Ten-man Tottenham recovered from an early setback to start their Europa League campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Qarabag.

Despite Radu Dragusin's early red card, goals from Brennan Johnson, Pape Sarr and Dominic Solanke helped Ange Postecoglou's side to a third straight win in all competitions.

Just seven minutes had elapsed when the hosts were reduced to 10 men as last-man Dragusin dragged down Juninho after he was caught in possession.

However, Spurs responded brilliantly to take the lead just five minutes later, with Solanke stealing possession and feeding Johnson, who applied a neat first-time finish.

The hosts survived a scare before the break when Juninho steered wide from Elvin Cafarquliyev's cross but doubled their advantage seven minutes after the restart when Mateusz Kochalski helped a corner into the path of Sarr, who instinctively volleyed home.

Qarabag squandered a great opportunity to halve the deficit just before the hour mark when Toral Bayramov's penalty hit the crossbar after Yves Bissouma tripped Cafarquliyev.

Tottenham capitalised in the 68th minute as Kochalski parried Son's shot into Solanke's path and he put the game beyond the visitors, who were denied a consolation later on when Juninho's header was disallowed for offside.

Data Debrief: Spurs soar despite Dragusin's historic early bath

It had the potential to be a difficult night for Tottenham when Dragusin was shown a straight red card - Spurs' earliest in a major European match.

The defender also became the first Tottenham player to be sent off on his European debut.

Spurs recovered to take control of the contest, though they survived a scare when Bayramov hit the bar with Qarabag's first missed penalty in the Europa League after six consecutive successful kicks.

Tottenham's clash with Manchester City is the pick of the bunch from the EFL Cup fourth-round draw.

City sealed their progress from round three by beating Watford 2-1 at home on Tuesday, while Spurs overcame Coventry City last week.

The Premier League heavyweights will go head-to-head for a place in the quarter-finals, while holders Liverpool face a tough trip to in-form Brighton.

Manchester United, who were in Europa League action on Wednesday, were drawn against Leicester City. Chelsea will face the winner of AFC Wimbledon's postponed match with Newcastle United, which will take place at St James' Park next week.

Aston Villa and Crystal Palace will face off in another all-Premier League encounter, while Southampton and Brentford were drawn at home against Championship opposition in Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City respectively.

Arsenal, 5-1 victors over Bolton Wanderers, will visit Preston North End.

Fourth-round draw in full:

Brentford v Sheffield Wednesday

Southampton v Stoke City

Tottenham v Man City

AFC Wimbledon / Newcastle United v Chelsea

Man Utd v Leicester City

Brighton v Liverpool 

Preston North End v Arsenal 

Aston Villa v Crystal Palace 

Tottenham captain Son Heung-min has voiced his concerns about the increased workload on players, saying his fellow professionals are "not robots". 

Son has become the latest player, after Manchester City pair Manuel Akanji and Rodri and Liverpool's Allison, to urge decision-makers to implement changes.

Rodri, who suffered a knee ligament injury in City's draw with Arsenal last weekend, even suggested that players could resort to striking against the hectic schedule. 

Last season, only Guglielmo Vicario (38), Dejan Kulusevski and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (both 36) played more games for Spurs in the Premier League than Son (35 - level with Pedro Porro). 

Furthermore, since 2009-2010, only Hugo Lloris (361) and Harry Kane (317) have made more appearances for Spurs in English football's top flight than the South Korean.

"A lot of players came out and said the right things and I think it was very important that someone actually came out to say the right things," Son said on Wednesday.

"Players are the main guys to have to say something, and it's definitely a lot of games.

"As a football fan, you want to see a quality game, not as many games as possible, and you don't want to see people or players struggling with injuries.

"It's definitely a lot of games, a lot of travelling [so] we have to look after ourselves which is sometimes very hard, and sometimes mentally and physically you're not ready and when you're going onto the pitch, then the risk of injury is massive.

"We are not robots, so I think we just definitely have to look after that and definitely reduce the games and play a better quality of game. I think this should be the aim."

Spurs played 41 games in all competitions last season having finished eighth under Antonio Conte during the 2022-23 campaign, missing out on European football. 

But in Ange Postecoglou's first season at the helm, he managed a fifth-place finish, meaning the Tottenham players will have extra commitments in Europe this year. 

