Everything feels heightened for Tottenham Hotspur as they prepare to walk into the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, where Thomas Frank will experience his first North London Derby. The stakes could not be higher.
Arsenal sit top of the Premier League and look like a team finally ready to break through under Mikel Arteta, pushing for the title with confidence and control. For Tottenham, this is not just another rivalry match; it is a test of resilience, depth and belief at a time when injuries have repeatedly threatened to derail them.
Arsenal may be dealing with several important absences, but Tottenham’s injury list has once again overshadowed that of every other club. In the build-up to this meeting, Spurs fans were left uncertain about the fitness of Lucas Bergvall and Randal Kolo Muani, two players who have quickly become vital to Frank’s plans.
There were also concerns surrounding Archie Gray, whose availability had been unclear for days. The tension around these updates only added to the anticipation of Sunday’s clash.
That is why Friday’s training session delivered such a significant boost for Tottenham. According to the club’s official channels, both Kolo Muani and Bergvall were able to return to training with the group, giving Spurs exactly the lift they needed ahead of the derby.
Bergvall has now been cleared to feature and is expected to be part of the squad, while Kolo Muani is pushing strongly to be involved. Quietly, Gray also made his return to training, although it appears unlikely he will be risked for this particular match.
Bergvall’s return is especially welcome. The young Swedish midfielder had been sidelined with a concussion, and while Tottenham have taken no risks with his recovery, his clearance to play comes at the perfect time.
Whether he starts is another question. Frank may prefer to ease him back into competitive action, which means Pape Matar Sarr or Rodrigo Bentancur would be more likely to join Joao Palhinha in midfield from the first whistle.
Bergvall offers creativity and control, and even if he only appears from the bench, he could still influence the match in a meaningful way. Gray, meanwhile, is almost certain to miss the derby, but the fact he is training again will be seen as a positive step for the weeks ahead.
The most important update, however, surrounds Kolo Muani. His injury, suffered in the first half of Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United just before the November international break, sparked fears he could be out for a significant period.
The jaw issue required careful protection, and the forward has now been fitted with a custom protective mask that allows him to participate in training. While medical staff have not yet fully cleared him to start, his involvement in training suggests he is further along than anyone expected.
His presence changes everything for Tottenham. Even if he does not start, simply having him available on the bench gives Frank an attacking option with pace, power and intelligence qualities that can unsettle any defence, especially in a derby.
Mathys Tel is expected to begin the match as the central striker, and he will carry the responsibility of leading the line against an Arsenal defence missing their influential figure Gabriel Magalhães. But if the match becomes tight or Tottenham need a late spark, Kolo Muani could be the difference-maker.
For a game of this magnitude, these injury boosts could not have come at a better time. Tottenham enter hostile territory on Sunday, but with Bergvall fit, Gray progressing and Kolo Muani pushing for minutes, Frank may have more options than he anticipated just a few days ago.
With so much riding on the match, every returning player matters and Tottenham may now feel just a little more prepared for what awaits them at the Emirates.
