Tottenham vs. Arsenal: 5 key matchups

Tottenham host Arsenal in the north London derby on Saturday. Here are five matchups that could decide the result.

The pick of the weekend’s Premier League matches sees Arsenal travel to Wembley to face north London rivals Tottenham. The reverse fixture in November saw the Gunners come out on top, but a Harry Kane-led Spurs side will be looking for revenge. There’s more than pride at stake, though, as a win for either side would boost their hopes of a top-four finish. Here are five of the key head-to-head matchups that could prove the difference.

Lucas Moura vs. Henrikh Mkhitaryan/Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Both Tottenham and Arsenal were busy in the January transfer window. Spurs completed the signing of Brazilian international Lucas Moura from PSG while Arsenal consolidated the loss of Alexis Sanchez with the double-signings of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. What better way for the new recruits to announce themselves than with a strong performance against bitter rivals?

Son Heung-min vs. Hector Bellerin

Heung-min Son is one of Spurs’ most underrated players. The South Korean’s work ethic and more-than-handy goal return have seen him become a vital player for Mauricio Pochettino. Since joining Tottenham in 2015, his attacking prowess has become a valuable weapon down Tottenham’s left-wing.

It will be up to Hector Bellerin to stop him on Saturday. The Spaniard, who himself has been in a rich vein of form recently, will again be an asset going forward, but he’ll have to be at his defensive best to nullify the threat Son poses. Bellerin’s natural attacking instincts will require Son to do some tracking back but may leave Arsenal open to counter-attacks. He has an important role to play and will have to be alert to nullify service from Son to Kane.

Harry Kane vs. David Ospina / Petr Cech

Arsenal are faced with a concern after goalkeeper Petr Cech left the field with a calf injury in the club’s 5-1 demolition of Everton last weekend. If the Czech stopper fails to recover in time for the derby he will be deputized by David Ospina. The Colombian has featured regularly in the Gunners’ European and cup campaigns this season. Regardless of who starts on the day, neither keeper will be in any mood to face Tottenham’s leading man, Harry Kane.

The England international, who recently became Tottenham’s record Premier League goalscorer, sits atop the league’s goalscoring charts with 22 strikes to his name this season. He’ll be relishing the opportunity to test either of a duo of goalkeepers who have been out of sorts of late. Cech is one blank slate away from recording 200 career Premier League clean sheets but has conceded in every match since a 1-0 win over Newcastle in mid-December. Ospina, on the other hand, has never solidified his spot as a reliable no.1 for the Gunners.

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Christian Eriksen vs. Mesut Ozil

Year in and year out, rival fans compare and quarrel over the creative jewels of north London’s finest teams. Christian Eriksen and Mesut Ozil are both renowned for their creative spark and punch with the best in the league. The ability to manufacture something from nothing is a quality both players possess and it could well be that the player who does it better on Saturday will decide the outcome of the match.

Mauricio Pochettino vs Arsene Wenger

The tactical battle on the sidelines is often as important as the battle on the field and Mauricio Pochettino and Arsene Wenger have already begun to slug it out. Wenger recently called English players masters of diving in the wake of Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool, which saw Dele Alli booked for simulation and teammate Kane heavily criticized.

Pochettino is unlikely to make any real tactical changes to his side, though. Spurs are fluid in attack, strong in the tackle and devastating on the break. They’ll do what it takes to win, and that’s all that matters. Wenger will approach the match in the knowledge that you can neither score nor (legally) tackle a man without the ball. Pass-and-move. His is a possession-based model executed by players who are good enough to frustrate any opposition on their day.

It remains to be seen which manager will get it right on the day. One thing’s for certain; there will be some quality soccer on display.