And ahead of the opening game of their Europa League campaign against Qarabag, the Spurs head coach echoed his captain's comments. 

"I have spoken already about the fact we're getting to a real dangerous level about what our expectations are around players," Postecoglou added. 

"Instead of focusing on one or two tournaments, it's about the calendar. That is more of an issue.

"Players don't get a break between seasons any more like they used to. There are more tournaments both at club level, international level and continental level.

"So, it's going to get to a point where we are not going to have the best players out there playing and, even worse, them breaking down for various reasons.

"It's definitely something that needs to be addressed."

Ange Postecoglou acknowledged Tottenham should have beaten Brentford "by a fair bit more", but was pleased to see his players turn a positive performance into a 3-1 victory.

The hosts fell behind after just 23 seconds at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as Bryan Mbeumo volleyed Thomas Frank's side into an early lead.

Yet, Spurs responded well and equalised through Dominic Solanke, while Brennan Johnson completed the turnaround inside the opening half an hour.

Postecoglou's side registered 23 shots on goal to their opponents' six during an impressive attacking display, but it was not until the 85th minute that they sealed the win through James Maddison.

"It was a good win, a good performance," the Spurs boss told BBC Match of the Day. "Our performances have been good all year, but today, we got the result as well, which is the most pleasing.

"We should have won by a fair bit more, but we still got the job done. You're always keeping the opposition in the game [at 2-1], and it's been the story of our season so far. It was important to finish the game off."

Postecoglou also paid tribute to Solanke, who scored his first Tottenham goal since arriving from Bournemouth for a club-record fee of £65million.

"Dom worked his socks off. He was gone at the end," the Australian said. "He is still getting back to match fitness, but I know he is going to provide so much for us in that central position.

"All strikers love goals, so it will be a great moment for him, especially at home."

"[It feels] fantastic," Solanke added. "As a striker, it's always important to get that first goal and I managed to get that today, which I'm happy with. Hopefully, I can continue in this way.

"We have been playing well all season, but sometimes, you don't get the results you deserve. But if you keep going, keep sticking at it and playing the way we want to play, it's going to happen.

"To get the win here meant a lot to all of us. We have had some great performances to start the season, but haven't managed to get the result to match that. Today, we did that."

Tottenham recovered from a slow start to see off Brentford 3-1 in Saturday's London derby.

Ange Postecoglou's side fell behind after just 23 seconds at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Bryan Mbeumo superbly volleyed home Keane Lewis-Potter's cross.

However, the hosts hit back seven minutes later through Dominic Solanke's first goal for the club after Mark Flekken parried James Maddison's initial effort directly into his path.

Spurs completed the turnaround in the 28th minute with a swift counter culminating in Brennan Johnson drilling home from a tight angle.

Guglielmo Vicario produced a wonderful reflex save to claw away Kevin Schade's header midway through the second half.

The Tottenham goalkeeper's intervention proved crucial as the hosts wrapped up the victory five minutes from time, as Maddison rounded off another quickfire counter by delicately lobbing a helpless Flekken.

Data Debrief: Bees match Man City, but trouble on their travels continues

Just like against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last weekend, just over 20 seconds were on the clock when Brentford broke the deadlock.

The Bees became only the second team in Premier League history - after City - to score inside the opening minute of successive matches.

But for their fifth consecutive meeting with Tottenham, the team scoring first did not go on to win the game.

Indeed, Spurs responded brilliantly after back-to-back league losses - including last weekend's north London derby - to condemn Frank's side to a 13th defeat in 17 league matches away from home.

Ange Postecoglou acknowledged "there is no easy or quick fix" for Tottenham following their EFL Cup scare against Coventry City.

Spurs scraped through to the fourth round by the skin of their teeth, having been second-best against their Championship opponents for large periods of the tie at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Ben Davies had cleared off the line from Haji Wright minutes before Coventry took a deserved 63rd-minute lead through Brandon Thomas-Asante.

The Sky Blues looked set to book their place in the last-16 draw, but Djed Spence rounded off a neat move to equalise in the 88th minute then, deep into stoppage time, Brennan Johnson completed the turnaround to snatch victory from under Coventry's noses.

