Date: Saturday, December 4 Venue: Emirates Stadium Kick-Off: 17:15 High-flying Arsenal play host to London rivals Tottenham in an enticing third round FA Cup clash on Saturday.
Team News
Arsenal could be without striker Oliver Giroud and midfielder Mesut Ozil for the visit of Tottenham in the FA Cup on Saturday. Giroud is suffering from illness and also has an ankle injury, while Ozil faces a late fitness test on a shoulder injury. Nicklas Bendtner (ankle) is definitely out, as are Kieran Gibbs (calf) and Aaron Ramsey (thigh). Tottenham are sweating over the fitness of Emmanuel Adebayor after the striker was stretchered off against Manchester United on New Year's Day, but are hopeful he will make a recovery. Paulinho (ankle), Sandro (calf), Andros Townsend (hamstring), Jan Vertonghen and Younes Kaboul (both ankle) definitely miss out. (sky sports)
Key Stats
The home team have won each of the last five meetings between Arsenal and Tottenham (all competitions). Jermain Defoe has scored five goals and assisted another three in his last eight FA Cup appearances. Defeat to Blackburn in Round Five last season was the first game in 34 that Arsenal had lost at home in the FA Cup (W24 D9). Arsenal won 1-0 the last time these sides met, in the Premier League at the Emirates on September 1, 2013.
The holidays are over, the Christmas tree is going brown and you still haven't quite been able to shake off that New Year's Day hangover. But don't despair, because we have a thriller to look forward to on Saturday. Though the 3rd round of the FA Cup doesn't usually dish up mouth-watering affairs where Premier League sides are concerned, this year is different as Arsenal play host to Tottenham. Both are in good form presently as the Gunners returned to the top of the table with a 2-0 win over Cardiff mid-week while Spurs beat Man United at Old Trafford for the second consecutive season. Those results leave both well placed to go on and challenge for honours in 2014 and a win here would boost either side's prospects of adding to their respective trophy cabinets. Both of which have laid bare in recent times - the 2005 FA Cup success for Arsenal remains the last piece of silverware Arsene Wenger's side lifted. Tottenham meanwhile are eight-time winners of the FA Cup, but last won the famous trophy in 1991, and I can't see them ending that statistic here, as the Emirates is rarely a happy hunting ground for Spurs. Prediction: 2-1
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
