Arsenal latest: Mikel Arteta warned over Tottenham clash as referee for North London Derby named

Arsenal will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table when they take on bitter rivals Tottenham in the first north London derby of the season

The Premier League is back with a bang this weekend as Arsenal face Tottenham in Sunday’s highly anticipated North London Derby.

Mikel Arteta's men, currently leading the table by four points, will be taking on their fierce rivals under the leadership of Thomas Frank for the first time since losing their pre-season meeting.

Arsenal have managed to avoid defeat against Spurs in their last six official encounters and their impressive 14-game unbeaten run makes them favourites to triumph at the Emirates Stadium. However, this particular derby is notorious for its unpredictable nature and a history of controversy, meaning form often takes a backseat when these two clubs clash.

Arteta's main worry will be his growing injury list, which seems to have been worsened by the recent international break. Both Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori are doubts for the match after leaving their respective international camps early and are now in a race against time to be fit for the fixture.

As we gear up for what promises to be an exhilarating showdown, we bring you two of the latest news stories surrounding Arsenal.

Keown shares fears

Gunners legend Martin Keown has expressed his concerns about facing Spurs this weekend, suggesting they pose a greater threat than many give them credit for. Despite having lost three and drawn three, Frank's side have had a steady start to the season under their new manager and currently sit fifth in the table.

Keown believes Frank will attempt to unsettle the home supporters and create tension throughout the Emirates with his approach in the first North London Derby of the campaign. Arteta's side, who are expected to secure all three points, have now received advice on how to react to such tactics.

The pundit told the Metro: “What concerns me this weekend is Spurs’ away form. Spurs at home it’s like two different entities.

“At home it’s like one win in five and I think they’ve won four out of five away from home. Their manager is very good at slowing things down, just quietening the crowd and the keeper just puts his foot on the ball.

“I’ve had a little look this week to see what they do away from home and they do it really well. Arsenal are going to have to go in and press high and look to dominate the game.”

North London derby referee appointed

The Premier League has announced that referee Michael Oliver will oversee Sunday's encounter. He will be supported by linesmen Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, fourth official Michael Salisbury, in addition to Stuart Attwell as the primary VAR operator and Constantine Hatzidakis as his deputy.

However, along with the Spurs players, Oliver will likely be the most unwelcome figure in N5 when the players and officials go out onto the pitch. That stems from two highly controversial decisions he made last season that went against the Gunners.

The first incident occurred in September 2024 when he astonishingly sent off Leandro Trossard during a pivotal match against Manchester City for kicking the ball away 1.07 seconds after the whistle had been blown, a move he deemed as delaying the restart. His decision sparked outrage among Arsenal fans, players and coaching staff alike.

A few months later, he gave Myles Lewis-Skelly his marching orders during a game against Wolves for a late challenge that was neither reckless nor denied a goal-scoring opportunity. The red card was subsequently overturned, fuelling further resentment among the Arsenal supporters.

That incident 10 months ago marked the last time Oliver officiated an Arsenal match. Arteta will be hoping his team's performance is strong enough to ensure any potential controversial decisions this time won't influence the result of one of the season's most critical matches.