Arsenal v Tottenham: Duel of giants (preview)

The big clash of the week goes down at the Emirates as Arsenal host third-placed Tottenham.

Both teams have a lot to lose as the Gunners could again lose ground to Chelsea on the race for the fourth spot, while the Spurs want to remain challenging for the title for as long as possible. 

This season saw a turn-around in the rivalry between the London neighbours as it is now Harry Redknapp’s side to flaunt the favourite status given the remarkable performance of the players this term. Wenger’s men, on the other hand, face another year of full disappointment, as they are out of cups, out of the title race and on the verge of elimination in the UEFA Champions League.

The Spurs are currently sitting 10 points ahead in the standings, while they see the top spot seven points away. Arsenal matched the Pensioners two weeks ago and are motivated to have grabbed the fourth position, which would grant them access to Europe’s elite next season. 

However, they come from a troubled two weeks after getting hammered by AC Milan (4-0) only to be dumped from the FA Cup by Sunderland (2-0) just a few days later.

Nevertheless, and despite Tottenham come from a thrashing 7-1 league win against Blackburn, the short trip to the Emirates should be no walk in the park as Arsenal has only lost at home to Manchester United and Liverpool this year. Still, Tottenham won two out of the last tree league matches against the Gunners, including in the Emirates in November of 2010 (2-3).

Ade still not guaranteed

Harry Redknapp is awaiting fitness tests to learn if former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor will be ready to face his old team, with his attacking partner Van der Vaart also needing a last minute assessment.

Assou-Ekoto, Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon are all back in business and ready to play.

Arsène Wenger, on the other hand, will still struggle with injuries, as Per Mertesacker, Diaby and Wilshere are all ruled out, while Chamakh, Koscielny and Ramsey are still in doubt. 

Premier League 2011/2012 2012/02/26, 13:30, Londres Arsenal 5:2 Tottenham  Bacary Sagna 40'  Tomáš Rosický 51'  Robin van Persie 43'  Theo Walcott 65' 68'  Emmanuel Adebayor 34' (p.s.)  Louis Saha 4' Video 08:15 Watch video > Match Events >