Bentancur and Kulusevski debate, Johnson in - The Tottenham team Postecoglou must pick vs Arsenal
It is a huge day in the capital on Sunday as the first North London Derby of the season takes place. Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham are the home side as Arsenal make the short trip across north London to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The sides did play out a high-scoring game the last time they met in N17, with Arsenal racing into a 3-0 half-time lead and managing to hold off a late Tottenham fightback to run out 3-2 winners. Postecoglou has yet to taste victory in a North London Derby clash and he will be determined to get off the mark in Sunday's 2pm kick-off.
Injury news has dominated talk ahead of the game and both teams look set to do without key players. But how exactly should Tottenham line up against the Gunners? Our football.london Tottenham reporters have had their say below.
Rob Guest - Football writer
Spurs have certainly been given some welcome news regarding Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke going into this weekend's North London Derby. However, it remains to be seen where exactly Yves Bissouma will be in terms of his fitness after coming off for Mali in midweek.
Starting at the back, a back four of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Van de Ven and Destiny Udogie start in front of Guglielmo Vicario in goal. Van de Ven is a must in the Spurs backline but that in turn is bad news for Radu Dragusin, who delivered a strong display at Newcastle prior to the international break.
In midfield, Rodrigo Bentancur comes in for Bissouma and is handed the opportunity to follow up what was a strong showing at Leicester on the opening weekend of the new season. As well as Dejan Kulusevski has played in a central role for Tottenham this season, Pape Matar Sarr should be the one who gets the nod alongside Bentancur and James Maddison as the midfield trio may be too attacking if the Swede starts instead of his younger teammate.
Brennan Johnson deserves a start after a really good cameo off the bench at Newcastle. The winger will this time have Dominic Solanke leading the line and hopefully the frontman or Son Heung-min from the left can finish off the fantastic deliveries he put across the area.
Guest's team: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Sarr, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son.
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Lee Wilmot - Head of football
With the news that Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke should be fit to play in the North London Derby, there are some big decisions that need to be made in the starting XI. As ever the back line pretty much picks itself. Guglielmo Vicario will be in between the sticks behind Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Van de Ven and Destiny Udogie.
It's ahead of them where things get interesting. Who plays in the midfield three if Yves Bissouma is not fit to start? Does Ange Postecoglou go attacking, or hold back a touch, given the strength of the opposition?
Given Arsenal's struggles in midfield, I might be inclined to go attacking, particularly with three attacking players fully deserving of a start. So I'd plump with Pape Matar Sarr holding - if Bissouma is not fit - with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski in front of him.
Then in the front three, Brennan Johnson definitely deserves a start following his display against Newcastle, with Son Heung-min the other support act for central striker Dominic Solanke.
Wilmot's team: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Kulusevski, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son.
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