Jack Wilshere – Arsenal
The English Premier League title race looks to be tied up with Manchester United 12 points clear of their city rivals by 12 points and 11 games to go. The race for the Champions League places now takes centre stage. With that in mind one of the most anticipated local derbies between Tottenham and Arsenal this Sunday is even more crucial as just four points separate them with Spurs occupying third place and Arsenal fifth.
With another three points in hand on Monday night against West Ham at Upton Park, Tottenham’s bid for a top-four finish was boosted. Such a feat would undoubtedly not have been possible were it not for the scoring exploits of a certain Welsh Wizard, as Gareth Bale was once again on hand to save the day for Spurs. Bale opened the scoring before netting a superb winner just short of the 90-minute mark. West Ham cancelled out the Welshman’s opener through an Andy Carroll penalty before Joe Cole gave them a second-half lead. Gylfi Sigurdsson levelled for Tottenham, setting the scene for the Bale-inspired conclusion. Spurs now have an extremely tough run, playing four of the top six, including tricky trips to Liverpool and Chelsea, as well as this North London derby. However, confidence is high as they have just one defeat in last their 14 games, and that came in the FA Cup at Leeds. In Gareth Bale they have an outstanding individual match winner who can turn tight games in their favour.
Gareth Bale – Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur
As usual, Arsenal made it as difficult as possible for themselves in their last match against Aston Villa. But their hard work paid off, as the Gunners walked away 2-1 winners at the Emirates. It did not look like it would be a hard day for Arsenal early on. Santi Cazorla struck in the sixth minute to put the home side on the front foot, and Villa were defending for much of the first half. Yet the Gunners did not make their continuous pressure pay, and looked quite delicate at the back on numerous occasions. Eventually Villa took advantage of a counterattack and powered a low drive past Wojciech Szczesny. Arsenal got increasingly desperate and unlucky after the equalizer, but their probing eventually brought its just reward, as Cazorla produced a tidy finish to ensure three crucial points and a release of pressure. Despite bad cup defeats to Blackburn and Bayern Munich, they have lost only twice in the league this year and have steadily closed the gap on the top four. Arsene Wenger has yet another point to prove as criticism grows and most of the players have been in this situation before. They remain a class act on their day and have creativity to cut any team apart. Their main problem is that they don’t have a reliable goalscorer. Their next two games will be pivotal against Spurs and Everton, but a relatively easy run in on paper gives them a big advantage and fourth place is very much within their reach. In Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere they have two of the league’s most creative players.
Surprisingly Arsenal have the league’s best defensive record on the road with just 11 goals conceded in 13 games. The Gunners won the reverse fixture 5-2 at the Emirates. Tottenham haven’t been prolific at home and the Gunners are tipped to get an inspired win in their quest to qualify for Champions League football.
