Tottenham vs. Arsenal: Complete Preview, Start Time and Schedule

Tottenham and Arsenal are set for a Premier League match that is primed to set the table for the rest of both squad's campaigns.

Tottenham started off this campaign 0-2 before storming back to win three in a row. They will look to keep that momentum going as they try to make the claim that they are legitimate contenders.

They will do so against an Arsenal team that has spent most of their campaign looking lost. However, they got a much-needed win their last time on the pitch with a 3-0 victory over the Bolton Wanderers. 

If they are going to make any noise this campaign then they need to win this match.

Where: White Hart Lane in London, England

When: Sunday, October 2nd at 11 a.m. EST

Watch: Canal+ Sport, Fox Deportes, FSC, Setanta Sports Canada, Sky Sport 1 Germany, Sky Sport HD 2 Germany, Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports HD 1, SuperSport 3, SuperSport HD 3, SuperSport Maximo

Player to Watch for Tottenham: Gareth Bale

The 22-year-old Bale is getting better and better. His speed and ball skills are tough for any team to handle. He is quickly climbing the ladder of the world's best wingers.

He has only one goal in this Premier League campaign, but he has created countless chances—and he has done all of that while being the primary focus of the defense.

Player to Watch for Arsenal: Robin van Persie

Persie scored his 100th goal for Arsenal in their victory over Bolton. He is playing as well as ever despite no longer having Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri to help lighten the defensive attention on him.

He has three goals in the Premier League campaign and will look to add to that tally in this one.

Key Matchup: Emmanuel Adebayor vs. Wojciech Szczęsny

Adebayor is off to a solid start for the Spurs. He has three goals scored in three Premier League matches this year. In this match, he will be firing shots on a struggling Szczesny.

Szczesny has been under a barrage this year. He has conceded 14 goals in this Premier League campaign and saved 18. He is getting tested early and often. That trend is likely to continue.

What They're Saying

 The opposition tries to bully Gareth Bale out of his game. This is not as easy as it once was. Dailymail.co.uk discusses:

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"Fit-again Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart noted the apparent new-found durability and claimed it was making a containing job on Bale an even more thankless task.

‘Gareth is so quick and strong, I’m just glad I don’t have to mark him,’ he said. ‘There have been a lot of cards for fouls against him already this season, but that’s because it’s impossible to stop him at times.

‘He goes on one of those runs, and all you can do is resort to kicking him or pulling him down. But the good thing for us is that he gets back on his feet and gets on with it.

‘Sometimes, when he is on the floor, you think he is heading for hospital. But he bounces back up again, and you just look on in admiration. He is still young and is only going to get stronger.’"

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 As far as Arsenal is concerned, the future status of the above-mentioned van Persie has become a hot topic. Here is ESPN on the topic:

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"It's true that we had a meeting during the summer," [Arsenal coach Arsene] Wenger said. "If you're in Robin's place and you see Nasri going, Fabregas going, then you can be worried of course."

The club faces a similar problem to the Nasri one if Van Persie does not sign an extension to his current contract, which expires in 2013, with the striker having stalled talks "because we are so busy."

"Maybe I'll leave it [holding immediate talks] because the main thing for me is the team and that we play well," van Persie was reported as saying in a number of national newspapers.

"I do believe you have to look for a right moment to sit down and speak about your own stuff. It's not only about me, it's about the team. We are not talking now because we are so busy—we have games every three or four days.

"I don't think it's clever to do that during the season. I still have almost two years left here, so for the moment that's fine. But I don't know, we will have to look.

"I'm happy with my contract, I'm good. That's how it is, I can't say much more. I can't look into the future."

But Wenger is not concerned. "Now he [van Persie] is out? No, I don't think that really. Robin is not from Barcelona," he quipped.

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Score Prediction

Tottenham 3, Arsenal 2