Postecoglou has been the subject of criticism this week after stating he "always" wins silverware in his second season at a club.

The Spurs boss knows his side still have a long way to go, but was pleased by the character demonstrated by his players in testing circumstances.

"We had to just hang in there somehow, and we did," he told Sky Sports. "We weren't fluent or cohesive.

"I have consistently said there is no easy or quick fix to where we want to get to and one result doesn't change that.

"Tonight, we showed what we have been missing the first four games. A little bit of spirit to fight our way and find a way to win a game of football."

Tottenham produced an inspired late turnaround to scrape through to the EFL Cup's fourth round with a narrow 2-1 victory over a spirited Coventry City.

The Championship side took a deserved lead at the Coventry Building Society Arena through Brandon Thomas-Asante, but Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson struck late on to snatch victory from under their noses.

Coventry carried the greater threat during the first half, in which Tottenham failed to register a single shot on goal. Jack Rudoni saw a goalbound shot blocked by Destiny Udogie, while Norman Bassette fired narrowly over from a tight angle soon after.

Spurs then had Ben Davies to thank on the hour mark, when the skipper's sliding intervention prevented Haji Wright slotting into an empty net following a mix-up between Fraser Forster and Radu Dragusin.

However, the hosts broke through just three minutes later when Thomas-Asante turned in Bassette's cross from close range.

There was to be a late twist, though. With two minutes remaining, Spence rounded off a fine team move and, with penalties looming, Johnson raced onto Rodrigo Bentancur's throughball to complete the turnaround in the second minute of stoppage time.

Data Debrief: Spurs survive scare to maintain Cov dominance

Coventry were looking to reach the EFL Cup's fourth round for the first time in 16 years, and were just two minutes away from doing so after an impressive performance against their top-flight opponents.

However, Tottenham's timely late rally dug the Premier League side out of a hole, and sealed their fifth win in as many meetings between the teams.

Spurs have now progressed from 17 of their last 18 EFL Cup ties against sides from outside the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou defended his comment about "always" winning trophies in his second season after their defeat to Arsenal last weekend. 

Despite Arsenal missing several of their key players, Spurs were undone in familiar fashion as Gabriel Magalhaes nodded home from a set-piece to secure the North London bragging rights.

Spurs last won a title back in 2008 in the League Cup and currently occupy 13th in the early-season standings, having picked up four points from their first four Premier League games.

Postecoglou was left confused and amazed by the negative reaction to his comments and is still confident that he can lead Spurs to a trophy this season.

"It's amazing, isn't it? I just stated a fact. Am I supposed to just lie or just say it never happened,” Postecoglou said. “But do you really think it's me sort of boasting? It's just confusing to me that people are making a big deal out of something. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to answer something that is true.

"I've just said something that's true, and it seems like it's upset a lot of people for some reason. In my 26 years of managing, I’ve had success and most of that has come in the second year, not all of it. Sometimes it’s happened in the first year, sometimes in the third year.

“I don’t see why that puts extra pressure. It doesn’t put extra pressure on me because I love the fact that I’ve done that. It’s what I want to do here.

“I’d like to think that just saying the truth is the way to go forward but I think sometimes that’s too confronting for people, they’d much rather I didn’t."

Brentford, meanwhile, were involved in Carabao Cup action in midweek and booked their place in the next round with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Leyton Orient.

Fabio Carvalho starred for the Bees, notching a goal and two assists as he continues to find his feet under Thomas Frank since his move from Liverpool during the transfer window.

Frank was pleased his side were able to avoid an early exit from the competition, saying the level his players reached on Tuesday is something they must maintain if they are to return to winning ways in the league.

“It’s job done. I’ve said it many times: we want to go on a cup run, we want to go as far as possible and potentially win it - we know it’s difficult but that’s the aim,” Frank said.

“In these games, I need to find the perfect balance between putting a strong team out there, the mix of freshness but also with the game on Saturday in mind, and then also using the squad, because players need that to develop and also want to be included.

“We hit the level today; credit to Leyton Orient, they did well in the first 20 minutes, we didn’t get enough control, but then we got our goal, and from there we were in control.

“3-1 ahead at half-time; second half, I wanted us to be even more on top, but it’s not easy, they gave everything. But I'm pleased."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tottenham – Pedro Porro

Only Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White (11) has created more open play chances in the Premier League this season than Tottenham’s Pedro Porro (10).

