Garth Crooks believes one Arsenal player could be key to victory at Tottenham Hotspur this Sunday.
Ange Postecoglou and Mikel Arteta are set to face off in the second north London derby of the season this weekend.
Tottenham will head into the game off the back of a two-week break following their 4-0 defeat at St James’ Park.
Arsenal have faced a busy schedule ahead of the derby. The Gunners picked up a 2-0 win at Wolves on Saturday evening following consecutive defeats against Aston Villa and Bayern Munich.
Arteta’s side also host Chelsea tomorrow evening at the Emirates Stadium before making the short trip across north London on Sunday.
Despite the importance of tomorrow night’s game, Arsenal supporters are likely to already have one eye on the north London derby.
It feels like a huge clash for both sides as the Gunners bid to keep their title hopes on track while Spurs continue to battle for a top-four finish.
Crooks thinks Arsenal star could be key for Tottenham clash
The former Tottenham striker has selected his Premier League Team of the Week following the weekend’s action in the Premier League.
Crooks named Martin Odegaard in his side and believes the midfielder could prove to be the difference between Spurs and Arsenal this Sunday.
“For Arsenal to bounce back from their defeat against Aston Villa in the title race, and Bayern Munich in the Champions League, to beat a very dangerous Wolves side was impressive,” he told the BBC. “No wonder Mikel Arteta couldn’t hide his smile, which in reality signified his enormous relief that his team had come through their most difficult period in the club’s season.
“Martin Odegaard scored a brilliant goal and once again provided a calm to a situation that a special player brings when faced with a crisis.
“This latest victory takes them back to the top of the Premier League, one point above Manchester City – who have a very tricky game in hand against Brighton on Thursday.
“Now the scene is set for the Gunners’ big showdown next Sunday against Spurs. The atmosphere will be febrile as usual but with Odegaard in the side, Arsenal may come out of this encounter with their title hopes still very much intact.”
Odegaard the man for big occasions
The Arsenal skipper is proving to be a real leader after being named as the club’s skipper almost two years ago.
When Arsenal needed him at Wolves, he stepped up and delivered a brilliant performance from the middle of the park.
The 25-year-old netted in stoppage time and impressed Jamie Redknapp with his passing on the day.
Odegaard also bagged in a 2-0 victory at Tottenham last season and Postecoglou will be aware of the threat the £30 million man poses.
He’s likely to get plenty of space in the middle of the park at Spurs due to Postecoglou’s attacking approach.
On current form, it’s difficult to look past the Gunners but the north London derby has always proven to be a tough fixture to predict.
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