reasons why they are second in the table right now. Behind Man City only on goal difference.
It’s going to be a game which will be closely fought and both teams will be itching to give the other a blow, and deal a blow to their respective hopes- the title and the top four. And as far as predictions go, I’ll predict a 1-1 draw.
Arsenal host Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in what could prove decisive for the Gunners’ Premier League title ambitions. Arsenal sit top of the table with 61 points from 28 matches, five points clear of Manchester City, who still have a game in hand, while Chelsea occupy 7th with 45 points after being held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Burnley at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
This represents a huge opportunity for Mikel Arteta’s side to put further distance between themselves and the chasing pack before facing Brighton away on Wednesday. Chelsea arrive at the Emirates in patchy form under Liam Rosenior, who has won just two of his eight league matches since replacing Enzo Maresca in January despite an encouraging start to his tenure.
Kick-off: 4:30 GMT, Sunday, March 1, 2026
Venue: Emirates Stadium
TV: Sky Sports
Kai Havertz Returns to Haunt Former Club
Mikel Arteta confirmed on Friday that Kai Havertz will train on Saturday ahead of the Chelsea clash, giving the German a chance to feature against his former employers. Havertz has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since early February, but scored the winner in Arsenal’s 1-0 Carabao Cup semi final victory over Chelsea earlier this month.
The 26 year old has endured a nightmare campaign with injuries limiting him to just 158 Premier League minutes this season, though he has still managed two goals and two assists when available. Viktor Gyokeres has flourished in Havertz’s absence, scoring twice in the 4-1 North London Derby demolition of Tottenham last weekend.
Rosenior Yet to Face Top Six Opposition
Liam Rosenior faces his first test against a top six side in the league since taking charge of Chelsea, having only faced teams sitting 7th or lower during his opening eight matches. His winning run needs proper context, given the quality of opposition, with recent dropped points against Leeds and Burnley at Stamford Bridge exposing serious vulnerabilities.
Arteta has beaten Rosenior twice already this season in the two legged Carabao Cup semi final, and the Spanish manager will fancy his chances of completing a treble over the Chelsea boss. Bukayo Saka should be fit despite limping off late against Spurs, while Ben White remains doubtful with a niggle.
Predicted Lineups: Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Rice, Zubimendi, Odegaard; Saka, Gyokeres, Eze
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Disasi, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Mudryk; Jackson
Also read: Kai Havertz Injury Update: Real Timeline and Medical Details Revealed!
Arsenal Dragon
Update Given Following Arsenal Injury Scare as Olivia Smith Discharged From Hospital After Being Stretchered Off During FA Cup Win Over Bristol City
Arsenal star Olivia Smith has been discharged from hospital after being stretchered off the field during their Women’s FA Cup game against Bristol City. The forward, who joined the Gunners in the summer, played just under an hour before being forced off with pictures showing a neck brace around the 21 year old at Meadow Park.
This was a worrying moment for Arsenal supporters watching on Sunday afternoon. The Canadian international went down, receiving lengthy treatment before being taken off on a stretcher as a precaution. Thankfully, the injury appears to be far less serious than initially feared.
Left Hospital Yesterday Evening
According to Arsenal reporter Tim Stillman, Olivia Smith left the hospital yesterday evening after tests were run and will return to be assessed this week ahead of the March international break. This is brilliant news for Arsenal, who cannot afford to lose Smith for any length of time, given her importance to the team.
It is believed that her involvement with Canada is still up in the air, with the Canucks facing a triple header of friendlies against Colombia, Argentina, and the United States over the coming two weeks. Arsenal’s next match sees them face London City Lionesses in mid March.
Big Boost for Champions League Hopes
With no video available for Arsenal’s cup game against Bristol City, there was huge concern surrounding Smith’s condition for those unable to attend the game at Meadow Park. Thankfully, what seemed initially to be a severe injury has turned out to be a fairly minor incident.
While Stina Blackstenius and Alessia Russo are both more than capable options to lead the line, it has been Smith who has been Renee Slegers’ favoured choice and proven to be a brilliant signing since her arrival from Liverpool. Having Smith likely available for both legs of the Chelsea Champions League quarter final is a massive boost for Arsenal’s hopes of retaining their European crown.
Arsenal
Arsenal Star Named WSL Player of the Month for January as Midfielder Continues Outstanding Form Following 400th Appearance Milestone
Kim Little has been named January’s Barclays Women’s Super League Player of the Month, recognition that follows her 400th appearance for Arsenal. The captain has made an outstanding start to 2026, completing every minute in the WSL and helping secure two clean sheets and four points from fixtures against Manchester United and Chelsea.
Little drove the midfield against United in the 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium and was again pivotal in the disciplined defensive display at Stamford Bridge that delivered that historic 2-0 win over the Blues. This is absolutely deserved recognition for one of Arsenal’s most influential players, who continues to perform at the highest level despite being 35 years old.
400th Appearance Came in Belgium
Little’s landmark 400th appearance came in Belgium as Arsenal won 4-0 at OH Leuven to close in on a Champions League London derby with Chelsea. The Scottish playmaker came on as a second half substitute in the 82nd minute, replacing Olivia Smith, to reach 400 appearances.
This achievement is even more notable given the time she spent playing in the USA and Australia during her career. Little has become one of the defining figures of the modern Arsenal era, establishing herself as an absolute legend at the club.
Chelsea Awaits in Champions League Quarterfinals
Provided nothing dramatic unfolds at Meadow Park next week, Chelsea awaits in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Arsenal hold a commanding 4-0 advantage from the first leg and are overwhelming favorites to progress to a mouth watering London derby in the last eight.
Little will be central to Arsenal’s hopes of defending their Champions League crown, with the midfielder’s experience and leadership qualities proving invaluable during the knockout stages of major competitions. Her consistent performances continue to set the standard for everyone around her.
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