The teams are out and the atmosphere is tingling with excitement and anticipation. A quick reminder of who's playing.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Opta

Kerry Peter Parvin: Never been so nervous for a derby the way @Arsenal are lately! Hopefully they'll give a big performance today! #bbcfootball #THFCvAFC #COYG 

Francis Edwards: Wenger's own fault he's under pressure. Hasn't replaced Henry in 9 years. Giroud and Welbeck are not title class players. #bbcfootball 

K F: No matter who AW chooses between Welbeck/Giroud,he just can't win because theres always armchair pundits who'd prefer the other

Keep your thoughts coming using the hashtag #bbcfootball or text using 81111 (UK only, include your name as well)

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at White Hart Lane

Image source, Reuters

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger needed to do something to revive his team's fortunes and one bold gamble is to give a first Premier League start to Egypt international Mohamed Elneny in midfield.

The Gunners needs greater resolve and steel in midfield - can the £5m signing from FC Basel in January provide it?

Text us on 81111 (UK only - with your names on please) or tweet us at #bbcfootball. 

David Pleat
Former Tottenham boss on BBC Radio 5 live

"The balance of a team is more important than the individual skills of any players. It is the hardest thing, getting a squad together with all the qualities you need. Mauricio Pochettino has embraced a group of young players and has skillfully bought one or two. 

"It has a good balance and I believe that the training has been very, very hard. The players have benefited from that. Ryan Mason is 22 or 23, was continually injury troubled but they retained faith in him and he has had a consistent run. He is not getting injured now because he is training harder."

Martin Keown
Former Arsenal defender on BBC 5 live

"What we offered, as a winning Arsenal team, was nothing unique. It was a determination to win. You don't see that in every player but it is difficult. Out of possession you have to be aggressive to get the ball back and then when you do you need to flick a switch and be calm on the ball. That is difficult. Mauricio Pochettino seems to have that transition at Spurs, there is a work ethic at Spurs that Arsenal do not have."  

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger speaking to BT Sport on his team selections: “We play every three days at the moment and some are not at their best so we have to build a team that gives Tottenham problems. Nacho Monreal has a slight calf problem.

“I can’t remember a more significant [north London derby], once we won the championship at White Hart Lane but it’s one of the two or three most important ones.”

Image source, AP

So let's provide a bit of context to this game. 

Arsenal have not won the Premier League since the Invincibles side went through the 2003-2004 season undefeated. Tottenham have to go all the way back to Bill Nicholson's double winners in 1960-61. 

So Spurs are the underdogs. They haven't finished above Arsenal in the league since 1995 but now they are, it's cranked up the pressure on Arsene Wenger in a season when Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have all left a void at the top. 

Missing the chance to win the league and being pipped by their arch rivals is the nightmare scenario for the Gunners.

Danny Murphy
Ex-Liverpool & Tottenham midfielder on Match of the Day

“I'm surprised at Arsenal's changes. The inclusion of Elneny shows their respect for Tottenham and the importance to today’s game.

“It’s a little bit negative from Arsenal and that's unusual for Wenger to do, but it might just pay dividends for them…”

Image source, Getty Images

Paddy: Starting Wellbeck instead of Giroud, handing Spurs an advantage. #AFC Too lightweight in attack now, no physical presence #bbcfootball #THFC

Mark: It's so vital that Dembele and Alli are back playing together for us. This is our strongest team Come on you Spurs.

Jay: There's something wrong with me. I'm neither an Arsenal fan nor a Tottenham fan and yet I'm massively excited about the derby. 

Keep your thoughts coming using the hashtag #bbcfootball

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at White Hart Lane

No disguising the expectation here at White Hart Lane ahead of the pivotal north London derby between Spurs and Arsenal.

Fans were milling around hours before kick-off on Seven Sisters Road ahead of one of the most eagerly-anticipated derbies of the modern era.

Spurs can top the table in March for the first time since 1964 - at least until leaders Leicester City play later - with victory but also huge stakes for Arsenal and manager Arsene Wenger.

The Gunners not only want to ensure Spurs do not extend their current three-point lead over Wenger's side but also end a desperate 10 days which brought a Champions League loss to Barcelona and defeats to youthful and under-strength Manchester United and a home reverse to Swansea City.

Arsenal's character under pressure has been questioned once more. What better place to at least answer some of those criticisms.

Mauricio Pochettino has Mousa Dembele back in the team after a groin injury and he is joined by Dele Alli, who was a substitute in the defeat by West Ham. The full-backs switch as per usual, with Kyle Walker and Danny Rose ready for some White Hot Lane action 

Image source, Opta

Arsenal are without injured goalkeeper Petr Cech and defender Laurent Koscielny so David Ospina is in goal with the big news that Arsene Wenger has handed a first league start to Mohamed Elneny. Kieran Gibbs comes in at left-back and Danny Welback starts up front. 

Image source, Opta

While you are working that out, let's grab some team news. You need to know who you're lifting to greater heights, after all! 

So as Arsene Wenger and his players appear to wilt at the vital moment, and Tottenham also showed their vulnerability in a midweek defeat at West Ham, we want you to step in and be each team's leader for the day. 

How can you instil an inner steel in the players? What can make them run that extra yard? And how do you bring them together? Send us your inspirational team-talks for either side by starting your message with Arsenal or Spurs and channel your inner Churchill. 

Get involved via #bbcfootball, external text on 81111 or drop us a line on the Match of the Day facebook page. , external

Image source, Getty Images

It's been another week of recriminations at Arsenal where fans and pundits have prodded at the soft underbelly of the squad and their manager Arsene Wenger. 

We've seen it all before, haven't we? Boil it down, and many pundits seem to agree that the Gunners are lacking organisation, hunger and leadership, the sort of qualities the players above had in abundance. 

But where does that come from? The players themselves or the manager? 

Image source, Getty Images

So is a win more important to Arsenal than it is to Tottenham? Arguably. But after a week where both teams lost in midweek, they will both be desperate to get back to winning ways and claw back the ground on Leicester, who travel to Watford later on this evening.

It'll make interesting viewing for Leicester's players and their enigmatic boss Claudio Ranieri. 

Image source, Opta

If it wasn't for that indefatigable team from the East Midlands, today's north London derby might be exaggerated to the status of a title decider. As it stands, it's second-placed Tottenham who host third-placed Arsenal, three points separate the two sides and with the Gunners six points adrift of Leicester there is plenty at stake.

Many are calling it the biggest north London they've seen, and it's hard to argue against that from this viewpoint either. 

Since the football experts are struggling to explain what happens next in this fluctuating Premier League season, why don't we go elsewhere for wisdom? 

I give you American rapper Fatman Scoop*, who, like some leading Premier League clubs is a fan of dollar bills, and this week was sent off by Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj, external in the Sport Relief Battle of the Five-A-Sides. 

He says of today's north London derby: "Arsenal are going to get beaten so bad, it's going to be disgusting." 

Haven't Gunners fans suffered enough? 

* Youngsters, ask your older brother.