Arsenal will take on Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday, looking to earn yet another victory over their North London rivals.
Both the teams are heading into this match on the back of some fine performances in the league. Arsenal, sitting top of the table, earned a 2-0 victory over Cardiff City in the last match, while Spurs, under Tim Sherwood, defeated Manchester United 2-1 at the Old Trafford on the New Years’ Day.
Arsenal are missing several key players for this tie. First choice left-back Kieran Gibbs has been ruled out due to calf injury and hence expect Spaniard Nacho Monreal to take his place. Wenger may also start with young right-back Carl Jenkinson, in place of Sagna for this game.
Aaron Ramsey is definitely missing with a thigh injury while Mesut Ozil will have to pass fitness test ahead of the match. The German returned to training today and he could play some part, if required.
The major problem for Wenger is the absence of his two strikers. Olivier Giroud is sick while Nicklas Bendtner is suffering from an ankle injury. Expect Lukas Podolski to start as a lone striker against Spurs.
Prediction: 2-1; Arsenal are undefeated in 17 of their last 18 home matches against Tottenham in all competitions and fancy them to snatch a victory on Saturday.
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