Arsenal information: Mikel Arteta informed Tottenham worry as referee who received demise threats in cost
Arsenal are preparing to face Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday, with Mikel Arteta’s side looking to extend their lead at the top of the table with a win
The Premier League is back with a bang this weekend as Arsenal square off against Tottenham in Sunday’s north London derby.
Mikel Arteta’s team, currently topping the table by four points, will clash with their fierce rivals under the stewardship of Thomas Frank for the first time since their pre-season defeat. Arsenal have managed to avoid defeat against Spurs in their last six official encounters and their impressive 14-game unbeaten streak makes them favourites to triumph at the Emirates Stadium.
However, this particular derby is notorious for its unpredictable nature and propensity for controversy, meaning form often takes a backseat when these two clubs lock horns. Arteta’s main worry will be his extensive injury list, which seemed to worsen during the recent international break.
Both Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori are questionable for the match after leaving their respective camps early and are in a race against time to be fit for the fixture. Here’s all the latest news from the Emirates.
Keown expresses concerns
Arsenal legend Martin Keown has expressed his worries about facing Spurs this weekend, believing they pose a greater threat than they’re often credited for.
Despite three losses and three draws, Frank’s team have had a steady start to the season under their new manager and currently sit fifth in the table.
Keown believes Brentford boss Thomas Frank will aim to unsettle the Emirates crowd with his tactics in the season’s first North London derby. The Arsenal faithful are hoping for a home win, but Keown has some advice on how to counteract Frank’s strategy.
The former Gunner told the Metro: “What concerns me this weekend is Spurs’ away form. Spurs at home it’s like two different entities.
“At home it’s like one win in five and I think they’ve won four out of five away from home. Their manager is very good at slowing things down, just quietening the crowd and the keeper just puts his foot on the ball.
“I’ve had a little look this week to see what they do away from home and they do it really well. Arsenal are going to have to go in and press high and look to dominate the game.”
Referee named
The Premier League have announced Michael Oliver will officiate Sunday’s match. His assistants will be Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, with Michael Salisbury as the fourth official, reports the Mirror.
Stuart Attwell will lead VAR operations, assisted by Constantine Hatzidakis. However, along with the Spurs squad, Oliver might not be the most popular figure at the Emirates. This stems from two controversial decisions he made last season that didn’t go in Arsenal’s favour.
The first incident was in September 2024 when he gave Leandro Trossard his marching orders in a pivotal match against Manchester City for kicking the ball away 1.07 seconds after the whistle had been blown, which was deemed to have delayed the restart. This decision left Arsenal’s fans, players and coaching staff fuming, as they drew 2-2.
A few months later, he sent off Myles Lewis-Skelly during a game against Wolves for a late tackle that was neither reckless nor prevented a goal-scoring opportunity.
The Gunners won that clash 1-0 and the red card was subsequently overturned, causing further outrage among the Arsenal supporters.
The 40-year-old referee also had police guarding his house after being subjected to death threats and disgusting abuse in the wake of sending off Lewis-Skelly.
That event from 10 months ago marked the last time Oliver officiated an Arsenal match. Arteta will be hoping his team are dominant enough so that any contentious decisions this time won’t affect the result of one of the most critical matches of the season to date.
