Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur Latest Updates: Saka captain, Spurs go three at the back in North London Derby
Follow live updates from the first North London Derby of the 2025-26 season as Arsenal host Tottenham Hotspur:
Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur – Preview
Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur. The Gunners against the Spurs. The North London Derby. The battle for bragging rights and supremacy in the nation’s capital. Is the Premier League getting better than this? The NLD headlines what is a weekend of big derbies across Europe, and Arsenal host Tottenham in their first derby of the season with plenty to play for.
Before the match, Arsenal led the league by three points (over a surging Chelsea) and saw Manchester City lose valuable ground after a tough away defeat to Newcastle in Saturday night’s kick-off. A victory today, and the gap with Chelsea and City will be six and seven points respectively, while the reigning champions, Liverpool (currently 11th in the standings), will be eleven points behind.
It won’t be easy, with the heavyweight’s inspirational central defender and key cog, Gabriel Magalhães, injured. Here we discuss the massive impact Gabriel’s absence will have on both sides, among other key NLD talking points (including the Eberechi Eze transfer). Mikel Arteta’s men, however, have momentum on their side (unbeaten in their last 14 games in all competitions) and recent head-to-head form (unbeaten in their last seven NLD).
Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, are facing a serious injury crisis. With up to 12 players unlikely to feature, Thomas Frank has a lot to juggle with his squad, but Spurs have the motivation to close the gap on their neighbors to five points. For their part, we find an away form which is the best in the league, with 13 points in five (4W 1L) and an impressive goal difference of +9. This, however, is offset by the fact that only Manchester City have picked up points (when drawing 1-1) at the Emirates this season.
Will Arsenal validate their title challenge with a declaration of victory today? Or will Spurs play spoilsport and show that they too can be in the game when push comes to shove?