The Portugal international is the only player to have created four or more open play chances in two different games this season (four against both Leicester and Arsenal).

Brentford – Mark Flekken

Flekken has made 22 saves in four Premier League matches this season, six more than any other goalkeeper, and he may be needed once again in North London.

Since 2003-04, only one goalkeeper has ever made more saves in a team’s first four games in a season – Tim Krul for Newcastle in 2015-16 (23).

MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN

Many say the first goal is the most important one, but that has not proved to be the case in this fixture. The team scoring first has won none of the last four Premier League meetings between Tottenham and Brentford (D2 L2).

Spurs have won just four points in the Premier League this season (W1 D1 L2), their fewest at this stage since 2015-16 (3). They haven’t lost three of their opening five games since 2008-09 under Juande Ramos, who left the club eight winless games into that season.

The hosts will also need to improve from set-pieces. Only Nottingham Forest (27) have conceded more set-piece goals (incl. penalties) in the Premier League since the start of last season than Tottenham (25).

Among all managers who’ve conceded more than 50 goals in Premier League history, only four have a higher percentage of goals conceded via set pieces than Ange Postecoglou (25/65, 38.5%).

Brentford have also won just one of their six Premier League meetings with Tottenham (D3 L2) and have struggled away from home, losing 12 of their last 16 matches away from the Gtech Community Stadium.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Tottenham – 58.8%

Draw – 20.5%

Brentford – 20.6%

A defiant Ange Postecoglou believes Tottenham have enough to win trophies this campaign as he "always wins things in his second year".

Gabriel Magalhaes scored the decisive goal for the Gunners in the 64th minute, profiting from some slack defending on a corner as he thumped in the winner.

Spurs had the better chances, especially in the first half, finishing the game with 15 shots overall, more than double what Arsenal managed (seven).

The hosts also dominated possession with 63.7% and entered the final third 62 times, but as they did against Leicester City on the opening day, they struggled to take their chances.

Asked if he thought his team had enough to challenge for silverware this season, Postecoglou told Sky Sports: "I don't usually win things, I always win things in my second year," he told Sky Sports. "Nothing's changed. I don't say things unless I believe it."

Postecoglou has failed to beat Arsenal in three Premier League attempts and was left to lament their lack of a clinical edge after the match.

"It's very disappointing in a big game for us and our supporters. We didn't deliver so you have to take the pain from that," he added.

"It has been the story of our season so far, we played in their half and created chances, but we lack a bit of belief in the final third. That's what we need to fix. It was always going to be decided in moments, and they capitalised on theirs.

"It's me who has to give the guys the way forward. It's not for a lack of trying by the lads, we are just going through this early part of the season where we are playing well but not getting rewards for it.

"We handled set-pieces pretty well, but we switched off for one and paid the price."

Son Heung-min made his 19th Premier League appearance in the North London derby, with only Sol Campbell (22) playing in more among outfield players.

The Spurs captain struggled to make an impact though, worth just 0.04 expected goals (xG), and he echoed Postecoglou's frustrations.

"We dominated the game; the football was there, we just conceded from a set-piece again. We did it last season, and it is really frustrating," Son said.

"I am sure the fans are also very disappointed. We have to improve, 100%. It's a tough moment and we have to stick together.

"We are getting into the final third, but the players have to take the responsibility to score. It is the hardest part of football, making the right decision and being clinical.

"We will bounce back strong, there is a long way to go."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was beaming with the work rate put in by his side following their 1-0 victory away to rivals Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday.

Defender Gabriel Magalhaes scored the decisive goal, heading home from a corner in the second half, to leave the Gunners second in the Premier League table.

Spurs enjoyed the better start of the two, creating plenty of openings in the early part of the first half, but were unable to take advantage.

Arsenal had fewer shots than Spurs (seven to 15) but were more clinical than their hosts. 

"They are a great side and create an unbelievable atmosphere," said Arteta of their opponents while talking to Sky Sports.

"We knew it would be tough. We believed we could hurt them, we weren't the best with the ball today.

"The way we defended was top drawer. We want to play a different game, but they put a structure that is extremely difficult to match up, so we decided not to do that."

