Arsenal vs. Tottenham Hotspur: Full Preview, Live Stream, Start Time and More

There's no shortage of storylines as Arsenal and Tottenham prepare to face off in a critical Premier League match on Sunday. Most notably, the Gunners need to secure all three points if they have any realistic hope of reaching the top three by season's end.

Arsenal currently sits 10 points behind Spurs with 13 games left to play. Making it seven with 12 to go would give the Gunners hope, but anything more would take a miracle.

A late charge toward a guaranteed Champions League spot would relieve some of the tension from a shaky season.

If Tottenham, which won the previous meeting between the two sides at White Hart Lane, is hoping to become a viable threat in the title chase, they can't afford to drop many more points. For this reason, both teams should come out aggressively, leading to an entertaining clash.

Where: Emirates Stadium in London, England

When: Sunday, Feb. 26 at 8:30 a.m. ET

Watch: Fox Soccer Channel and FoxSoccer.tv

Betting Odds: Arsenal +135, Tottenham +180, Draw +238

Player to Watch for Arsenal: Theo Walcott

If there's one word to describe Walcott, it would be streaky. There are times when it looks like he's going to become the next great Arsenal midfielder and others when it seems like he doesn't even belong on the pitch. It's an issue manager Arsene Wenger deals with on a weekly basis.

This month has been a perfect example. He had three assists in a game against Blackburn to lead a rout of the Rovers, but he hasn't tallied a single point in his other four games.

The Gunners need to hope the dynamic version of Walcott shows up on Sunday if they are going to emerge victorious.

Player to Watch for Tottenham: Jermain Defoe

Defoe has gone three straight appearances without a goal, which ties a season high for the striker. He doesn't play a consistent role for the Lilywhites, but that hasn't stopped him from scoring eight goals in 17 league games. There's certainly no doubting his talent.

There are some injury concerns surrounding fellow striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who leads Tottenham in scoring. If he's unable to play, there will be extra pressure on Defoe to produce scoring opportunities not only for himself, but for his teammates as well.

Key Matchup: Robin van Persie vs. Michael Dawson

No player in the Premiership has played better than Van Persie this season. He leads the league in goals with 22, which is five more than Wayne Rooney, and any slumps he's endured have been short. He's a big reason why Arsenal are still in contention despite other issues around the squad.

It's vital for the Gunners that Van Persie takes advantage of Dawson, who will take on a much larger role should centre-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto miss the match. That would be the one area on the pitch where Arsenal would have a big edge, so the pressure is on Van Persie's shoulders once again.

What They're Saying

Thierry Henry just finished a successful loan stint with Arsenal and believes Sunday's North London derby could be exactly what the Gunners need, according to the team's official website:

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"For years we have been used to being on top of Tottenham, by a mile, and now it is the opposite. But this is the derby, which you don't want to lose, and we need those three points massively.

"Hopefully it will be the derby that can spark the players, the fans, everybody at Arsenal Football Club. We'll see."

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Adebayor, whose presence would be a major boost for Tottenham, took to Twitter to update his injury status and provides a hopeful outlook:

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Good training session today. Knee is feeling better. Really enjoy it today.

— Emmanuel Adebayor (@Sheyiadebayor) February 22, 2012"

Prediction

Arsenal 2, Tottenham 1