Arsenal’s first game after the international break will be against Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby.
The Gunners are unbeaten against Spurs in the last four derbies and have only lost one game since the turn of 2021. That is a very good record and we’re sure Mikel Arteta will want to continue that.
Arsenal will be desperate to bounce back after dropping points against Brighton and Hove Albion at the Emirates just before the international break.
Raheem Sterling is expected to make his Arsenal debut against Tottenham, and he can become an instant fan favourite if he delivers against Spurs.
Raheem Sterling is ready to play as Arsenal’s false-nine vs Tottenham
Arteta has a few problems with his squad ahead of the big game against Tottenham.
Declan Rice is suspended after his red card against Brighton, while it’s unclear if Gabriel Jesus will be back from his injury for the derby.
Now, GiveMeSport claim that Arteta is toying with the idea of bringing Kai Havertz back to midfield to play as a left-sided number eight.
That would leave a hole at the top end of the pitch, especially if Jesus isn’t back, and the report claims that Sterling is ‘open’ to leading the Gunners’ line as a false nine.
It has been claimed that the Chelsea loanee is ‘open-minded about how he can aid Arsenal in their push to be crowned the Premier League champions’ and insiders have revealed to the outlet that he would be ‘happy to feature in the false nine position’ in the derby.
That certainly gives Arteta a new option, but it remains to be seen whether he will opt to use Sterling up top at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with Raheem Sterling at Sobha Realty Training Centre on September 03, 2024 in London Colney, England.
One pro and one con of Arsenal starting Sterling as a striker
Tottenham have had a poor start to the season, winning just one of their first three games in the Premier League. However, we’re sure they will be raring to go against Arsenal.
Rice’s red card complicates things for the Gunners, and that has led to the idea of deploying Sterling as a false nine in order to bring Havertz back to midfield.
The one positive if Arteta goes with that would be Sterling’s pace. Spurs play a high line, and Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have both been caught out in the past.
Sterling’s speed combined with that of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli on either flank could cause Tottenham all sorts of problems in the North London Derby.
The big concern, however, is Sterling’s physicality.
Havertz is capable of physically dominating both Romero and Van de Ven while also linking play up with his back to goal. That brings his teammates into play.
Sterling cannot do that, which is why we think he should only be used out wide in the big game against Spurs.
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