Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi seem to have been “ousted from the core group” at Arsenal, states Alan Smith, with Mikel Arteta displaying the variety of decisive leadership that north London rivals Tottenham are missing in advance of a derby day on Sunday.

The Gunners are established to lock horns with Spurs with just just one location and a solitary issue separating them in the Premier League standings.

Arsenal just about have bragging legal rights with 4 online games of the 2019-20 marketing campaign left to take in.

They limped out of the blocks when aggressive motion resumed in June, but have because hit their stride to get 5 wins and a attract from their last 6 online games in all competitions.

Spurs, in distinction, are however scratching about for consistency, with Jose Mourinho looking at uncomfortable inquiries asked of his supposedly “boring” procedures.

Smith thinks contrasting moods at two near neighbours could get the job done in Arsenal’s favour when a intense rivalry is rekindled, with Arteta generating the form of daring conclusions – this sort of as dropping individuals not pulling their excess weight – that have the Gunners transferring forward and “nobody doubting” their manager.

“If we’re heading on momentum, there’s only just one winner on Sunday,” ex-Gunners frontman Smith reported in the Evening Typical.

“Arsenal, with all their problems and shortcomings, are at least experiencing a little bit of optimism. Under Mikel Arteta, they are looking up as an improving upon outfit, hoping to shut the hole on the top rated teams.

“To give the problem some context, Spurs are 18 factors even worse off than at this stage very last period. That’s the major fall of any Premier League team. Admittedly, the facet was progressively deteriorating less than Mauricio Pochettino, and acquiring to the Champions League remaining only masked these problems.

“But to tumble so significantly so swiftly? These are worrying instances down Tottenham High Street. And there need to be really serious uncertainties as to whether Mourinho is the correct male to switch the ship about.

“Meanwhile, up the 7 Sisters Highway, nobody is doubting Arteta’s capacity. The Spaniard has laid out a clear path in direction of enhancement that most of the gamers are geared up to comply with.

“Those not on board with the job, this sort of as Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi, get rapidly ousted from the core team.

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“I feel which is the major big difference between the teams at the instant — the concept is distinct at the Emirates, when the considering appears to be like muddled across north London.

“From that level of look at, Arsenal go into this derby, set to be the strangest on record, in a far better frame of intellect. That does not imply, of system, that my old club will win. But it ought to lend an benefit in this joust for community pride and a Europa League slot.”

Arsenal are only a point driving Sheffield United as points stand, and two adrift of Wolves, with European qualification even now really considerably there to be shot at by a side that are also via to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.