Arsenal hero struggling for optimism with north London derby prediction

Arsenal hero Paul Merson has predicted a draw in Sunday’s north London derby, but he is not even convinced the Gunners will manage that.

MIkel Arteta’s side have won on their last two trips to Tottenham but the Spaniard is suffering with multiple selection headaches this weekend.

Declan Rice is suspended after a red card against Brighton last time out, while captain Martin Odegaard is very likely to miss the game after injuring his ankle while playing for Norway in midweek.

Arteta was coy on the Norwegian’s fitness and suggested he could make it for Sunday, but that seems very unlikely, while summer signing Mikel Merino is certainly out due to a shoulder injury.

Merson feels that the loss of Rice and Odegaard will be too much for his former side and is predicting a draw, although does not sound too optimistic about even a point for Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

‘I worry for Arsenal in the north London derby. No Declan Rice or Martin Odegaard is a huge concern,’ Merson told Sportskeeda.

‘Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne missed a lot of games last season but Manchester City were still able to win the league. Can Arsenal do the same with key players missing? Maybe not.

‘I’ll have to go with a draw here, but that’s more in hope if I’m being honest. Tottenham have been unlucky, they could’ve been top of the league if they weren’t naive at the back.

‘The fact that Arsenal’s two most influential players [Odegaard and Rice] are not playing adds to their advantage here.’

Merson reckons the right move for Arteta to make at Spurs is to drop Kai Havertz deeper and unleash loan signing Raheem Sterling up front.

The winger has not made his debut yet for Arsenal, but the Gunners hero reckons Sterling will be a threat down the middle against Tottenham’s high line.

‘In my opinion, Mikel Arteta has now got to drop Kai Havertz back into the midfield but then there’s no Gabriel Jesus to play as the striker,’ Merson told Sky Sports.

‘They will probably end up playing with a false nine – that should be Leandro Trossard with Raheem Sterling on the wing.

‘Against this Tottenham team, you have to have players who are prepared to run without the ball to get in behind a high line and Sterling does that.’

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