Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur: Three key players to watch out for in the North London Derby

After the defeat against Manchester United in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, title-challenging and chasing Arsenal will square up against Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby in the 21st gameweek of the campaign. Arsenal are heartbroken and at the same time, they are angry at their own mistakes whereas two wins in two games would have made Ange Postecoglu happy, who holds the reins of Tottenham Hotspur. 

In the ongoing campaign, Arsenal find themselves in second place with 40 points whereas Tottenham Hotspur are 12th on the points table after a disastrous start to their campaign. Ange Postecoglu has tried every tactic and player available to resurrect the campaign but has found difficulty in getting it going. On the other hand, for Arsenal, despite a sluggish campaign and losing form at the crucial junctures, they are just six points behind the league leaders. They will look forward to chasing the league leaders but will also hope that Liverpool fail in their test against Nottingham Forest. 

While Arsenal continues to feature without their key men, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, Tottenham Hotspur will be without their No 1 shot-stopper Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, and Richarlison in their 21st game of the campaign. It will remain interesting to see if the Gunners have absorbed the shock well. 

In this article, we shall look at three key players to watch out for in the North London Derby who could change the result of the game with their performances: 

1) Martin Odegaard 

When Martin Odegaard was ruled out due to injury after the first few weeks of the campaign, Arsenal had a dip in their form and struggled to keep their momentum up. This was the nature of Martin Odegaard’s impact at Arsenal. The captain of the side will hope to change the fortunes of his side after they have faced two consecutive defeats in their last two fixtures. He will be one of the players who would want to forget what happened on Sunday after he scuffed the penalty in the regular time. 

In the ongoing campaign, Martin Odegaard has 3 G/A to his name for his side in 12 starts. While he has underperformed compared to his xG, Odegaard possesses a unique ability to find the key passes. He averages 4.87 final third passes per 90, a number that helps the attackers to create and score chances. His passing accuracy has increased to 84%, a key component in Arsenal’s possession-based attack this season. The player’s growing influence and the absence of Bukayo Saka make Odegaard an important player for Arsenal in the crucial fixture. 

2) James Maddison 

In a season when Tottenham Hotspur fans have very few things to cherish, James Maddison has always given them a chance to celebrate with his ability to score an assist or find the back of the net. While Spurs find themselves in the 12th position in the league, James Maddison remains in the top 10 amongst the goalscorers in the English top flight. 

With eight goals and four assists, James Maddison is the highest goalscorer for his side in the 2024/25 campaign. With Son being in and out due to injuries, the English international has been effective for his side in the heart of the midfield. He has overperformed his xG by 3 goals, an achievement in itself. His nimble footwork and being in the right place and right moment have been the highlights of Maddison’s campaign. His passing range and efficiency have continued to improve with the player having over 80% pass success rate and also accounting for 5.5 final third passes per 90. 

3) David Raya

One more Arsenal player who would want to forget what happened over the weekend in front of the goal, it will be David Raya. While he put up one of the sensational performances whenever he was called upon to save, barring an instance where Bruno Fernandes was at his genius best, he was atrocious in the penalty shootouts. He struggled to dive on the correct side even once let alone saving one. Also, he had made multiple early dives, allowing Manchester United players to find the back of the net easily. 

However, in the ongoing English Premier League season, with Arsenal’s defense being one of the best defenses, David Raya has played a humongous role in it. Featuring in all the 20 Arsenal games, the Spaniard has conceded only 18 goals against 67 shots he has faced. He also has seven clean sheets to his name, a testament to his resolve. 

Not only this, David Raya has been particularly helpful for the side with his footwork and making calm passes under pressure. While there are small blips, he has completed over 72.2% of passes per 90. Also, his role as a sweeper-keeper has immensely helped his side in distribution and initiating attacks. With Spurs known for their goal-scoring form, Raya will be a key player in Arsenal’s title pursuit.