Tottenham vs Arsenal live on May 12, 2022: UEFA Champions League spot at stake in North London Derby

Topics: TV Schedules, Tottenham, Arsenal, North London Derby, English Premier League

The Gunners prepare to visits Spurs in Thursday's highly-anticipated North London Derby as a win would secure a top four finish for Arteta's side.

Preview

The most important North London Derby since 2004 is upon us as Arsenal prepare to face Tottenham in a highly-anticipated midweek showdown in the Premier League. Eighteen years ago, when the Gunners travelled to White Hart Lane for the aforementioned fixture, an English top-flight title was up for grabs. This time around, however, a spot in the UEFA Champions League is at stake for both teams.

Mikel Arteta's men currently sit in fourth and are thus the favorites to finish in the top four. Saka and Co. boast a four-point lead over their neighbors and bitter rivals, meaning victory at the Totenham Hotspurs Stadium would secure Arsenal a ticket to next season's UEFA Champions League, as that would earn them a seven-point lead with only two games remaining.

Additionally, with the visitors facing Newcastle and then Everton in their final two games of the campaign, a draw could suffice, as that would leave Milkel's side needing only one victory from their showdowns with the Magpies and Toffees. Hence, the pressure is not on the away side to win.

Nonetheless, when speaking to the media, the club's Spanish manager stressed that his young side will head to Spurs with the objective of triumphing. Could this leave Arsenal vulnerable on the counter attack if they were to overcommit for the winning goal? Undoubtedly. However, with their recent form, it's understandable why the Gunners believe they can head over there and seal the three points.

Since losing three games in a row straight after the last international break; going down against Crystal Palace, Brighton, and Southampton; the north London giants' form has been excellent. Two impressive away triumphs followed, beating Chelsea 4-2 at Stamford Bridge and West Ham 2-1 at the London Stadium. There were also the 3-1 victory over Manchester United, a game which saw Granit Xhaka score a belter, and the recent 2-1 success over 10-man Leeds, with Eddie Nketiah scoring twice in the opening 10 minutes.

But this does not mean Tottenham are done and out of the race. Under Antonio Conte, Spurs have become a deadly side on the counter, with Kane, Son, and Kulusevski scoring and assisting for fun. As a result, the home side should fancy their odds of beating their bitter rivals.

Additionally, Conte's side boast a brilliant home record in this North London Derby as of late, having gone unbeaten in the Premier League in Arsenal's last seven visits. Nonetheless, avoiding defeat is not the goal as Kane and Co. have a four-point disadvantage to undo. With the Gunners missing a few key players, possibly up to four, the objective will be to beat their neighbors.

This would see the hosts move within a single point of the fourth-placed side, and with Tottenham's final two fixtures – a clash with Burnley and Norwich – looking easier on paper, Antonio's men could end up beating their opponents to a UEFA Champions League spot.

Nonetheless, they have endured a few slip-ups recently. A 1-0 loss at home to Brighton back in mid-April was followed by a goalless draw at Brentford. Since then, however, Tottenham have beaten Leicester 3-1 before putting in a valiant display away at Anfield, drawing 1-1 with title-challenging Liverpool.

Team news

Tottenham: Sergio Reguilon, Matt Doherty, Japhet Tanganga and Oliver Skipp are all out for this crucial tie, meaning Conte could name an identical lineup to the one that nearly beat Liverpool at Anfield over the weekend. All four of the aforementioned absentees look to miss the remainder of the season, which is unwanted news for the top-four chasers. Harry Kane, Dejan Kulusevski, and Son Heung-min will lead the line while Romero, Dier, and Davies should start in Antonio's three-man backline.

Arsenal: Not only are Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey out for this game, and for the remainder of the season, but the Gunners could be without influential English duo Ben White and Bukayo Saka. Arteta revealed this in the pre-match press conference. The center-back has missed the club's last two games, and while Arsenal coped without the former Brighton man, Mikel will need his quality on the ball should Conte's side press high. Additionally, Saka has been the club's outstanding attacker this campaign and will be missed if he's declared unfit. If the visitors switch to a flexible four-at-the-back/three-at-the-back system, then the return of Takehiro Tomiyasu should prove pivotal as he can start in the right-back role but tuck in when need be.

Key stats

Having won their last two home encounters with Arsenal, Tottenham look to make it three consecutive home victories over their bitter rivals for the first time since 1961.
However, the last two North London Derbies have been won by Arteta's side (both at the Emirates Stadium), meaning the Gunners can win a third consecutive encounter vs Spurs for the first time since 1989.
The hosts have managed only one clean sheet in their last seven Premier League games on home soil.
Conte has triumphed only once in eight encounters with Arsenal as a manager.
The Gunners have conceded in all of their last seven games and last managed a clean sheet in the 1-0 triumph over Aston Villa on March 19.
Arsenal have not won in any of their last seven visits to Spurs in the Premier League.