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EA Sports Preview – Spurs v Arsenal

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Arsenal SpursThe North London derby tomorrow evening is one the most highly anticipated in years, with Spurs desperate to bolster their hopes of securing a top four status, and Arsenal looking to get their title chase back on track.

So here are a few things you should know before the two meet at White Hart Lane tomorrow:

1. Spurs may have been comprehensively beaten by Chelsea last weekend, but one player who neither let himself nor his team-mates down was teenage sensation Nabil Bentaleb. Since his induction to the first-team, the Frenchman has been one of Spurs’ most impressive performers and he continued this rich vein of form against Chelsea, completing an impressive 25 passes in the opposition half.

2. Kyle Walker was another player who showed his excellent offensive play against Jose Mourinho’s men, as he made a total of 31 attacking contributions (based on passes in the opposition half, crosses, dribbles and shots on target). Walker’s strength has always been his offensive play, and this is particularly clear when one notes that he only made one defensive contribution (based on blocks, clearances, interceptions and tackles won) against Chelsea.

3. Zeki Fryers left Manchester United last year in a bid to secure regular first-team football, with the defender desperate to fulfill his undoubted potential. He still hasn’t figured as prominently as he would have liked at Spurs, but when he has played, he has shown a glimpse of his excellent tackling ability. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he has won a staggering 84% of his tackles this term.

4. For such a big man, the dribbling skills of Moussa Dembele may come as something of a shock. Despite not boasting the tricks of a Franck Ribery or a Arjen Robben, the Belgian has an amazing ability to glide past defenders – something he has utilized to great effect this term, completing 66 dribbles. Dembele is 15/1 with 888sport.com to score the first goal of the match on Sunday.

5. A promising, but ultimately unsuccessful defeat to Bayern Munich means Arsenal’s focus for the remainder of the season lies on both the Premier League and the FA Cup.

6. Mesut Ozil may have had his critics at times this season, but ultimately Arsenal will miss his guile and creativity in the forthcoming weeks. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index highlights the worth of the German as it shows that he has completed an astounding 1025 passes in the opposition half this term – more than any other Arsenal player.

7. Deciding Jack Wilshere’s best position is a dilemma that Arsene Wenger must answer in the upcoming years, and there is still ambiguity around whether he is a natural number 10, or number 8. One statistic that may suggest Wilshere is better deployed slightly deeper is his excellent number of completed dribbles. So far this season the Englishman has completed 44 dribbles – more than any other Arsenal player.

8. Serge Gnabry has forced his way into the first-team this year, with the German quickly emerging as one of the brightest prospects at the Emirates. The young German has shown his natural eye for a pass this term, completing an impressive 153 passes in the opposition half in the opportunities that have been handed to him. You can find Gnabry at 23/2 with 888sport.com to score the first goal of the match on Sunday.

9. If Bacary Sagna is to leave Arsenal this Summer, it will be interesting to see if Wenger looks to Carl Jenkinson to step up to the mark. The young full-back has impressed in patches at the Emirates and it could finally be time for him to cement a first-team spot as his own. One aspect of his game which may tilt the balance in his favour is that he clearly has a great eye for a tackle – something demonstrated through the fact that he has won 92% of his challenges so far this season.

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