Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal: Gunners take north London derby

Tottenham continue to make Arsenal panic

Spurs have had over 60 percent possession and they are making Arsenal so nervous on the ball with their pressing. Plenty of rushed passes from Arsenal.

Romero with a brilliant tackle to deny Timber

Cristian Romero first intercepts the ball well, then lunges in to stop Timber whipping in a cross. He goes down with a knock but is back up on his feet. Tottenham’s fans loved that.

Good start to the second half from Spurs

Maddison whips in a cross from a short corner and Van de Ven gets his effort on target but can’t generate enough power on his flick.

Half time: Tottenham 0-0 Arsenal

Seven yellow cards dished out in a fiery first half, as both teams have had big chances but Raya and Vicario have made decent stops and the final pass has just been off. This is perfectly poised for the second half. Tottenham will be very happy with that.

Johnson smashes over as Spurs scrap away

Tottenham scrap away to win the ball back in midfield, once again, but Brennan Johnson smashes his shot over the bar. That sequence pretty much sums up the first half. Scrappy and tense.

Scuffle breaks out as Timber, Vicario booked

First scuffle of the north London derby breaks out as Timber catches Porro and is booked. Vicario is then booked for his reaction towards Timber as it all boiled over by the goal and players from both teams jumped in. Getting a bit tasty. The temperature inside this stadium is cranked up a few notches just before half time.

Solanke so close!

Dominic Solanke’s looping header drops just wide of the post. David Raya chucked himself at that and thought it was in. Brilliant cross from Maddison to pick out Solanke. Tottenham swarming over Arsenal whenever they can. Saliba is doing his best to hold things together for the Gunners.

Very back and forth now with no real control

Spurs have dominated possession but nobody really has control of this game. It’s very frantic and end-to-end, with Arsenal obviously missing the duo of Rice and Odegaard in midfield to calm things down and dictate the tempo.

Good stop from Vicario, then Martinelli wastes a big chance

Big stop from Vicario to deny Havertz, as the ball bounces up and then hits Romero’s arm and then Vicario saves. It was very close to Romero’s body. Martinelli is then played in down the left and cuts inside but hits a tame effort straight at Vicario.

Oh, Dominic Solanke lets Arsenal off the hook

Oh wow. Ben White and Arsenal really got away with one there. They’re knocking it around at the back nicely but Son intercepts it and Spurs have it on the edge of Arsenal’s box. However, Solanke takes too much time on the ball and Saliba wins it back.

Save from Raya!

That is a good save from David Raya. After his corner is half cleared, Kulusevski whips in a lovely cross which just misses Porro and Raya claws it away. Tottenham have started well.

First big chance falls to Spurs

Solanke does well to drive down the left and Son’s cutback is steered towards goal by Kulusevski but Raya saves.

We are off and running!

This atmosphere is something else. Nothing quite like early-season optimism to crank things up a few notches, as both teams will fancy their chances of winning this. That should lead to a beauty of a game. Listen to the noise inside this place.

Perfect day for a derby with tension in the air

There is a real sense of nervousness in the air here in Tottenham. The home fans feel like they have a chance of winning this one given Arsenal’s absentees, but it will still be a really big ask for Spurs. They’re going to go for it from the start which should make for an extremely entertaining game. The atmosphere is really picking up now. Just a few minutes until kick off.

Team news is out!

Welcome to sunny north London for a massive derby! The team news is here and Tottenham have named a very attacking lineup with Bentancur the only real midfielder and all of Maddison, Kulusevski, Johnson, Son and Solanke starting. There is a very strong bench for Spurs with Werner, Dragusin, Gray, Bergvall, Sarr and Odebert all in the squad.

As expected Arsenal are without captain Martin Odegaard through injury, with Jorginho coming in and Gabriel Martinelli coming in for the suspended Declan Rice. That means Trossard will move to a central role, Jorginho starting alongside Partey in midfield and Martinelli starts on the left. There are a host of youngsters on the bench for Arsenal given their injury issues, with Kabia, Kacurri, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri and Edford Heaven all in the squad. I can confirm Kacurri is an absolute unit as he warms up with the other subs, including Raheem Sterling, in front of me here at the stadium.

Tottenham lineup

Vicario; Porro, Van de Ven, Romero, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son

Arsenal lineup

Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Partey, Jorginho; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli; Havertz

Tottenham focus, team news

If all four players who are battling with injury are fit, this is a massive opportunity for Tottenham. Solanke gives them a focal point up top and seems like a great fit for their system and we all know about the importance of Van de Ven as his pace at the back allows Spurs to play their ridiculously high defensive line. Bissouma alongside Sarr in midfield is perfect for the hustle and bustle of the north London derby and Postecoglou will be feeling like this is the perfect time for his side to make a statement early in the season as they aim to finish in the top four. Spurs have created so many chances during their opening three games but haven’t taken them as they slipped up against Leicester and Newcastle. They have to be clinical this Sunday against a usually stingy Arsenal.

OUT: Yves Bissouma (other), Richarlison (other)

Arsenal focus, team news

With Rice definitely out and Odegaard seeming to be very likely out, the big selection dilemma is who will start in central midfield. It seems like Thomas Partey and Jorginho will get the nod, with perhaps Leandro Trossard dropping into a central No. 10 role behind Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli starting on the left wing. Or of course new signing Raheem Sterling could make his debut and become an instant hero. Those switches would provide the least disruption to the team. Jurrien Timber could also start alongside Partey and Jorginho could start higher with Trossard starting out on the left. Even with their injury issues, Arsenal still have a deep squad and it will be stretched to its limits over the next week with big trips to Tottenham, Atalanta and Man City coming up.