Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur. Premier League.
Emirates Stadium.
Harry Kane is expected to be fit; Emile Smith Rowe could start after returning to the bench on Thursday; follow Arsenal vs Tottenham live on Sky Sports PL and Main Event from 4pm; kick-off 4.30pm; watch free highlights shortly after full time on Sky Sports website and app
Sunday 14 March 2021 16:36, UK
Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Arsenal vs Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday (kick-off 4.30pm).
Arsenal have no injury concerns ahead of Sunday's north London derby against Premier League rivals Tottenham.
Emile Smith Rowe returned to the bench for Thursday's Europa League win at Olympiakos and could be in contention to start.
The likes of Thomas Partey, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka were substituted during the game but manager Mikel Arteta insisted afterwards they were all tactical changes.
Tottenham expect to have Harry Kane available. The striker was seen putting ice on his knee after coming off during Thursday's Europa League game with Dinamo Zagreb but head coach Jose Mourinho does not think it is a big issue.
Giovani Lo Celso is the only absentee as he recovers from a back niggle.
Arsenal vs Tottenham will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 4pm; kick-off 4.30pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
If you like your football matches with a dollop of dirtiness - then fill your boots with this one.
Predicting an outright result in this one looks a tough ask when assessing the odds - the bookmakers have got it spot on. This has the look of a very tight affair with a moment of madness or magic likely to be where this is won or lost. My eye is drawn to the cards markets as we have all the ingredients for a very spicy encounter.
These two teams have drawn the most yellow cards off opposition players this season. Tottenham (60) and Arsenal (53) are the Premier League kings in that regard with both teams possessing a liking for attacking with pace and power.
Traditionally, this is also a fixture where cards are thrown around like confetti. When looking at fixtures with a minimum of 20 meetings, this game sits joint-third in the list of most cards produced with an average of 4.2 cards per game - only Chelsea vs Manchester United and Sunderland vs Newcastle averages higher on the dirty ratio.
There's two ways to attack card angles - whether you pinpoint a particular player be carded or play an outright card count involving both teams. With Thomas Partey (17/10 with Sky Bet), Granit Xhaka (21/10 with Sky Bet) and Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg (2/1 with Sky Bet) well found in the market, I am looking towards the outright card count for my bet.
I like the look of over 50 booking points at 5/4 with Sky Bet (10 points for a yellow, 25 points for a red) - so, we are looking for five bookings with the added chance of a red card - there's been 13 in this fixture - potentially boosting our chances. With that in mind, backing Arsenal to receive a red card at 7/2 with Sky Bet also makes appeal. No team have seen red more times in the Premier League (9) since Mikel Arteta took charge in 2019.
JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 1-1
BETTING ANGLE: Over 50 booking points (5/4 with Sky Bet) & Arsenal to have a player sent off (7/2 with Sky Bet)
In this week's Pitch to Post Preview Podcast we turn our attention to Arsenal vs Tottenham, as the north London rivals prepare to face off at the Emirates. Peter Smith is joined by Sky Sports football journalists Ben Grounds and Ron Walker to assess the big match. The panel reflect on positive Europa League wins for both sides, consider the potential team selection issues, and which team needs the win more.
We also hear the latest from Sky Sports News reporter Alan Myers on Everton's push for the Champions League spots, ahead of their tricky test against Burnley, while Ron returns to assess Amad Diallo's fine first goal for Manchester United and the challenge they face on Sunday against an in-form West Ham, who also have ambitions for the top four.
Listen to the Sky Sports Pitch to Post Podcast on: Spotify | Apple | Castbox