Sunday’s north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham will mark the Premier League’s spectacular comeback. For the first time since their preseason loss, Mikel Arteta’s team, who now leads the table by four points, will take on their fierce rivals under Thomas Frank’s leadership.
The Gunners are the favourites to win at the Emirates Stadium since they haven’t lost to Spurs in their past six official encounters and have recently gone 14 games without a loss. However, this particular derby is notorious for being chaotic and controversial, so when the two teams play, form frequently disappears.
Arteta’s long record of ailments, which seemed to become worse during the most recent international break, will be a special worry. After departing their respective camps early, Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori are both doubtful for the match and will have to work quickly to make a comeback.
Controversial ref appointed to north London derby
Michael Oliver has officiated 62 games featuring Arsenal, giving him a substantial amount of expertise. Liverpool is the only side he has officiated more games for (67). However, Oliver only officiated four games in 2024–2025 after officiating at least five Arsenal games in four of the previous five seasons. It has already been over ten months since he officiated a Gunners game.
Given that Oliver controversially sent off Myles Lewis-Skelly in his most recent game, it is easy to understand why. It was a wrong ruling that was later overturned following an appeal, but not before Arsenal supporters openly expressed their disapproval.
The PGMOL made the sensible decision to deny Oliver any further Arsenal games for the rest of the season and the first few months of the upcoming campaign due to the intense scrutiny surrounding his error.
However, it seems risky that they are suddenly bringing him back for the North London derby. Oliver will undoubtedly have to make difficult decisions because of the match, and he might not be as well-liked by Arsenal supporters by the end of Sunday’s game as he was at the beginning.
