Arguably no player for Tottenham Hotspur will be more important on Sunday against bitter rivals Arsenal in the North London Derby than Mohammed Kudus, who has been one of the best signings of the summer 2025 transfer window in the entire Premier League on a team that has otherwise struck out on the rest of its attacking signings.
Kudus has been the one real bright spot for Spurs attack, and his return from injury against Arsenal on Sunday will be a massive boost for the Lilywhites. But Arsenal are getting a boost, too, that will make Kudus's job against the Gunners a little more difficult.
Per a report from Fabrizio Romano, the injury concerns around young Arsenal left back Riccardo Calafiori are meaningless. Fab says that while Calafiori left the Italian national team during the November international break with an injury, the Arsenal star defender isn't actually injured at all and is expected to be a full go for the upcoming North London Derby against Spurs.
A tough matchup for Mohammed Kudus
Calafiori playing for Arsenal against Tottenham is a huge deal. He is one of the most talented defensive players in the Premier League both as an actual defender in terms of his ball winning and marking, as well as in the build up play as a passer and progressor on the ball. He has been arguably the best left back all around in the entire Premier League this season.
As Tottenham fans know, there is a big drop off in technical and tactical quality between the Italian international and England international Myles Lewis-Skelly at the left back position. So now, knowing Kudus has to go to battle against Calafiori is a much tougher proposition and a potential match winning advantage for Spurs that is now no longer something they can count on this Sunday afternoon.
Spurs are going to be heavy underdogs going up against an Arsenal team that has literally been the best in the Premier League this season, whereas Tottenham are pretty fortunate to be in fifth. Kudus is a big reason why they have been in fifth, and Calafiori is going to be a great challenge for him to contend with, in addition to whoever he matches up with at the center back position after another Arsenal defensive star, Gabriel Magalhaes, did pick up an injury over the international break that could knock him out of this upcoming Premier League fixture.