Arsenal has not lost to Spurs in the Premier League for 19 matches and almost exactly 10 years, but Spurs make the short trip along the Seven Sisters Road on something of a high after making their best start to a season for a long time.
Both teams are on 19 points with Arsenal third, one place ahead of Spurs on goal difference with a game in hand. Both will also be desperate to improve on last weekend’s results when they both surprisingly dropped points, Arsenal squandering a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at West Ham United and Spurs losing 1-0 at home to Stoke City.
While Arsenal and Spurs contest a derby, champions Manchester United will aim to recover from Sunday’s loss to Liverpool by beating Blackburn Rovers which make the short trip to Old Trafford after losing 5-0 at leader Chelsea last week. Chelsea, meanwhile, which is two points clear of United, travels to Bolton Wanderers, one of its favorite grounds, three days after Wednesday’s League Cup clash between the clubs at Stamford Bridge which Chelsea won 4-0.
The corresponding Arsenal-Spurs fixture last season produced one of the outstanding games of the campaign when Spurs scored twice in the last two minutes to force a 4-4 draw.
Arsenal, wose young side beat Liverpool 2-1 in the League Cup on Wednesday, have shown the same failure to hold on to a lead recently. Five days before dropping two points at Upton Park they allowed AZ Alkmaar to score a late equalizer and force a 1-1 draw in the Champions League -- leaving manager Arsene Wenger to rue their lack of concentration.
