Arsenal will welcome the visit of their north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the Emirates on Sunday with a chance of becoming level on points with their opponents in the Premier League table.
Tottenham started their season brightly with three wins in three games, however, their fortunes have changed in recent weeks.
Spurs were defeated by Chelsea at the weekend and the utilisation of N'Golo Kante was crucial to the outcome of that result.
Arsenal could replicate this if Albert Sambi Lokonga is to play.
Harry Kane had been criticised for his performance against Chelsea due to the lack of influence he had on the game despite being Tottenham’s spearhead in attack.
In recent weeks, the Englishman has found himself playing in a deeper role closer to the midfield and Thomas Tuchel managed to nerf Kane’s influence by subbing on Kante at half-time.
Chelsea managed to score three goals after the Frenchman’s introduction as Kane wasn’t afforded any space and Kante even managed to get on the scoresheet as well.
If Mikel Arteta decides to revert back to a 4-2-3-1 formation, then Thomas Partey and Sambi Lokonga would certainly be the best option for a pivot.
Sambi Lokonga showed us in the game against Norwich that he can play in a role similar to Kante, making 52 passes which was the most from any player on the pitch, Sambi Lokonga also recorded the joint-most tackles in the game as he succeeded doing this five times.
This was all in a 62 minute period, highlighting the energy he had and his determination to boss the midfield.
This will be crucial in the north London derby as the 21-year-old can plug the gaps that Harry Kane likes to drop into so he can receive the ball from deep or arrive in the box later than anticipated.
Arsenal fans saw Partey and Sambi Lokonga play together in the midfield for the first time in the game against AFC Wimbledon on Wednesday evening.
This could be a hint that the two are set to start in the north London derby and despite the Gunners winning against Burnley by using a 4-3-3 formation in the last Premier League game, fans will certainly not be against a 4-2-3-1 to ensure a midfield pivot and the denial of Kane having any success.
It is a healthy headache for Arteta to have in terms of team selection.
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