Arsenal vs Tottenham preview: Spurs out for revenge in second north London derby inside three weeks

Tottenham Hotspur will be out for revenge when they visit Arsenal for the second time inside three weeks on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup.

Victory at the Emirates in the quarter-final, live on Sky Sports Football from 7pm, would put Tottenham on course for their first silverware since 2008 when they won the League Cup.

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That fact has often been used as a criticism of Mauricio Pochettino's time in north London, but he defended his achievements in establishing the club as a top-four team since joining in 2014.

He said: "Today the Premier League is completely different to 20 years ago. Twenty years ago it was another Premier League. Today it is more competitive.

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"Today the investment of the big clubs is amazing. It's not easy. Of course we are in a project that is completely different. We need time and some luck. We need to work hard. The way we want to win is completely different than other teams are doing."

Arsenal head coach Unai Emery emerged victorious in his first north London derby earlier this month but said respect, above emotion, must rule the day if they are to make it two from two this season.

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He said: "Football is emotion. In a derby, maybe this emotion is greater. I think showing our emotion, the players, the fans and me, is good. But every time we must respect them. When you win it's amazing, when you lose it's horrible. But respect is very important.

Team news

Emery has a number of selection headaches ahead of the match.

Full-backs Hector Bellerin (calf) and Sead Kolasinac (thigh) will not be risked, while centre-back duo Rob Holding (knee) and Konstantinos Mavropanos (groin) are still sidelined - although Sokratis Papastathopoulos is back after a ban.

Shkodran Mustafi (hamstring) is being assessed while Emery will not want to rely on fit-again Laurent Koscielny three times in a week - Danny Welbeck (ankle) and Emile Smith Rowe (hip) also miss out.

Jan Vertonghen and Eric Dier will miss out for Tottenham.

Both players are out of action until January with respective thigh and appendix issues.

Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth (both hamstring) are fit, but Mousa Dembele (ankle), Serge Aurier (groin) and Victor Wanyama (knee) miss out.

Opta stats

• This match will see Arsenal vs Tottenham become the joint-most played fixture in League Cup history (14 times, level with Arsenal v Liverpool).
• Arsenal have won seven of their previous 13 League Cup meetings with Tottenham (D3 L3), including the most recent two (2010-11 and 2015-16).
• Following Arsenal's win against Spurs in the league meeting between them at the start of December, they're looking to beat their rivals twice in the same calendar month for the first time since March 1987.
• Arsenal are looking to reach the League Cup semi-finals in consecutive seasons for the first time since a run of three between 2005-06 and 2007-08.
• Tottenham are looking to reach the League Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2014-15, when they eventually lost the final to Chelsea.
• Arsenal have won their last six League Cup home games, though just two of these have been against fellow Premier League opposition.
• Among players at clubs still in the competition, no-one has more assists in the League Cup this season than Arsenal's Matteo Guendouzi (2).
• Tottenham striker Harry Kane hasn't played in a League Cup match since September 2015, when Spurs lost 1-2 at home to Arsenal thanks to a Mathieu Flamini double.

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