By Danong
The first North London derby abroad is here as Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur clash in Hong Kong in a pre-season friendly at the Kai Tak Stadium.
So far, so good as Arsenal’s Asian pre-season has got off to a bright start.
A 1–0 win over AC Milan and a 3–2 victory against Newcastle have set the tone for the Gunners. They should head into this game buzzing.
Given it’s a derby, Mikel Arteta needs to go full strength. He can’t let Thomas Frank win his debut NLD and with it, claim the first North London derby ever played abroad.
Arteta has confirmed Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori are unavailable for the game.
While he has also admitted Viktor Gyokeres could feature against Spurs, it’s unlikely he’ll start (Kai Havertz starts). Jurrien Timber may also get some minutes, but it is unlikely as he’s only just returned to full training.
Still, Arsenal should line up close to full strength:
Raya
White, Saliba, Kiwior, Myles Lewis-Skelly
Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard
Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Max Dowman impressed against a physical Newcastle side. It would be interesting to see him handed another cameo to confirm he’s truly ready for a breakout season.
As for Nwaneri, he didn’t shine against Newcastle, but if introduced versus Spurs, let’s hope he silences the critics and reminds everyone of his brilliance.
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