Arsenal v Tottenham
Barclays Premier League
Venue: The Emirates Date: Saturday, 31 October 2009 Kick-off: 1245 GMT
Coverage: Live on Sky Sports, BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live, local radio, Final Score & highlights on Match of the Day
Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski picked up a thigh injury in midweek so Manuel Almunia could return for the first time since September.
Manager Arsene Wenger is still without the midfield trio of Tomas Rosicky, Denilson and Theo Walcott.
Tottenham's Aaron Lennon is set to miss out with an ankle knock so David Bentley is expected to take his place.
Spurs are also sweating on the fitness of Jonathan Woodgate, who suffered a head injury in the same game.
Arsenal
Suspended: None Doubtful: None
Injured: Denilson (back), Djourou, Rosicky and Walcott (all knee), Fabianski (thigh), Wilshere (ankle)
Tottenham
Suspended: Defoe (1 game)
Doubtful: Lennon (ankle); Woodgate (concussion)
Injured: Giovani (ankle), Modric (broken leg)
Saturday's match will be the 162nd league meeting between these two hated adversaries, but you have to go all the way back to the 142nd encounter to find the last time Spurs beat Arsenal in the league.
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If you look at the two squads, you look at us and think, 'We're definitely on a par,' but that will only be judged at the end of the season
Tottenham's Robbie Keane
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It is a record that is the cause of much anguish in the Tottenham half of north London and they know if their ambitions of qualifying for the Champions League are realistic, this is the kind of hoodoo that must come to an end.
Arsene Wenger has overseen a whopping ten-year unbeaten league run against the Lilywhites; in the same time Spurs have gone through seven managers, umpteen false dawns and some damaging derby defeats.
Results have seen optimism soar that this is the year that Tottenham can make the step up to the top four, although Spurs fans know a slap in the face is always lurking round the corner and Stoke were quick to administer one last week.
Arsenal took a hammer blow of their own after letting a comfortable two-goal lead slip at Upton Park, but excellent midweek Carling Cup results for both clubs helped steady the ship.
The Gunners are the league's top scorers, but they have shipped more goals at this stage than in any other Premier League season, while Spurs have been crashing in goals for fun. All the evidence points to a repeat of last season's epic 4-4 draw - neutrals will have their fingers crossed history repeats itself.
Head-to-head
• Arsenal are undefeated in their last 19 meetings with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. Spurs' last victory over their North London rivals in the top-flight came in November 1999 and their last away win at Arsenal was in May 1993.
• The Gunners have dropped only four points from a possible 30 in their last 10 Premier League home meetings with the Lilywhites.
• But Tottenham are unbeaten in their last four matches against Arsenal (two league, two cup).
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606: DEBATE
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Arsenal
• The Gunners have taken only 14 points from a possible 33 in their last 11 London derbies in the Premier League.
• Arsenal have conceded 13 league goals so far this season, which is their worst-ever defensive record in the Premier League after nine games of the season.
• A league high of 12 different nationalities have scored for Arsenal this season.
• Arsenal currently have 997 points under the management of Arsene Wenger in the Premier League.
Tottenham
• Tottenham have scored nine goals in their last three matches against Arsenal in all competitions.
• Spurs have twice scored four goals in a match against Arsenal in the last five years, but haven't ended up on the winning side in either game.
• 11 of Spurs' goals this season have come from English players, a joint-league high along with Sunderland.
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Arsenal
Van Persie: 6 goals (5 league);
Vermaelen & Fabregas: 5 goals (4 league)
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Tottenham
Defoe: 7 goals (6 league); Keane: 6 goals (4 league)
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Assistant referees: Peter Kirkup & Stephen Child
Fourth official: Stuart Attwell
Arsenal (D2-2 v West Ham, a): Mannone, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Eboue (Bendtner 82), Song Billong, Fabregas, Diaby (Eduardo 88), Arshavin, van Persie. Subs Not Used: Almunia, Nasri, Ramsey, Silvestre, Gibbs.
Tottenham (L0-1 v Stoke, h): Gomes, Corluka, Woodgate (Dawson 14), Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Huddlestone (Jenas 71), Palacios, Kranjcar, Keane (Pavlyuchenko 63), Crouch. Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Hutton, Bale, Naughton.
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