Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal: 3 key battles to look out for | Premier League 2022-23
Tottenham Hotspur will face Arsenal in one of the more enticing games this weekend. The game is scheduled to be played on Sunday (January 15) at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London.
Tottenham Hotspur have been quite decent in the ongoing 2022-23 campaign and have lost only one of their last six games across all competitions. Furthermore, they occupy the fifth position in the Premier League standings.
However, Arsenal have been brilliant as well and have lost only one of their last six games across all competitions. Furthermore, they are the current Premier League leaders.
On that note, this article will look at three key individual battles that could determine the outcome of this encounter.
Without further ado, let's look at them.
#3 Martin Ødegaard vs Pierre-Emile Højbjerg
Odegaard has been in decent form in recent weeks and his creativity has been fruitful for Arsenal in attack.
A special player having a special season 💫
Martin Ødegaard | @Arsenal https://t.co/0E7HT2UcKh
The Norwegian has netted seven goals and has registered five assists in 16 league appearances so far. Similarly, he's the Gunners' joint top-scorer in the Premier League this season.
Odegaard's vision and ability to tee up his teammates in the final third of the pitch is outstanding. Monitoring his movement in midfield is a difficult task and Højbjerg will have his work cut out. However, Højbjerg’s defensive awareness is immense and his ability to stabilize the midfield is impressive. It will be interesting to see if he can silence Odegaard in this encounter.
#2 Harry Kane vs Gabriel Magalhães
The Englishman is arguably one of the most outstanding strikers in the Premier League and his presence in attack has been fruitful for Antonio Conte.
Kane has netted 15 goals and has registered one assist in 18 league appearances so far. Similarly, he's the league's second top-scorer.
15 Goals 
1 Assists 
You completely forget Harry Kane because of Erling Haaland, but what a Premier League season the Tottenham striker is having too! 😮
🥅 18 Games
⚽️ 15 Goals
🎯 1 Assists
Respect! https://t.co/7qVyIhwQtC
Kane's finishing ability is remarkable and his ability to properly position himself in the final third of the pitch is stunning. Monitoring his movement is a tough task as he can drop deep into the midfield to facilitate an attack. However, Gabriel's defensive intuition has been remarkable so far and it will be fascinating to see if he can keep the Englishman under his tabs in this encounter.
#1 Bukayo Saka vs Ivan Perisic
The Englishman is arguably one of the most in-form wingers in the league and his attacking threat is outstanding.
Saka has netted six goals and has registered six assists in 17 appearances this season. The 21-year-old is tricky and quick with the ball. Furthermore, he can singlehandedly destroy a team’s defense. Monitoring his movement on the flank is a difficult task and Perisic will have his work cut out. However, Perisic is highly experienced and his defensive awareness is immense. It will be interesting to see if he can stop Saka from finding the back of the net in this encounter.