Whatever the context of the league table, or indeed the recent form of either of the two teams involved, the North London derby is always a fantastic spectacle to behold and one of the hallmarks of the Premier League.
That said, in recent years there has been a lack of an edge to this game at times, with the backdrop to many of the encounters ranging from a fight for pride to a battle for a top four place, but never higher than that.
This season though, things are different. At stake is a place at the top of the league table - Arsenal will hope to further their advantage at the top, but third place Tottenham Hotspur will sense an opportunity to leapfrog their rivals too.
Mikel Arteta's team have dropped just three points over the course of this campaign so far, their best start in many years, being lauded by their fine performances with one of the youngest squads in the league.
Meanwhile, while the age profile may be somewhat in contrast for Antonio Conte's Spurs, the results have been near enough identical, as they sit just one point behind their rivals heading into this huge fixture.
Team News
Arsenal
When talking to the media ahead of this game, Arteta appeared fairly positive, appearing to indicate that many of his side's injury concerns prior to the international break - such as those to Oleksandr Zinchenko, Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney.
On being asked about the trio, the Spaniard simply replied, "They are part of the team," which will be excellent news for Gunners' supporters who may have been worried about a large number of absences.
One player who will not be available however is that of Emile Smith Rowe, with the Englishman now expected to be out for an extended period of time - likely not until after the World Cup according to the manager.
Tottenham
Conte remained coy in his pre-match press conference about the availability of various members of his squad, telling the media: "Honestly, I don't want to speak about injuries, because I don't want to give an advantage to Arsenal."
What he did say though was that his team do "have to face some physical problems," with the likes of Ben Davies and Dejan Kulusevksi's fitness in doubt until the Italian coach names his starting eleven at the weekend.
The one player he did specifically speak about was goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, after he withdrew from the France squad, with Conte simply remarking: "Hugo is one of the players with some physical problems, but we hope to see him on Saturday."
Likely Lineups
Arsenal
Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Jesus
Tottenham
Lloris; Romero, Dier, Davies; Emerson, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Perisic; Richarlison, Son; Kane
Key Players
Arsenal - Gabriel Jesus
Anybody who has seen even just one Arsenal game this season will find it very difficult to pick a player who has had more of an impact on the Gunners than the striker they signed from Manchester City in Gabriel Jesus.
The summer arrival has been something of a revelation for Arteta's side, picking up four goals and three assists in the seven domestic league games he has played, putting him in electrifying form thus far.
There is of course a plethora of other individual talent in this squad other than the Brazilian, but in terms of clear impact, there is nobody better amongst his teammates than himself, with this weekend's game the perfect opportunity to show that to the world.
Tottenham - Harry Kane
For all the plaudits that Jesus has rightfully been claiming, there is one man situated on the other side of North London who would certainly have something to say about him being one of the best strikers in the league.
As someone who is now third on the all-time Premier League top goal scorers list, netting 189 times overall, Harry Kane is certainly not somebody any team ought to discount when preparing to play against him.
Already in this campaign the 29-year-old has found the back of the net on six occasions - all the more impressive when you take into account the fact that he has had an xG of 4.7 in all the games he has played, proving his world class ability once again.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
Arsenal will have the home advantage with this game being played at the Emirates Stadium.
What time is kick-off?
It is the early kick-off to get the weekend underway, beginning at 12:30 PM BST.
How can I watch?
Viewers in the UK can catch this derby live on BT Sport, with coverage starting from 11:30 AM BST.
