The Premier League's return after the international break is highlighted by the highly anticipated North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham. As the two rivals prepare to face off on Sunday, former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer has shared his prediction for the match.
Arsenal will be without influential midfielders Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard due to suspension and injury, respectively. These absences could significantly impact the Gunners' ability to control the midfield and create scoring chances. Shearer believes that the loss of these key players could be too much for Arsenal to overcome.
A chance for a new Tottenham signing to shine
Tottenham's recent signing could be presented with a golden opportunity to make an immediate impact in the North London derby. With Arsenal weakened by the absence of Rice and Odegaard, the new addition to Tottenham's squad could play a crucial role in their quest for victory.
Premier League legend, Alan Shearer, said:
"The North London derby is a huge one in the Premier League, Derby games are great to play in because you can get away with a little bit more, the referees are a little more lenient, and they understand what it means to coaches, players and fans. If of course, Martin Odegaard is ruled [out] that's bad news for Arsenal but very good for Tottenham because Odegaard and Rice are two of Arsenal's big hitters so to go into a game of this size without them, it would be tough for Arsenal.
"Hopefully Dominic Solanke is deemed fit for this one, because what a great way to introduce himself to the Tottenham fans if he could make the difference in his first derby game, to make a huge statement in a game of this size. The key to this game for me is will Spurs improve in forward positions. It's something Ange Postecoglou will want to work on in terms of having more killer instinct when they do have the ball because on the evidence I saw, they'll have to improve massively. These games are always really tight, and with the potential injury news for Arsenal, there may not be a lot between the two teams, so I’m tempted to go for a score-draw in this one."
Given the circumstances surrounding the match, Shearer has predicted a draw between Arsenal and Tottenham. The absence of Arsenal key players, combined with the potential impact of Tottenham's new signing, could lead to a closely contested match that ends in a stalemate.
