Tottenham vs. Arsenal: 4 Things Spurs Must Do to Beat Gunners

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Everything seems to be pointing Spurs way for the north London Derby on Sunday morning.

Tottenham are entering this match with their arrow pointing up, seeking its fourth-straight win in the Premiership while star transfer Emmanuel Adebayor looks to add to the three goals he's already scored this season. 

Arsenal has never walked into White Hart Lane with more pessimism–looking to finally get its footing after a rocky start this season. Gunners fans have no idea what team they'll see this weekend. Will it be the ones who shut out Bolton 3-0, or the ones who let Blackburn steal a 4-3 victory?

Spurs fans know their club can snatch a win from an Arsenal team that has yet to define itself. Another three points can move them up the board as high as fourth.

So what are some things Tottenham must do to capture a win at White Hart Lane on Sunday morning? Let's find out.

Attack Early and Attack Often with Adebayor

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Arsenal has, for lack of a better way to put it, an injury crisis in central defense.

Johan Djourou, Laurent Koscielny, Thomas Vermaelen and Sebastien Squillaci are all unavailable for Arsene Wenger, so Alex Song could face a tough time against Adebayor. Song has been counted on to support the Arsenal midfield, but he has a tendency to find himself out of position at times.

If Adebayor and Jermain Defoe can link up and attack through the center of the midfield, this will be a long day for visiting Gunners fans.

Keep 'em Calm, Harry

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Arsenal may be inconsistent in terms of wins, but they are a high-scoring offense that has the chance to put a couple of quick strikes past goalkeeper Brad Friedel.

They've scored six goals in the last two matches and against Blackburn they scored two goals in the first 35 minutes.

I don't think Arsenal will be able to score two first-half goals against Tottenham, but they have the capabilities to put one in the back of the net within the first 10 minutes (see Robin van Persie). If this happens, the last thing manager Harry Redknapp can afford to do is change to a more aggressive formation. That's exactly what happened against Manchester City after they went down 2-0 before the halftime whistle sounded.

If Arsenal scores a quick one in the first half, Spurs need not panic. They know how to score, doing it eight times in their last three Premiership matches.

Allow Luka Modric to Support the Attack

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In the last two matches, Luka Modric has showed why Redknapp was so insistent on getting the young midfielder in 2008. The Croatian international scored a goal that will be on the season-ending highlight reels against Liverpool (but then again, who didn't that afternoon?) and assisted beautifully on a goal against Wigan Athletic.

Modric is one of the most talented midfielders in the Premiership. He passes well, he's taken shots in every match, he supports the defense–if Tottenham's going to score, they'll need Modric's support, especially with that banged up defensive backfield for Arsenal.

Don't Let Arsenal Come Back

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Arsenal has played a total of 10 matches this season, including the Premiership and Champions League. A comparison of the first half with the second half of each match reveals that Arsenal starts much better than it finishes.

In the first half of Premiership and Champions League matches, Arsenal has scored eight goals, while only conceding six.

In the second half of matches, they have only scored six goals while allowing 12.

Tottenham must build a lead early and keep it. If they can have the lead at the 65th minute, they have an incredible chance of winning three points on the day as Arsenal have only scored four goals after the 65th minute in matches this season. Tottenham have had their best defense after the 65th minute, allowing only three goals.

My Prediction? Tottenham Wins This One.

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TV personality and avid Arsenal supporter Piers Morgan said he's going to be live-tweeting the game from the Spurs boardroom.

How sweet it will be for fans at White Hart Lane to be following Morgan in real-time.

I think this is a game Tottenham runs away with in the second half. I think the score will be tied 1-1 at the half with Spurs scoring a goal in the first 15 minutes and Arsenal taking advantage of a set piece or corner kick just before halftime.

But in the second half, Spurs fans will see their team's depth and Redknapp's quality as a manager. Brad Friedel will shut out Arsenal in the second half and Adebayor will score his fourth goal of the season.

My prediction? Adebayor, Defoe will both score with a surprise score from Gareth Bale. The final score will be 3-1.

What do you guys think?