Arsenal will be heading into the North London Derby over the weekends with some key players missing due to injuries and suspension.
Arsenal is already two points behind Liverpool and Manchester City after three games in the Premier League. The Gunners will face their arch-rivals Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday but will go there without their captain Martin Ordegard, who sustained an injury while on international duty with Norway, new signing Mikel Merino, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, and Delan Rice, who is serving a suspension after receiving a red card against Brighton.
Tottenham has yet to reach its full gear after dropping five points in three games. What better way to restart your season than to produce a masterclass performance against your rival, who is stacked with injuries and suspension, in front of your home fans?
However, Arsenal Legend Robert Pires claims that despite Arsenal’s midfield setback, they are still a better team than Tottenham and expect them to get all three points.
What is Robert Pires’s prediction for the North London Derby?
He made his prediction on Wettbasis.com: “It is certainly a bitter loss because Rice is the linchpin of this team, and his vast experience means that opponents have great respect for him.
“Nevertheless, Arsenal can win this derby without him because the squad is better staffed.”
Robert Pires expects Kai Havertz to rise to the occasion and help the Ginners achieve a third straight victory over Tottenham.
The former French international added: “Kai is not a classic number nine, but rather a false nine who, with his back to the opponent’s goal, creates a lot of space for his teammates with his great technique.
“You can’t exp’ct hcan’t be the top scorer, that’s clear. that’s fits perfectly into Arteta’s systems.”
Robert Pires also said that Arsenal defender William Saliba is one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League.
He continued: “William’s development is absolutely top-notch.
“I am particularly impressed by his positioning. He hardly ever makes bad passes and never makes unnecessary fouls, which is a top quality. He has become incredibly consistent and fast. He is currently one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League.
“His loan to Olympique Marseille in the 2021/2022 season was extremely important, because otherwise he would have been at Arsenal too early and who knows if he would still be playing there today.
“‘His first season in London was a bit bumpy with a few slip-ups, but he learned from that and has become more and more mature, which is why he played much stronger and more composed in 2023/2024.”
Who do you think will win the London Derby? You can share your prediction in the comment section.
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