Arsenal’s starting lineup against Spurs will not include Alexis Sanchez as the Chilean was ruled out of the North London derby with injury. This is a huge blow for the Gunners as the ex-Barcelona man has been their player of the season so far.
Theo Walcott although fit is expected to sit out as well as Danny Welbeck. David Ospina initially just a deputy to Wojciech Szczesny has had a error free tenure as Arsenal’s No 1 goalkeeper something which his Polish counterpart can’t claim to. So Ospina is expected to start the derby and a strong showing in this game will go a long way in helping him cement his position as the first choice keeper for Arsenal.
One player Arsenal will definitely miss is Alexis Sanchez. The signing from Barcelona has easily been Arsenal’s best player this season.
“The latest is that Alexis is not ready,” Wenger told the Arsenal’s website. “He is not far away, the Leicester game is a possibility. He is of course very difficult to keep quiet. He is training but it’s light training.”
But the return of Mesut Ozil should help cover the gaping hole of Sanchez. Ozil had a wonderful outing against Villa and he along side in form players like Rosicky and Cazorla can wreak havoc on Spurs. Coquelin so far at least has been a dream for Arsenal fans who were desperate for a hard man in the middle of the park. Coquelin who was recalled from his loan at Charlton has not put a foot wrong and he will be key to Arsenal’s performance against Spurs on Saturday.