Arsenal – Tottenham Hotspur preview: Can Spurs enact revenge on North London rivals?

The League Cup is without question the most disliked cup competitions in English football.

But, despite its flaws, the EFL Cup can conjure up some belting fixtures, and this year it has done just that as Arsenal host North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night in the quarter-finals.

The history

Spurs come into this fixture looking for payback following their derby day defeat to Arsenal two weeks ago at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners came from 2-1 down at half-time to seal an impressive 4-2 win in front of their home fans.

Though Tottenham have gone from strength to strength since the defeat, Mauricio Pochettino will be out for retribution on Wednesday night. Although the game will not be played with the same intensity due to the lack of importance the EFL Cup has for the two teams as well as the upcoming festive fixtures, we will still see a fiery encounter.

This will be the 184^th edition of the North London derby, with Arsenal way out in the lead in terms of most wins with 77 to Tottenham’s 57.

Spurs have not won at the Emirates since 2010 and the Lilywhites have only won three meetings in 13 against the Gunners in the League Cup.

The most recent encounter between the sides in this competition was in September 2015 where Mathieu Flamini scored a rare brace to give Arsenal a 2-1 win at White Hart Lane.

The team news

Both sides rested key players over the weekend for the North London clash. Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil both came off the bench for Arsenal in their 3-2 loss away to Southampton whilst Aaron Ramsey didn’t feature at all for the Gunners.

Emery will also have Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis available after both defenders finished their suspensions, though Hector Bellerin might be out after the Spaniard was forced off against the Saints with a calf problem.

Tottenham started both Heung-Min Son and Christen Eriksen on the bench over the weekend against Burnley, with the Danish midfielder scoring the eventual winner in the 91^st minute.

Eric Dier is out till the New Year as the England international recovers from having his appendix removed, whilst Jan Vertonghen is out too with a thigh injury. Juan Foyth, Davinson Sanchez and Serge Aurier are all also doubtful.

The prediction

Arsenal got the better of Spurs earlier in the season in scintillating fashion in front of their home fans. Since that win, though, it has been the losers of that edition of the North London derby that have improved.

Pochettino’s side remains unbeaten since the 4-2 defeat, whilst Arsenal have not looked their best and finally lost their remarkable 22 game unbeaten run to a side in the relegation zone.

Both sets of fans would want to see their teams go full-strength for the derby, but it is highly likely we will see heavy rotation from both teams, and in the end, the game will be decided by who has the best depth, and because of this Arsenal are the favourites.

The Gunners have less injuries than Spurs at the moment, and playing at home is a major advantage to any team, especially in the derby. Arsenal also rested the likes of Lacazette, Ozil and Ramsey over the weekend, meaning we can expect a strong side Wednesday night.

Prediction: Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur