Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
The first North London derby of the 2024/25 Premier League season takes place as Tottenham looks for a positive start to the campaign.
One of the most anticipated matches of the English top-flight comes up early on in the campaign and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be agog with excitement as their hated rivals visit.
Arsenal raced into a three-goal first-half lead but had to survive a second-half scare to hold on for a 3-2 derby victory the last time they visited Spurs. That win kept their title hopes alive at the time, but the Gunners ultimately finished two points behind Manchester City.
Nevertheless, Arsenal have now won consecutive top-flight away games against Tottenham for the first time since 1988 and the Lilywhites have only beaten their rivals only once in their last five encounters.
Tottenham enjoyed a renaissance last term as Ange Postecoglou's appointment had a galvanizing effect on the playing style and thus the mood of the fans. Their attractive brand of football wowed supporters and impressed neutrals as they went unbeaten for the first three months of the campaign.
Although their form tailed off due to injuries and suspension to key players in crucial parts of the season, Tottenham concluded the campaign with a 3-0 victory over relegated Sheffield United which guaranteed a fifth-place finish in the Premier League and Europa League football for this season.
Expectations have risen for 2024/25 and they must live up to those standards set under their Australian manager. Spurs have got their pre-season programme underway with a 5-1 win against Scottish outfit Hearts and another 2-0 over Queens Park Rangers.
Their next pre-season friendlies pit them against Vissel Kobe, K-League XI and Bayern Munich twice before their Premier League opener against Leicester City.
It is pertinent that Spurs improve the squad to the manager's taste and step up to higher expectations this term. Hence, a morale-boosting result against the North London rivals would represent a fantastic boost to their credentials.
Getting the better of Arsenal is no easy task considering they have ended as runners-up in the last two Premier League title races. Having led the league for most of the 2022/23 season, a series of dropped points saw them lose to Man City as they set a record for most time spent on top of the table without actually winning the league.
A reinvigorated Arsenal brought the fight to Pep Guardiola's men the following season and ended a 12-match losing run against City to signify their ability to compete. However, 28 league victories were not enough to stop the Cityzens but it surpassed the record of wins by The Invincibles of 2003/04, while the Gunners finished in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2009/10.
Relentlessness is the watchword for Mikel Areta's men who look to make it third time lucky for their first Premier League title in over two decades.
Arsenal faced Leyton Orient in a behind-closed-doors friendly to get their pre-season preparations going and they claimed a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Gabriel Jesus and Smith Rowe.
Their league campaign kicks off against Wolves, then they face Aston Villa and Brighton before the big game against Spurs. It is pertinent that they build up some early momentum to make another strong case in the race against Man City's record-extending fifth consecutive title.
This blockbuster Premier League fixture takes place on Sunday, 15 September 2024 at 2 PM UK time. Match tickets are available for sale on the website of each club but priority will be given to ticket holders and club members.
Any time the North London rivals meet is always an intense affair with lots of passion on display in the stands as well as on the pitch. More than 62,000 seats will certainly be sold out for this massive encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and it is a must-watch for every football fan.
Considering that the official ticket channels are set to be overwhelmed for this game weeks ahead, we urge those still looking for Tottenham vs Arsenal tickets to purchase their copies on a resale site.
Spurs have been quite passive in terms of incomings ahead of the new season but they retain interest in Conor Gallagher whose future is set to be decided before the transfer window shuts. Chelsea want between £40million to £50million for the midfielder but their rivals are confident they can secure a deal for less.
Tottenham are also in need of an attacker and have previously shown interest in Santiago Gimenez as well as Karim Adeyemi.
David Raya has completed a permanent move while Arsenal are close to completing a € 50 million deal with Bologna for Riccardo Calafiori.
Those close to the exit door include Emile Smith Rowe, who has been heavily linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah, which could prompt the need for attacking reinforcements for the Gunners.
Arsenal look set to lose academy marksman, Chido Obi-Martin, to Manchester United after the 16-year-old scored 32 goals in just 16 Under-18 Premier League games last season.
Tottenham had a very strong starting 11 last term but lacked quality in the squad to cope with the unique demands of Postecoglou's system. Reinforcements are needed but they are likely to field the strongest side possible for this derby battle.
Tottenham: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr; Johnson, Maddison, Kulusevski; Son
Arsenal have been the second-best team in the league for the last two seasons and continuity is required to get them to the next level of their evolution into a title-winning side. Nonetheless, a couple of additions are expected to make them even stronger next term.
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Partey, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Three of Arsenal's last seven goals in this all-important fixture have been own goals by Spurs players so the team who makes the least mistakes is likely to win.
It will be a well-contested affair between two very strong attacking teams, and neutrals are in for a Premier League classic.
Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Arsenal
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