Three of Arsenal's last four Premier League goals against Spurs have come from corners, compared to just three in their previous 88 such matches beforehand.

"We just work on heading the ball, having the right delivery and winning the ball," Arteta added.

"It is about the right timing. Over the season, the team has to go over hurdles, so I am delighted."

Arsenal's players echoed their manager's happiness, with stand-in captain Jorginho highlighting how the team spirit helped them over the line.

"We had to work really hard, as you saw, we knew it was going to be a difficult game," he told Sky Sports.

"On these days you have to work, and we know we can count on each other as teammates.

"At the end, it paid off, and we are so happy that we won. We had key players missing, but we are a total team, the whole squad. We know that whoever comes on will be ready to help the team. We are really proud of the team."

Arsenal's victory over their rivals was the first time since 1988 that they have won three in a row at Tottenham, and that significance was not lost on the players.

"We did it three times in a row now, and you felt the excitement in the dressing room after the game," Jurrien Timber said to BBC Match of the Day.

"You know how bad the fans want to win this game, but it's the same for every game. You prepare for every game the same way, but it felt really nice winning this one.

"I am really, really enjoying it even with all these games coming up. The feeling of being fit is an amazing feeling.

"It's a true honour. We showed up today and credit to everyone who came in."

Gabriel Magalhaes scored the decisive goal as Arsenal got back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Tottenham on Sunday.

The defender netted the only goal of the contest after 64 minutes, punishing Spurs for a lapse in concentration from a corner as he drifted away from Cristian Romero to thump in Bukayo Saka's pinpoint cross.

The hosts had the better chances in the first half, through Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke, but were thwarted by David Raya's saves and some disappointing misses.

Despite Spurs' search for a late equaliser, Arsenal were able to hold out for the win and maintain their unbeaten start to the Premier League season.

Mikel Arteta's side are up to second in the table on 10 points, while Spurs are 13th after suffering their second defeat of the campaign.

Data Debrief: Set-piece specialists

Arsenal have a knack for scoring from set-pieces, and they proved their prowess once more thanks to Gabriel's towering finish. 

It is the 23rd goal Arsenal have scored from set-pieces (excluding penalties) since the start of last season, more than any other side, while three of their last four Premier League goals against Spurs have come from corners.

The Gunners secured a sixth consecutive away league win, their best streak since a run of eight between March and September 2013 under Arsene Wenger. They have also now won three consecutive away North London derbies for the first time since September 1988.

The Premier League is back following the first international break of the season, and Sunday's headline fixture looks to be worth the wait as Tottenham host Arsenal.

The first North London Derby of the campaign comes after disappointing results for both sides on matchday three, with Arsenal losing early ground on Manchester City and Liverpool as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton.

Ange Postecoglou's Spurs, meanwhile, were beaten 2-1 at Newcastle United, leaving them three points behind their rivals in the early-season standings.

What can we expect as these North London heavyweights go head-to-head for local bragging rights at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?

By diving into the Opta data, we can bring you all the best pre-match facts, figures and storylines.

What's expected?

Arsenal have had the upper hand in the North London Derbies of late, and the Opta supercomputer makes them slight favourites despite the absence of home advantage.

They were victorious in 40% of the supercomputer's 10,000 pre-match simulations, with Tottenham triumphing in 34.1% and the remaining 26% finishing all square. 

Arsenal have won their last two Premier League away games against Tottenham, as many as in their previous 17 such visits (six draws and nine defeats). They last won three consecutive away North London Derbies between January 1987 and September 1988.

Draws have been a rarity at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which has seen the lowest percentage of draws (9%, 9/101) of any ground in Premier League history, so perhaps we should not expect the spoils to be shared. 

When will Tottenham stop being Spursy?

The adjective 'Spursy' is not one any team wishes to be tagged with, coming to denote a side that flatters to deceive and ultimately falls short of expectations.

Postecoglou has made no secret of his desire to cast that perception aside and make Tottenham true contenders, but their start to 2024-25 has thrown up several familiar themes.

Spurs were utterly dominant on matchday one but could not hold onto a 1-0 lead at newly promoted Leicester City, starting their second straight season under Postecoglou with an underwhelming draw.

