There is no better game for either teams to make a statement than the North London Derby. Arsenal and Tottenham have not had the best of starts, although the former's struggles have been recorded to a greater extent, while Spurs have flown under the radar a bit this season.
At the end of the day, only one point and one place separates the two teams with seventh-placed Tottenham on 17 to Arsenal's 16. The bright new dawn that Arsenal promised at the beginning of the season has darkened considerably over the past few weeks, as the same old failings of the previous seasons have come back to haunt them.
Time and again Arsenal have thrown away chances to take all three points, be that because of a defensive mistake or the inability to put away last-minute chances. Great teams don't always play well, but they almost always find ways to get the right result - something that Arsene Wenger and his teams have forgotten to do over the past seven years or so.
Spurs will provide the perfect platform to dispel those doubts and begin what Wenger has promised will be a run of games with positive results. Tottenham manager Andre Villas will, however, be thinking the same thing. There is no better way to endear yourself to the White Hart Lane faithful, who still have doubts about the Portuguese manager's capabilities, than to beat Arsenal in their own backyard.
Spurs were poor against Manchester City last weekend, even if they might not have deserved to go away empty-handed. Villas-boas will demand a better overall performance against Arsenal and will look to pierce the Arsenal defense, short on confidence, with the Portuguese determined to finish above Arsenal for the first time since 1995.
"We have to (finish above Arsenal)," Villas-Boas told reporters. "It's obvious that Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are into a big run-in towards the title.
"We want to be able to bring one of those spots nearer to us but it's difficult. They have other resources but we are looking at trying to shorten the gap and not let it grow.
"To play for that fourth spot, Champions League qualification, I think it's difficult bearing in mind the amount of competition that you have to beat."
Emmanuel Adebayor, one of the most unpopular players among Arsenal fans not just for his move to Tottenham, will also want to get one over his old club, while the Emirates faithful will hope for a repeat of last season's remarkable 5-2 victory, where the Gunners caught fire in spectacular fashion.
That win proved to be the turning point in Arsenal's season, which saw them eventually finish above Spurs in the table and seal that all-important Champions League spot.
Tottenham have injury worries with Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe and Kyle Walker all doubtful, while Moussa Dembele has been ruled out. Arsenal have no new problems, with Tomas Rosicky, About Diaby, Kieran Gibbs and Gervinho still out, while goalkeeper Wjociech Szczesny is expected to return. Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are expected to be fit after picking up minor knocks in the game against Fulham.
Wenger will be mindful of the explosive threat posed by the pace of Gareth Bale, but will again want to focus on his team and the capabilities that he sees in them. Putting Oxlade-Chamberlain on the left and Theo Walcott on the right to provide Arsenal that pace that they have been sorely lacking might not be such a bad idea, with Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla pulling the strings in midfield.
Arsenal have the team on paper to contend for honors; while they may have stumbled against Fulham, a win against their bitter rivals Tottenham might just be the catalyst needed to turn the the side's fortunes around.
Expected lineups: Arsenal: Szczesny; Vermaelen, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Sagna; Arteta, Wilshere, Cazorla; Walcott, Podolski, Giroud.
Spurs: Friedel; Naughton, Gallas, Caulker, Vertonghen; Sandro, Huddlestone; Bale, Dempsey, Adebayor, Defoe.
Prediction: 2-2
