Tottenham Hotspur’s winning formula remains the same. ‘Captain’ Son Heung-min, 32, will need to be on fire again.
Tottenham will host Arsenal in a North London derby in the 35th round of the 2023-2024 Premier League (PL) season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on Aug. 28 at 10 p.m. ET.
Both teams are in desperate need of three points. Currently in fifth place, Tottenham (60 points) is chasing fourth-place Aston Villa (66 points), who have played two more games. They need a win to regain fourth place and qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League (UCL).
Arsenal is in a fierce title race. They are in first place with 77 points, but are trailed by Manchester City (76 points), who have played one game less. If they don’t pick up three points against Tottenham, they’ll likely lose the lead to City again.
The objective stats favor the visitors, Arsenal. The Gunners set the tone with a 5-0 demolition of Chelsea in their last outing and are without any major injuries, 바카라사이트 with the exception of Wierien Timber, who is recovering from a long-term injury.
Tottenham, on the other hand, suffered a total disaster in their 0-4 loss at Newcastle.
In addition, left-back Destiny Udogie is out with an injury. The left and right fullbacks are key positions in manager Enzi Postecoglou’s system, so the blow is significant.
Supercomputers favor Arsenal. According to a supercomputer calculation by soccer statistics outlet Opta, Arsenal has a 40.5 percent chance of winning the match, while Tottenham has a 31.5 percent chance.
BBC columnist Chris Sutton also predicted a 2-1 win for Arsenal, saying: “Arsenal bounced back from the loss to Aston Villa by beating Wolverhampton and Chelsea. I expect more of the same this time. The reason Arsenal should win is the way they play and Tottenham’s form. Spurs have not been at their best in their last few games. Even in the games they’ve won,” he reasoned.
The only way Tottenham can turn things around is if Son Heung-min plays well. He has scored 15 goals and provided nine assists in the league this season, topping the team in both goals and assists. One more assist and he’ll be 10-10 in the PL for the third time in his career.
Son Heung-min will need to be the ‘Arsenal killer’ once again.
He has been strong against the Gunners with seven goals and two assists (per Transfermarkt) in 19 career games. He also showed his killer instinct with a multi-goal performance against Arsenal last year.
Postecoglou added: “We need Son Heung-min (against Arsenal) because he has a lot of experience. For at least two or three of us, this will be our first North London derby,” he said. ”We always rely on those who have been there and done well. Heung-min Son has been a ‘big game player’ for a long time, and with the added responsibility of being captain, he’s looking forward to the game.”
He added: “Heung-min has been outstanding all year. I know he’s really looking forward to the Arsenal game. To be fair, all the players are looking forward to the game. They’ve just been training for two weeks, so they’re looking forward to any game. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens on Sunday.”
Opta echoed Postecoglou’s sentiments.
The media outlet also called Son Heung-min a big-game player and said he wouldn’t be surprised if Tottenham won.
“Spurs have won seven, drawn two and lost two of their 11 games with the lowest possession (57% or less),” Opta said. Tottenham have a lot of pacey players. “Son Heung-min, Timo Werner, and Brennan Johnson are lightning fast and suited to playing counter-attacking football. The Arsenal game could be just the type of game that suits Son Heung-min.”
“Heung-min is also an incredible big-game player. He has an incredible record of five goals and three assists in six games against the top six teams this season. He scored four goals in three games against Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool. With him, you can always count on him to deliver results.”
Football London also took notice of Son’s toe.
“Bringing out the best in Son means bringing out the best in Tottenham. He is a player that Arsenal always fear,” and pointed out that Spurs’ victory could hinge on how well they utilize him.
Alan Smith, who played for Leeds and Manchester United, also singled out Son as someone to watch out for. “Tottenham obviously have Son Heung-min. He hasn’t been at his best this season, but you have to keep an eye on him. He’s been doing that for years. James Maddison has also struggled recently, but he’s a really important player for Tottenham.”
He also advised Arsenal to be more defensive than they have been in the past. “I think Arsenal need to be more defensive than they were against Chelsea. 사설 토토사이트 Tottenham will press high and expose the space in the back. Tottenham will press high and expose the space in the back, so they will have to be at their best to counter them.”
Meanwhile, Son Heung-min could return to the left flank for the first time in a while against Arsenal. That’s because he’s been sidelined with a knee injury and is set to return. If he’s fit to start, that could open up a left wing role where Son can shine the most.