3 Arsenal players to watch this weekend as they make the short trip to face Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby

This weekend sees the return of the north London derby, as league leaders Tottenham Hotspur face Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Spurs will be hoping to put some distance between themselves and the chasing pack, while 14^th place Arsenal aim to get their season back on track after managing just one point in their last three league games.

Not much has gone right for Mikel Arteta this season, but the Spaniard will be looking for his side to use their 4-1 win over Rapid Vienna in the Europa League on Thursday as a catalyst to build some sort of form in the league.

It is almost two years to the day that the Gunners last managed to beat their bitter north London rivals, but given the current 13-place gap between the two sides, it will take a remarkable performance from Arsenal to travel back to the Emirates with any points.

Here are three players we think Arsenal will have to rely on in what promises to be a fascinating encounter in north London.

Kieran Tierney

Spurs winger Gareth Bale may not be as quick as he used to, but he will undoubtedly cause problems for Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney on Sunday. Scotland international Tierney usually likes to join in with attacks alongside his defensive duties, but it is likely his task in the derby will be solely to deal with Bale. The first few duels between the two players will be telling in who can come out of the match the better.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

You feel if Arsenal are to walk away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with anything, frontman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is likely to be involved in some shape or form. The Gabon international scored the winner in Arsenal’s last away win at Manchester United last month, but has not netted for the Gunners since. He may be out of form, but the 31-year-old managed 22 goals last season and will definitely be a threat to Spurs’ backline.

Eddie Nketiah

Having scored against Rapid Vienna midweek, Eddie Nketiah has put himself firmly in Arteta’s thoughts for a starting place in the north London derby. Arsenal have the fourth lowest amount of goals scored in the league this season, so the Gunners boss may consider giving Nketiah a rare league start and a platform to shine. Even from the bench, the 21-year-old will play with a point to prove.