North London derby rivals head into their second meeting this month for the Arsenal Vs Tottenham fixture, set to kick-off tonight in the League Cup quarter final.
This will be the Gunners’ first outing since Southampton ended their 22-game unbeaten streak last weekend in the Premier League. And injuries only make things worse for Unai Emery’s side.
The Londoners suffered an embarrassing 2-3 loss against Southampton, after Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s brace failed to salvage a point for Emery’s side.
Southampton end our 22-game unbeaten run
😔 #SOUARS pic.twitter.com/sN4eO5sywN
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 16, 2018
Charlie Austin stepped on to the pitch only to extend his impressive goal scoring record against the Emirates outfit. Bernd Leno made an immature mistake of miscalculating his punch to a cross which was taken advantage of by Austin well to seal all three points for the Saints.
And things only get worse.
Both fullbacks, Sead Kolasinac and Hector Bellerin had to be substituted off last time they stepped onto the pitch. And though Shokdran Mustafi suffered his one-match ban during his side’s loss just a few days ago, his hamstring injury makes his involvement a doubt in the Arsenal Vs Tottenham game
Meanwhile, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who also served a one-match ban alongside Mustafi, is almost certain to start for the Arsenal Vs Tottenham League Cup game.
On the other hand, Rob Holding is no longer an option as he has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury.
Though Konstatinos Mavropanos seemed like a reliable back-up, he also is sidelined due to a ground injury.
However, on a positive note, Bukayo Saka – who impressed fans last week during his debut in the Europa League – has reportedly trained with the first team, alongside Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock and the young English youngster may well play in the Arsenal Vs Tottenham game.
The League Cup may have lost its flair, but a derby should bring some excitement back into the tournament, especially with youngsters in the squad.
It is yet to be seen whether Emery has replicate his tactical masterclass from their derby win from the early days of December.