After routing hapless Everton, they were then beaten 2-1 at Newcastle despite firing off 20 shots to the hosts' nine, also enjoying 65.7% possession and playing almost as many passes in the final third (235) as Newcastle did overall (261). 'Spursy' indeed.

The North London Derby is a fixture in which Tottenham have struggled lately, losing five of their last seven Premier League meetings with Arsenal (one win and one draw).

That is more defeats than they suffered in their previous 16 against their rivals (six wins, six draws and four defeats).

These fixtures have so often been an acid test of Spurs' resilience, and they must improve their defending for a matchup that has not featured many clean sheets lately. 

Arsenal versus Tottenham has seen both teams score more often than any other fixture in Premier League history (43 times), while it is also the fixture to see the team who scored first fail to win more often than any other (29 times, 19 draws and 10 losses).

Can Gunners replace Rice?

There was much for Mikel Arteta to be frustrated about as Arsenal dropped their first points of the campaign last time out, squandering a 1-0 lead in a 1-1 draw with Brighton.

But it could be that the sending-off of Rice, who received a second yellow card for kicking the ball away early in the second half, proves more of an inconvenience than the result.

The first red card of Rice's Premier League career – coming on his 245th appearance in the competition – has handed Arteta a major selection dilemma in the engine room.

Rice started 37 of the Gunners' 38 Premier League games last season, appearing as a substitute in the other. It is often said that availability is the best ability, and Rice's 3,230 Premier League minutes in 2023-24 were only bettered by eight other outfielders – team-mate William Saliba (with a full 3,420) among them.

With Rice patrolling the midfield, Arsenal were a picture of control last season, giving up the joint-fourth fewest fast breaks in the Premier League (23) and the joint-fifth fewest shots from fast breaks (20).

Thomas Partey and Jorginho, the men likely to be tasked with holding the fort, will come up against a Spurs side with plenty of pace in transition, and the likes of Son Heung-min, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson will be desperate to exploit his absence.

Tottenham scored three goals from 25 fast breaks in Premier League action last term, finding the net every 8.3 fast breaks on average – only eight teams netted from such situations at a greater frequency.

Rice did much to help Arsenal build the Premier League's most fearsome defence last term, and they approach Sunday's game with eight shutout victories in their last 10 away league games (nine wins, one draw).

Elsewhere, captain Martin Odegaard is a doubt after sustaining an injury on international duty with Norway, with their absences potentially handing Spurs a golden opportunity.

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Tottenham – Son Heung-min

Tottenham skipper Son has scored eight goals against Arsenal in all competitions. In the history of the fixture, only Harry Kane (14), Emmanuel Adebayor (10) and Bobby Smith (10) have netted more North London Derby goals than the South Korean.

Seven of Son's North London Derby goals have come in the Premier League, with no other current Spurs player boasting more than two strikes against the Gunners in the competition.

Arsenal – Bukayo Saka

Saka scored home and away goals against Tottenham in the Premier League last season. The only previous Arsenal players to score in three or more consecutive North London Derby appearances in the competition are Emmanuel Adebayor (five between 2006 and 2008) and Robert Pires (four between 2002 and 2004).

Saka has also been involved in more attacking sequences than any other Arsenal player in the Premier League this term (22 – 10 shots, seven chances created and five build-up involvements), scoring once against Wolves on matchday one.

Martin Odegaard is set to miss three weeks of Premier League action after sustaining an ankle injury on international duty, according to Norway's team doctor.

Odegaard was forced to withdraw from Norway's 2-1 win over Austria in the Nations League on Monday after coming together with Christoph Baumgartner in midfield.

The 25-year-old has since returned to London for further assessment but looks likely to miss the Gunners' important league fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. 

Mikel Arteta is already without Declan Rice for the north London derby this weekend following his red card against Brighton and Hove Albion. 

And while no time frame has been officially confirmed by Arteta, Norway’s team doctor Ola Sand believed Odegaard would need a few weeks to recover. 

“Such ankle injuries often take at least three weeks. Anything other than that is just a bonus, and then it can take longer,” Sand told Norwegian newspaper VG.

“What we have so far obtained from the MRI examination in London is that there is probably no fracture in the ankle.

“It is always a bit difficult to interpret an MRI scan when you have had an old injury, but Arsenal are almost certain there is no breach, but this may still take some time.

