Tottenham Hotspur continued their hot streak in front of goal last weekend, scoring four goals without reply against Aston Villa to remain above Arsenal in the race for the top four.
A hat-trick from Son Heung-min and a Dejan Kulusevski goal continued Spurs' charge for the Champions League places, recording their fourth win in a row in the Premier League.
But on the other side of north London, two defeats in the space of six days for the Gunners has seen Mikel Arteta's side drop three points behind Tottenham, although they have a game in hand to make amends.
READ MORE: Antonio Conte expected to take charge of Tottenham vs Brighton despite positive Covid test
And as the race for the top four intensifies going into the final seven games of the season, football.london takes a look at the early injury news ahead of their early kick-off clash against Brighton on Saturday afternoon.
Matt Doherty
Just when things were going perfectly for Antonio Conte, an injury to one of their star players in recent weeks comes in to spoil the party. Matt Doherty has been reenergised since the Italian's appointment in north London, flourishing in the 3-4-3 formation like he did so during his time at Wolves.
But following their emphatic win in the West Midlands, Doherty was forced off early in the first half following a challenge with Matty Cash. The scans on his knee showed he has ruptured his medial collateral ligament, which could see him out for up to 12 weeks, football.london understands, with the club yet to comment.
What Antonio Conte said: “Matt tried to continue to stay on the pitch. This showed his resilience, his desire to continue to play. I hope it’s nothing serious, because we need him. Now, we have to wait one day, two days, and the doctors have to check him. I don’t think it’s anything serious, I hope.”
Expected return: Summer 2022
Oliver Skipp
Skipp hasn't featured for Tottenham since January, due to an ongoing situation relating to his pubic symphysis. However, there was hope that he could be available for the match against Brighton this weekend.
The 21-year-old trained individually on grass on Monday and Tuesday, but was set to be back to indoor training after reporting soreness in his pelvis, which will be a huge loss for the important run-in.
What Conte has said: "Very close to being back with the team, to having training sessions with us. Not yet ready for the game against Newcastle, but [he is] improving."
Expected return date: Unknown
Japhet Tanganga
Tottenham will be without Tanganga for the rest of the season, which the club revealed ahead of the international break.
What the club said: "Japhet Tanganga has undergone surgery on his right knee and will be out for the remainder of the season. The England Under-21 international will undergo a period of recovery and is expected to return to training during the pre-season period."
Expected return: Summer 2022
