Team news - Sheffield United v Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield United XI: Cooper, Tanganga, Bindon, Hamer, O’Hare, Brooks, Burrows, Phillips, Seriki, Peck, Bamford.
Subs: A. Davies, Arblaster, Hjelde, Cannon, Hoever, Soumaré, Campbell, Chong, McGuinness.
Sheffield Wednesday XI: Dieng, Palmer, Otegbayo, Cooper, Adaramola, Ingelsson, Heskey, McNeill, Ndala, J. Lowe, Yates.
Subs: Stretch, McGhee, Emery, Johnson, Fusire, Thornton, Grainger, Moses, Ugbo.
Bernard has shared his prediction for the North London Derby:
“Arsenal get their mojo back and ease past an insipid Spurs. As a ManU fan I’d like to see Arsenal win it this season, and give us a run for our money when we win it next season. Am I being nostalgic for the 90s?”
If you have some time before this afternoon’s matches, be sure to watch the latest episode of Football Weekly.
However, some express concerns about Spurs’ prospects:
I don't know why but I just can't help but shake the feeling that Spurs season can only get worse from here.
Others in the comments believe Spurs will secure all three points today:
I have a feeling (and I realise this will almost certainly bite me in the bum, but there's some method to my madness) Spurs will take all three points. They're fresher, Arsenal have no experience of playing against Tudor's Spurs and as a system-based team they tend to struggle when things go off script. Combine that with their mental frailty and a win might be on the cards for Spurs, hell they're a better team (just) than Wolves and they took a point.
Eberechi Eze was the standout performer when Arsenal last faced Tottenham, scoring a hat-trick in the North London Derby in November. Although his form has declined since then, the former Crystal Palace player remains a key figure as Arsenal pursue four trophies this season.
Elsewhere across the UK and Europe today
- Sheffield United v Sheffield Wednesday
- SC Freiburg v Borussia Mönchengladbach
Sheffield Wednesday face Sheffield United in the Steel City Derby today. The Owls will be relegated from the Championship if they fail to defeat their rivals, which would make them the first EFL side to be relegated in February.
Dave Estherby has emailed about the North London Derby:
“Don’t want to be the bearer of bad tides but anyone expecting a classic this afternoon is gonna be seriously disappointed; both sides need a win but absolutely CANNOT lose. Defeat for Arsenal means the title is as good as gone and if Forest manage to embarrass Liverpool in the earlier game then Tottenham (if they lose) will be one place and 4 - FOUR! - points off the scary zone.
“Strap yourselves in for 90 minutes, 22 players and 2 very large buses, folks.”
As always, readers are encouraged to email their thoughts, feelings, and predictions ahead of today’s games or leave comments below.
Current Premier League context
Hannibal Mejbri and Wesley Fofana have both been subjected to racial abuse on Instagram following Burnley’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea, which came after Fofana was sent off.
Liam Rosenior revealed that a Chelsea player failed to mark the correct Burnley opponent in added time, leading to Zian Flemming’s equaliser. Rosenior stated:
“An assignment was missed. An assignment, a marking assignment wasn’t done. Flemming, we know, is their best header of the ball.
“And there was a player who I won’t… I’m not here to throw players under the bus, I will always protect my players, I will deal with it in the week. There was a player we assigned that duty who marked the wrong player.”
In yesterday’s match, Zian Flemming scored a late equaliser against Chelsea to secure a point for Burnley.
Manchester City moved within two points of Arsenal last night with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium. Nico O’Reilly scored both goals in the first half, increasing pressure on Arsenal ahead of today’s North London Derby.
“When did the reality dawn? Perhaps it was towards the end of the first half of West Ham’s game at Chelsea at the end of January with the away side leading 2-0. Or perhaps it was when West Ham took the lead against Manchester United 10 days later. As it turned out, West Ham won neither fixture; had they done so they would have had five points more and so been level with Tottenham going into this weekend. And then Tottenham’s proximity to relegation could not have been denied.
West Ham’s revival means this isn’t like last season, when a win at Ipswich at the end of February took Tottenham to 33 points and as good as confirmed their continued presence in the Premier League, allowing Ange Postecoglou to focus on Europe. Were Spurs to pull off something extremely unlikely and beat Arsenal on Sunday, they would move to 32 and, for all the glee their fans would feel, nobody would feel secure…”
Igor Tudor has described Tottenham as being in an “emergency situation” but assured that the team will avoid relegation.
Tudor, experienced in short-term appointments with Udinese, Verona, and Juventus, responded with a firm “100%” when asked about Spurs’ survival chances. His tenure begins Sunday with the North London Derby at home against the faltering league leaders. A lengthy injury list leaves him with only 13 fit senior players.
“What I saw this week was the quality of the players,” Tudor said. “We have enormous quality in the squad.”
As a coach overseeing 12 remaining league matches, with the Champions League a lower priority due to Spurs being five points off the relegation zone, Tudor made no promises about maintaining the club’s attacking style.
“When you start pre-season and then you have 50 days in pre-season and you have 20 players, of course then we see the style. This is an emergency, an emergency situation, when you need to find fast what suits the 10 plus three players and it’s totally different.”
Mikel Arteta has rejected the term “bottlers” and stated that Arsenal must accept criticism “on the chin” after surrendering a 2-0 lead against bottom side Wolves in midweek.
It is North London Derby day, a significant occasion for both teams, but especially so today. For Arsenal, it represents an excellent chance to recover from their 2-2 draw at Wolves. The midweek result rekindled a familiar concern among Arsenal supporters as the team lost ground in the title race. Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Newcastle last night further narrowed Arsenal’s lead to two points.
Victory today could ignite a vital resurgence as the season enters its crucial phase.
For Tottenham, the match offers an opportunity to claim their first win of the year. Spurs have struggled with poor form and now begin a new, albeit brief, chapter under interim head coach Igor Tudor, appointed until the end of the season last week following Thomas Frank’s dismissal.
It is also a chance for Spurs to seek revenge after their heavy 4-1 defeat in November.
Today’s fixtures (2pm GMT unless otherwise noted)
Good morning and welcome to another Matchday live! This afternoon features several key matches, including the North London Derby and the Steel City Derby.
Arsenal require a win at Tottenham to restore their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table. This follows their 2-2 draw with Wolves on Wednesday, in which they squandered a two-goal advantage.
Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday must defeat their local rivals to delay relegation to League One.
We will also provide updates on numerous other games across the UK and Europe throughout the day.
