Saka vs Richarlison: The North London Derby Lineups Unfold at the Emirates

Lineups for Arsenal and Tottenham

Spanish manager Mikel Arteta and Danish coach Thomas Frank announced their starting XIs for the North London derby at the Emirates, set to kick off on Sunday in the Premier League’s 12th round.

Arteta handed Ecuadorian Piero Hincapié a start to cover the injury-hit Brazilian center-back Gabriel Magalhães, while Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino was deployed as a central striker to bolster the attack amid injuries. Alongside Merino, Arteta named Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard in supportive roles behind the main forward.

Tottenham’s XI featured the quartet of Van de Ven, Mohammed Kadus, Rodrigo Bentancur and Richarlison as part of their plans to take points off their north-London rivals.

Lineups for both sides

Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Hinckapié, Calafiiori, Rice, Zubimendi, Ezio, Saka, Merino

Tottenham: Vicario, Danzu, Balienya, Richarlison, Uodji, Romero, Kadous, Spence, Odo Bert, Bentancour, Van de Ven

Arsenal sit top of the table with 26 points; Tottenham lie ninth with 18 points.

Gunners face a storm of injuries

Arsenal remain fancied to win, according to Opta’s legendary computer, before the North London derby against Tottenham, after the Gunners won 69% of pre-match simulations.

Opta’s statistics show Arsenal have won five of their last six league meetings with Spurs, including the last three in a row. That marks the longest winning streak by the Gunners against their rivals since the late 1980s.

This derby will be the first in the Premier League between Arsenal and Tottenham without Kane or Son since a 1-1 draw at the Emirates in September 2014.

Reason for concern

Arsenal remain leader in the Premier League title race after the latest international break, but there are reasons for Arteta to worry. The Gunners dropped two points in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Sunderland after the break.

Arsenal had gone 812 minutes without conceding across all competitions before Sunderland finally found the net at the Emirates.

Following the draw, central defender Gabriel Magalhães picked up a thigh injury while Brazil beat Senegal 2-0 in a friendly at the Emirates, likely ruling him out for at least a month. That includes crucial fixtures against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Chelsea in the Premier League, and the derby against Spurs.

Further doubt surrounds the participation of Kiwior? Odegaard? Martinelli? Kalafiori? while Gabriel Jesus has recently returned to training but is not expected to be match-ready for the derby.

Since the 2022-23 season, Arsenal have won 67.6% of league games when Gabriel Magalhães started (75 of 111), compared with 50% when he did not start (7 of 14). He is the only defender in that period to have double-digit goals in the league and has been key in set-pieces for the Gunners.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have conceded just two goals from set-pieces, suggesting Frank’s side could capitalise on Magalhães’ absence if it persists.

The Attack

Arsenal briefly deployed Merino as a central striker this season, a move that might reappear if traditional attacking options are unavailable.

Since the start of 2024-25, Leandro Trossard and Martinelli (each with nine goals) have outscored Merino (eight) among Arsenal players. Merino has flashed decisive moments when used as a central hub in attack, and Arsenal may again lean on that role this week.

Opta’s expected points model continues to rate Arsenal as the best team in the Premier League this season, a metric that does not weigh the chaos of injuries or fixture intensity. Tottenham sit lower in the expected points table, though they currently stand eighth in the actual standings midway through the campaign.

A bumpy start for Frank in the capital

Frank’s campaign has been mixed in London, with a 2-2 draw against Manchester United prior to the international break extending Tottenham’s winless run at home in the league to five matches. Outside the home turf, Spurs have been impressive, remaining undefeated on their travels this season and posting strong away form.

Tottenham have the best away record in the league this season, with the most points accrued away from home (13), the most goals scored away (12) and the fewest conceded away (3) among competitors this term.

Head-to-head: Arsenal vs Spurs

Tottenham have lost seven of their last nine league meetings with Arsenal (one win, one draw).

Historically tougher for Spurs on the road, they have won just one of their last 32 visits to the Emirates in league play, drawing 12 and losing 19. That solitary away win came in a 3-2 result back in November 2010.