Tomorrow's North London derby at White Hart Lane will be a key factor in both Arsenal and Tottenham's championship aspirations. As well as being a huge victory over a local rival, victory will catapult either team to even higher realms of confidence. That said, let's get to the preview.PRE-MATCH ANALYSIS:
Arsenal enters Round 7 coming off two huge victories: a 3-0 triumph over Bolton last Saturday, and a mid-week Champions League win over Olympiacos. Deadline-day signings Mikel Arteta and Per Mertesacker are acclimating well to the Gunners' style, and 18-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has added an extra element of speed on the wing. However, they still remain suspect defensively despite Mertesacker's arrival, and Laurent Koscielny will need to hold his position instead of rushing forward like he did against Bolton; it may work against 10 men, but with Tottenham's speed, it's not advisable.
For Tottenham, who are also coming off two straight wins, Togolese striker and former Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor is living up to the considerable hype that always seems to accompany him, and his half-hearted apology for his celebrations two years ago when he was with Man City will put him under the spotlight during the match. Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart will continue to create problems for their markers, and a probable defensive pairing of Younes Kaboul and Ledley King will make it tough for Arsenal to attack directly.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
ARSENAL--Robin van Persie: RVP is enjoying a good run of form, and often does well during the NLD. He will have to link up with Arteta and the wide players for Arsenal's attacking play to be a threat.
TOTTENHAM--Emmanuel Adebayor: the former Arsenal man will have something even bigger to prove now that he's at Spurs. Expect quite a few crosses sent his way as he attempts to exploit a shaky Gunners' defense.
KEY MATCHUP:
Adebayor V Arsenal's centre-half pairing. Mertesacker has the height to deal with Adebayor, but is still not the most physical defender. Koscielny is the probable other choice, and will need to use his own physical nature to try and overcome Adebayor's considerable size advantage.
PREDICTION: expect a flurry of goals from both sides, but Arsenal should be able to score the one extra goal to give them the three points. Arsenal 4, Tottenham Hotspur 3