“In the event of a fracture, we are talking about being out of action for six weeks plus.”

Odegaard would also miss Arsenal's first Champions League fixture away to Atalanta on September 19 as the Gunners look to improve on their quarter-final run in the competition last season. 

The Gunners captain is yet to register a goal or an assist this term, but has again proved influential for Arteta, with his five chances created, a total only bettered by Bukayo Saka (eight) in the first three games of the new season. 

As well as Arsenal missing Odegaard, Arteta will be sweating on the fitness of summer signing Riccardo Calafiori after he was replaced in Italy's 3-1 win over France last week with a calf injury. 

Fellow arrival Mikel Merino is sidelined after sustaining a fractured shoulder, though there could be a return to the side for Gabriel Jesus after recovering from a groin issue.

Eddie Howe paid tribute to Newcastle United's fans for their support of Sandro Tonali, who made his Premier League return in the 2-1 win over Tottenham.

Tonali came on as a 68th-minute substitute for his first league appearance since serving a 10-month ban for breaching betting regulations.

Many Italy-themed flags were on display before the game in support of the midfielder, who also appeared from the bench in the midweek Carabao Cup clash with Nottingham Forest, while a banner read: 'Midfield maestro from Milano'.

And Howe was delighted by the Toon Army's response on the day when Alexander Isak's 78th-minute strike settled the contest.

"I didn't know that was going to happen with the wall of flags, so it was a brilliant surprise," Howe said. "Visually, it was incredible.

"Sandro was emotional and his performance when he came on was outstanding. It was just amazing from the fans, it does not surprise me, but it's so important that the relationship between players and supporters is so strong.

"It was very different to [him coming on in the] Nottingham Forest game. We were in need of a spark and I thought he gave us that."

Howe also spoke of his desire to put what was a relatively subdued transfer window behind Newcastle, with the Magpies notably failing with several bids to land Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi.

"I think it's always important to try to build momentum in your season, and it's been a turbulent time for the club off the pitch throughout this last transfer window," he added.

"But that's shut now, so hopefully we can just concentrate on the football and get the players playing as well as they can."

Meanwhile, matchwinner Isak also saluted Newcastle's supporters after opening his account for the campaign to secure all three points.

"It is my first goal for the season so it's a good feeling to score and get the win," he told Sky Sports.

"Generally, we weren't expecting to have too much of the ball. We wanted to be dangerous on the counter-attack. It wasn't the most beautiful game from our side, but we defended really well and scored two, so that's good.

"We've always felt like we have that extra energy at home. We have spoken about using that. In the second half, when we had a bit of a dip in our performance, we got some energy. Small changes made a big difference and really helped us get the win."

Ange Postecoglou believes Tottenham's defeat to Newcastle United epitomised the "story of our season so far", as his side failed to turn their superiorty into three points.

Spurs went down 2-1 at St James' Park, despite enjoying 66% of the possession and registering 20 shots to their opponents' nine.

Dan Burn's own goal cancelled out Harvey Barnes' first-half effort, but the visitors were made to pay for their profligacy when Alexander Isak struck the winner 12 minutes from time.

Postecoglou was left frustrated by the nature of the defeat - Tottenham's fourth in six Premier League away games - but he is confident their fortunes will turn around with similarly dominant performances.

"Story of our season so far really," he told BBC Match of the Day. "We played well and controlled the game for the most part. They were a threat in transition, but we still had enough chances to win the game comfortably.

"I thought we were handling the transitions. The goal we conceded in the second half was sloppy and we lost focus. The game should have been put to bed a lot longer before that.

"What I know is if we continue to play like that, we will get our rewards. It's not an easy place to come. The way we controlled the game was really pleasing. It's three good performances, but not the results that reflect that."

"Really disappointed," Johnson added on Sky Sports. "I think in the first half, we were decent and created a few chances. Our general play wasn't too bad.

"In the second half we came out well and pushed them back. It's about doing what we can with the chances we created. We have to be more clinical.

"I definitely think it's just responsibility on us guys. We are getting into good areas. It's probably our final ball. It's about creating the right chance.

"There were a few opportunities today where we could have shot and not passed, then others when we could have passed and not shot."