Tottenham vs Arsenal: Tactics dossier

Tottenham host Arsenal live on Sky Sports this Thursday with Champions League qualification at stake - but how do the teams' current styles and form compare ahead of the blockbuster clash?

The Gunners currently reside in the top four on 66 points - four clear of their north London rivals with three games left to play, so Mikel Arteta's side could secure a top-four finish with three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

But how do the teams compare tactically and what can we expect when the teams clash in front of the Sky cameras?

Antonio Conte has had more than six months as Tottenham head coach since replacing Nuno Espirito Santo last year and has implemented his customary three-at-the-back starting formation in 24 of his 25 league games at the helm.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has primarily deployed a 4-2-3-1 system this term, but has also experimented with a 4-4-1-1 and 4-1-4-1, while lining up in a 5-4-1 on one occasion against Manchester City back in August.

As the graphic below shows, Spurs tend to sit deeper and depend on the three forwards and wing-backs to counter, while the Gunners build higher up the pitch - leaving only the goalkeeper and centre-backs averaging in their own half.

Both sides tend to attack most frequently and pose the greatest threat down their respective right flanks, primarily via Dejan Kulusevski and Buyao Saka for the home and away sides, respectively.

Spurs defender Eric Dier and Arsenal counterpart Gabriel travel farther with the ball at their feet than any other players, but Heung-Min Son and Saka make notable inroads farther up the pitch.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Gabriel are the teams' respective pass-masters, but expect Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka to dominate possession in the