The absences of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard worry me – it's more than just their quality on the ball that Arsenal will miss

Emmanuel Petit is concerned that a defeat for Arsenal in the north London derby could end their title ambitions.

Mikel Arteta's side will go into their clash against Tottenham on Sunday without Declan Rice and captain Martin Odegaardtwo vital players in midfield.

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Rice will miss the trip to Tottenham on Sunday through suspension, while Gunners captain Odegaard suffered an ankle injury during an international match with Norway.

Coach Arteta will also be without summer signing Mikel Merino and the defenders Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierneywith Gabriel Jesus and Ricardo Calafiori under clouds of injuries as well.

But it will be Rice and Odegaard who will be most absent given their vital roles in ArsenalThe midfield of

And Petit, who played 118 times for Arsenal, has grave fears that both could fall in quality compared to whoever replaces them, especially in a clash with bitter rivals Tottenham.

Speaking before episode 1 of The alignmentA new YouTube show hosted by talkSPORT and BetMGM said: “I'm pretty sure Arteta and his staff have been scratching their heads trying to find the best solution, especially in midfield.

“In modern football, most of the time you win games in midfield. Those two lads are leaders, Rice and Odegaard. I'm very, very sad that they won't be here on Sunday because, in terms of rotation, it's already quite limited for Arteta.”

Petit added that it is not just the technical skills of Rice and Odegaard that will be lacking at Arsenal.

“This game will be very important and those lads will be greatly missed both on the pitch and in the locker room,” said Petit.

“In terms of putting character and personality on the pitch, winning the ball, trying to withstand the pressure of the fans, that will be something that Arsenal will lack.”

Italian midfielder Jorginho is emerging as a possible replacement for Rice as Kai Havertz He could drop back into midfield to fill the void left by Odegaard, forcing another shake-up up front.

No matter how Arteta picks up his team for Sunday's derby, he will be desperate to avoid defeat given a big fixture on the horizon.

Following Arsenal's game against Tottenham, they travel to Europa League winners Atalanta for a Champions League match in midweek.

Days later, they travel to the Etihad Stadium to face the current Premier League champions. Manchester City on September 22nd.

It's safe to say that it's not an ideal run of games, especially with key players absent, and it could prove decisive in the title race.

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Petit pointed out that City also had their own injury problems last season, with players like Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne missed 14 and 28 games respectively.

But the 1998 Arsenal double winner pointed out that City had the depth and quality to cope with his absences, but Arsenal, in his view, did not.

It could prove a fatal blow to their title hopes after just five games of the season.

“City started badly (last season) and were missing important players during the season, but they won the title,” Petit said.

“I'm not sure that's possible for Arsenal in terms of quality and quantity of players. That's what I've been worried about for a long time, the rotation of the squad.

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“They are now back in the Champions League. They play every three days and also have international commitments with their country, which means they need to rotate their squad.

“When there are important players injured, what is Arteta's solution? He has players, but not in the same position and who cannot bring the same qualities to the pitch.”

Despite the pessimism surrounding Arsenal in terms of their absences and the implications of what a defeat could mean for their title hopes, Petit is hopeful his former side can pull it off.

Petit is no stranger to the North London derby, having featured in five and having a record of one win, one loss and three draws.

Arsenal beat Tottenham for the second time during Petit's time at the club, but he was not in the squad.

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Given that they have only beaten Tottenham once, it should come as no surprise what Petit's favourite memory of a north London derby is, as Arsenal look to recreate a similar feat on Sunday.

“We won 3-1 at White Hart Lane,” Petit said. “I scored. It was a great pass from Dennis Bergkamp.”

It was a great pass from Bergkamp as the Dutch icon flicked a defence-splitting ball into the path of Petit, who had quickly advanced from midfield.

Petit controlled the ball with his left foot and then lifted it with his right foot over the speedy Ian Walker to open the scoring.

Goals from Nicolas Anelka and Nwankwo Kanu, both alongside Tottenham midfielder Darren Anderton's strike, ensured Arsenal left White Hart Lane with all three points.

It will be difficult for the Gunners to repeat the feat on Sunday.

Don't miss episode 1 of The Lineup, presented by talkSPORT and BetMGM. Available on the talkSPORT YouTube channel on Tuesday 17 September