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Tottenham Hotspur fans believe Arsenal have the upper hand in their upcoming Premier League clash following the suspension of Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka. The North London derby is scheduled to take place on Sunday, the 16th of January.
Xhaka received a red card following a terrible challenge on Diogo Jota during the Gunners' 0-0 draw against Liverpool in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal. The suspension will now be carried forward to their Premier League clash against Tottenham.
A portion of Spurs fans took to Twitter to claim that Xhaka's suspension is a detriment to their chances of winning the match rather than Arsenal's.
Here are some of the sarcastic tweets from Tottenham fans regarding the suspension of Xhaka:
The dismissal of Xhaka is a huge blow for manager Mikel Arteta. The Gunners are now left with only one fit central midfielder in Albert Sambi Lokonga.
Two other central midfielders, Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny, are on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. Meanwhile, youngsters Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard are out due to an injury and a positive COVID-19 test respectively.
Attacking duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe are also currently competing in the Africa Cup of Nations.
As things stand, apart from Lokonga, the only available midfielder at Arteta's disposal is 18-year-old Charlie Patino.
Arsenal are currently out of the Premier League top four
Arsenal have now slipped out of the top four of the Premier League. West Ham United are currently fourth in the standings following their 2-0 midweek win over Norwich City.
The Gunners are currently fifth in the Premier League standings, having amassed 35 points from 20 matches. Mikel Arteta's side do have a game in hand over the Hammers.
But they are also under threat of being caught by sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who are just two points behind. Antonio Conte's side also have a two-game advantage over their North London rivals.
It is worth noting that Arsenal are without any European football for the first time in 25 years. It is vital the Gunners return to European competition following their heavy investment in new players during the 2021 summer transfer window.
Mikel Arteta's side spent close to £140 million in bringing in new players before the start of the 2021-22 season.
