Online Reporter
ARSENAL are expected to be without defensive lynchpin Gabriel Magalhaes when they host London rivals Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow as Manchester City seek to keep up the pressure on the English Premier League football leaders.
Pep Guardiola’s City could cut the Gunners’ lead at the top of the table to just one point, at least for 24 hours, if they beat Newcastle today. Reigning champions Liverpool desperately need a win after five defeats in their last six Premier League matches, while Rob Edwards takes charge of his first match as Wolves manager.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has a major headache as he considers how to reshuffle his defence against Spurs in the likely absence of the injured Gabriel Magalhaes.
The Brazilian has been at the heart of the near-impregnable Gunners back line that has conceded just five goals in 11 Premier League matches. But reports suggest he could be sidelined for weeks after suffering a thigh injury during Brazil’s 2-0 friendly win over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.
Gabriel, who has formed a formidable central defensive partnership with William Saliba and is also a threat from set-pieces, is likely to be replaced by Piero Hincapie or Cristhian Mosquera.
The Gunners are four points clear of Manchester City after they drew 2-2 with Sunderland earlier this month, ending a streak of eight wins in all competitions with no goals conceded.
Arsenal remain favourites to secure a first Premier League title since 2003/04 and have an eye-catching record against their London rivals — losing just once in the league at home to Tottenham since 1993.
But Spurs travel to the Emirates boasting the best away record in the league this season — with four wins and a draw from five games. Liverpool’s hopes of a successful title defence appear to be over after five defeats in six games left them eight points behind leaders Arsenal.
Sports analytics company Opta puts the champions’ chances of winning the league at just over seven per cent, following their 3-0 humbling by Manchester City before the international break.
Liverpool face Nottingham Forest, the only team who beat them at home last season, today with Arne Slot’s men desperate to put their recent woes behind them.
Fixtures:
Today: Burnley v Chelsea (2:30pm), Bournemouth v West Ham, Brighton v Brentford, Fulham v Sunderland, Liverpool v Nottingham Forest, Wolves v Crystal Palace (all 5pm), Newcastle v Manchester City (7:30pm)
Tomorrow: Leeds v Aston Villa (4pm), Arsenal v Tottenham (6:30pm)
Monday: Manchester United v Everton (10pm) — AFP Sport.
