ARSENAL host Tottenham tonight in what will be a mouth-watering North London derby.
The Gunners will be desperate to revive their sputtering title chase after devastating cup defeats to Newcastle and Manchester United.
Tottenham, meanwhile, will be hoping to shake off the FA Cup scare at Tamworth and derail their fierce rivals' season.
Arsenal will have to make do without the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri in the frontline, with the trio in dire straits.
While the Spurs defense is still decimated, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie miss the ball.
Here SunSport experiences the tantalizing confrontation that could make or break the seasons of both clubs.
How much pressure is put on the manager to go to NLD?
Arsenal: This is the biggest pressure Mikel Arteta has faced in years, but is he close to being sacked? No chance.
Yet there is now an expectation and understanding among the club and its fan base that going a few games without a win is unacceptable.
Losing to their bitterest rivals on home soil will add another notch as big questions are asked of Arteta, and another dent is put in their crushing title claim.
Tottenham: Some, but not as many as you might think, considering Spurs have lost half of their 20 Premier League games this season.
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Ange Postecoglou remains backed by the hierarchy who understand his injury crisis, with the Australian still having the team in all cup competitions.
However, the “very poor” form in the league, as Postecoglou put it, must improve and you would fear for him if the losing ratio does not improve.
Supporters, at least those who attend matches, are generally still on Postecoglou's side.
Unlike his predecessors, the 59-year-old has not directed thinly veiled criticism at Daniel Levy and the board, saying the responsibility lies squarely with him.
That won't be enough to save the ex-Celtic boss if there is ultimately no recovery, but it won't hurt as Levy ponders the fate of his latest manager.
Where did things go wrong this winter?
Arsenal: Simply put: injuries, illness and key players out of form. The loss of Bukayo Saka was a huge blow, and without him the team seems bereft of ideas, inspiration or belief.
Kai Havertz and skipper Martin Odegaard suffered most from the Christmas sickness that struck the players, and their performances have dipped as a result.
The likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Jesus are also injured or preparing to return from injury.
It's been a brutal winter for Arsenal, one they need to shake off quickly.
Tottenham: Mainly injuries, and partly also Postecoglou's refusal to adapt despite those injuries.
Spurs have been decimated, especially in defence.
Starting centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven – as well as backup Ben Davies – have all been ruled out for a while and remain absent.
The same can be said for left-back Destiny Udogie, while Guglielmo Vicario's broken ankle was so significant that the club put forward plans to buy a new goalkeeper, signing Antonin Kinsky last week.
Yet Postecoglou persisted in playing from the back in Vicario's absence, even though Fraser Forster, the man who came on for the Italian, was not suited for the job.
But getting to the bone, as Harry Redknapp would put it, was the key.
Richarlison is back for the North London derby but has been injured for most of the season.
Should they buy in January?
Arsenal: Yes, bad. An attacking threat is needed with Saka, Jesus and Nwaneri currently absent, and with Havertz having lost his shooting boots in recent weeks.
Arsenal are actively looking for recruits, but they have their limitations when it comes to finances and could even take on a makeshift loan deal.
They are that desperate.
Tottenham: Yes, and they already have.
Kinsky, 21, has been recruited from Slavia Prague for £12.5million plus add-ons.
He has made an electric start, becoming the first Spurs keeper in a century to keep a clean sheet in his first two games after Sunday's shutout against Tamworth.
But more is needed if the club identifies the centre-back, central midfield and a versatile forward before the window opens.
A midfielder seems less likely at the moment, but the top is certainly an area they will want to strengthen by February.
What is an acceptable end to the season?
Arsenal: While Arteta, the players and the fans dream of a top position, there must be a realization that given how this season has gone and the gap between themselves and Liverpool, a top four finish – preferably second – is so would be approximately. are acceptable.
However, supporters will not be happy if the Gunners end up battling for fourth place with the likes of Manchester City, Newcastle and Chelsea.
Tottenham: The cups and Europe have become extremely important.
For fans, the competition is over. Spurs are closer to the drop zone than fourth place, so their hopes of reaching the Champions League have dwindled.
Postecoglou still feels his side can make a run if they get their players back, but winning the Europa League appears to be the best route to qualifying for Europe's elite club competition.
Levy and the board won't be keen to see a decline from last season's fifth-place finish and generally don't seem to have put too much value into the cups.
Levy even hinted that the League Cup should be abolished when speaking at a fans forum earlier this season.
Ironically, if Postecoglou can win that competition, it could go a long way in quelling fan disharmony towards Levy, as the lack of trophies is the stick they have used to beat him during his 25-year tenure.
Describe the manager's mood in three words…
Arsenal: tense, impatient, determined.
Tottenham: Jekyll-and-Hyde (IF THAT'S A WORD), prickly (then) charming.
Where is the derby won and lost?
Arsenal: The wide players.
Arteta has the choice of throwing Raheem Sterling on the right, or using Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli as a makeshift right winger to link up with playmaker Odegaard.
Get that right and Havertz can finally get the service he needs to end his mini-rut.
Tottenham: Arsenal's struggle in front of goal, especially without striker Gabriel Jesus, is a clear boost for Spurs.
But for all the talk of Postecoglou's side being wide open at the back, Spurs' nine goals conceded on the road in the league are actually the lowest in the division.
Tottenham looked more pragmatic in their 1-0 win over Liverpool and Postecoglou could look to repeat that here.
Too often his midfield was too easy to play through, but a midfield of Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma and wonderkid Lucas Bergvall could be more resilient.
That would of course mean putting James Maddison on the bench, but Postecoglou has done that quite often this season and will no longer be afraid of that.
Arsenal's 1-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this season was a thrilling affair and a similar match would come as no surprise.
Predictions
Jordan Davies: 2-1 Arsenal
Tom Barclay: 1-1
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