The current league leaders approach Sunday’s showdown looking to bounce back after Brian Brobbey’s dramatic late equaliser earned Sunderland a 2-2 draw in their last Premier League outing, ending an impressive eight-match winning streak in which they hadn’t conceded a single goal. ..Continue Reading
Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since losing to Liverpool includes:
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Man City
Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal
Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
Burnley 0-2 Arsenal
Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal
Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal
Their record against Tottenham at the Emirates is strong, having gone 14 years without a league defeat to their rivals. Still, Mikel Arteta faces a major concern with Gabriel potentially unavailable.
No official update has been released yet, but early indications suggest Gabriel may miss a few matches, including the derby, which would be a significant setback given his importance both defensively and in attacking set-pieces.
Injury issues extend beyond Gabriel. Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, and Noni Madueke are all recovering from knee problems and are working toward a return in time for Tottenham. Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli are also being monitored, with late fitness checks expected.
Riccardo Calafiori, who sustained a hip injury while on duty with Italy, remains a doubt. His performances this season have been outstanding, even keeping Myles-Lewis-Skelly out of the starting lineup.
According to The Independent, there’s a fresh update on Gyokeres.
The report states that the Swedish forward may also miss the upcoming derby. He has been absent from Arsenal’s last two fixtures against Slavia Prague and Sunderland after suffering a muscle injury in the 2-0 win over Burnley earlier this month.
After a stretch without goals, Gyokeres had begun to find form, scoring three times in his last three appearances.
Mikel Merino has stepped up as a temporary striker, leading Arsenal’s scoring charts for the calendar year and netting twice against Slavia Prague. Still, Arteta will be eager to have Gyokeres available for the clash with Thomas Frank’s side.
Gyokeres leads Arsenal’s league scoring with four goals and has six in all competitions. His contribution goes beyond finishing.
According to WhoScored, only Eberechi Eze has averaged more shots per 90 minutes than Gyokeres among Arsenal players. Arteta praised his unique qualities.
“I think we’ve become much more unpredictable,” Arteta told reporters after Gyokeres’ brace against Atlético.
“He’s so physical, open, his face is for everybody. The way he presses the ball, holds the ball, that’s phenomenal. And then there’s the icing on the cake and the biggest thing that we’re going to debate about him is goals. He’s scored two very different ones today, and hopefully he starts to get some momentum and a good run of goals.”
Tottenham are also dealing with multiple injuries, and Arsenal know that a win would strengthen their position in the title race.
However, derby matches are often unpredictable, and Arteta will need to rely on the depth of his squad to overcome any setbacks and secure another victory over their local rivals.
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