They've met once before this season: Arsenal needing extra time to knock Spurs out of the League Cup. Today at 7:45 a.m. Eastern, Tottenham goes to the Emirates for the first North London Derby of the Premier League season, when a hobbled Spurs team look to extend their league winning streak over Arsenal to ... two.
The fact that Spurs are coming off a Premier League win over Arsenal is a rarity. Before their 2-1, April win over Arsenal, Tottenham's last victory over Arsenal came in 1999, another victory at White Hart Lane. Spurs have not won at Arsenal in the Premier League era, and if they're to reverse that course today, they'll have to do so without Tom Huddlestone, who starts a three month absence, while none of Jermain Defoe, Aaron Lennon and Ledley King are fully fit.
For Arsenal, today's will be a needed three points, the club having a chance to narrow their two point deficit on league leading but limping Chelsea. The Blues will be at another set of Blues, Birmingham City, one of six 11:00 a.m. Eastern start times. Still without Frank Lampard (abductor) and Michael Essien (suspension), Chelsea's walking wounded will be joined by John Terry, leaving them with largely the same team that last to Sunderland last Sunday.
Also amongst the 11:00 a.m. start times sees Manchester United hosting Wigan (with Wayne Rooney likely to be on the bench), Wolves at Blackpool, West Brom hosting Stoke, and Newcastle going to Bolton, a battle of the leagues' eighth and fifth place teams.
The day ends with Liverpool, minus Steven Gerrard, hosting West Ham United.
For more on the weekend's match-ups, check out the full preview of matchday 14. For now, here is the schedule of today's fixtures:
Day | Time (EST) | Home | Road | Pick |
---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday | 7:45 a.m. | Arsenal | Tottenham | 3-1, Arsenal |
10:00 a.m. | Birmingham City | Chelsea | 1-1 | |
Blackpool | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1-1 | ||
Bolton Wanderers | Newcastle United | 2-1, Bolton | ||
Manchester United | Wigan Athletic | 3-0, United | ||
West Bromwich Albion | Stoke City | 2-1, Brom | ||
12:30 p.m. | Liverpool | West Ham United | 2-1, West Ham |