Arsenal will be looking to retain their place at top of the Premier League on Saturday evening, as they host their fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the first North London Derby of the season.
The Gunners have started the season in great form, with Mikel Arteta's side sitting top of the Premier League table with 18 points from their opening seven games. But, Spurs are only one point behind in third, so a win for Antonio Conte's side will take them above their local rivals.
The last North London Derby saw Spurs win 3-0 against Arsenal - a result that played a big part in Spurs claiming a top four spot and Arsenal missing out. It's the first game back since the international break, with both sides having players pick up minor issues whilst away.
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Kieran Tierney suffered a head injury on international duty, but he should be fine for Saturday's clash. Emile Smith Rowe, Mohamed Elneny and Reiss Nelson are all guaranteed to miss out, whilst Thomas Partey could return to the squad following his injury.
Hugo Lloris also picked up an injury during the international break, but the 'keeper should be fit for the short trip to the Emirates Stadium. Ben Davies remains a doubt, whilst Dejan Kulusevski is also a doubt for Saturday.
So, what could the score be in the first North London Derby of the season? We simulated the game to find out.
Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur simulated
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that Arsenal could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
We predict that Spurs could line up in a 3-5-2 formation, with their line-up as follows: Lloris; Romero, Dier, Lenglet; Royal, Hojbjerg, Bissouma, Bentancur, Perisic; Kane, Son.
Arsenal started the game on top, and Gabriel Jesus rattled the post in the opening minute to liven up the Emirates crowd. The Gunners continued to press, and Granit Xhaka found the first goal of the game after four minutes.
A corner into the box was sliced clear by Eric Dier, falling to Martin Odegaard outside the box. The Norwegian fizzed a ball back into the box which hit a Spurs defender and fell to the feet of Xhaka, and the in-form midfielder powered a shot into the far corner for the opener.
Spurs responded brilliantly to going behind, with Harry Kane, Ivan Perisic and Rodrigo Bentancur all testing Aaron Ramsdale with powerful strikes. But, the visitors found themselves with an even bigger hill to climb early in the second half when Bukayo Saka doubled Arsenal's lead.
Similar to the first goal, a corner was cleared to the feet of Odegaard outside the box, with plenty of options available in the box. Odegaard hooked a low cross into the box which found Saka in space, and the winger's driven volley hit the feet of Lloris and deflected into the bottom corner,
The Gunners continued their pressure on the Spurs defence, and Arteta's side quickly followed up their second goal with a third.
Once again, Odegaard was involved, with the Norwegian spotting the run of Gabriel Jesus into the box. Odegaard's through ball was met by the Brazilian, and Jesus found the top corner with an unstoppable effort. Three goals down, Spurs stepped up a few gears, and the visitors started to pepper Ramsdale's goal with shots, only for the 'keeper to fantastically deny any comeback.
Ben White received a red card in the 88th minute for a dangerous challenge on Richarlison, and bizarrely, Gabriel then received his marching orders in the 92nd minute for a last-man challenge on Harry Kane inside the box. Kane dispatched his spot kick, but it was nothing more than a consolation goal as Arsenal won the derby.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Arsenal 3-1 Spurs
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that Arsenal could beat Spurs 3-1 on Saturday, with the scoreline flattering the home side's performance. Ramsdale was the player of the match as he made 11 saves, and despite a mad final five minutes that saw two red cards and a penalty given away, he was unlucky not to earn his clean sheet.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!
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- Mikel Arteta can unleash Arsenal's own Kevin De Bruyne in North London Derby vs Tottenham
- Antonio Conte plays Tottenham waiting game to avoid handing Arsenal North London Derby advantage
