Arsenal will be hoping that a North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur is enough to snap them out of their current poor Premier League form when they make the short trip to their near-neighbours on Sunday.

The Gunners have lost four and won just one of their last six top-flight games to find themselves 14th in the table, having made their worst start to a season since 1981-82.

On the face of it, a trip to the league leaders in front of 2,000 returning fans is the last thing they need, but their away form has been a rare bright spark so far this season and their solitary win in that recent run came at Manchester United.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Mikel Arteta could set his struggling side out for the contest.

Out: Nicolas Pepe (suspended), Gabriel Martinelli (knee)
Doubtful: Thomas Partey (thigh), David Luiz (head)

> Click here for Arsenal's latest injury and suspension news ahead of this match

Arsenal could be handed a significant boost ahead of this match with Thomas Partey back in training ahead of schedule and possibly in contention for what would be his first North London derby.

The summer signing will be assessed ahead of kickoff and may have to settle for a place on the bench, with Arteta unwilling to take any risks over his fitness ahead of the busy December schedule, but either way he is on course to return earlier than expected.

While Thomas's comeback could come early, many felt that David Luiz's departure against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend was long overdue after he was involved in the sickening clash of heads which left Raul Jimenez with a fractured skull.

Luiz had blood seeping through his bandage before finally being withdrawn and he was absent against Rapid Vienna in midweek, but Arteta has suggested that the Brazilian should be available so long as the wound is healing as expected, with no concerns regarding concussion.

Nicolas Pepe will serve the second of his three-match ban while Gabriel Martinelli remains sidelined, although he could return to Under-23s action before the end of the year.

Arsenal's only pleasing Premier League result in the last two months came away at Old Trafford and so Arteta could look to name as close to that starting XI as possible, which would mean a three-at-the-back formation again.

The misfiring Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will start again, while Alexandre Lacazette will hope to take his Europa League form into domestic matters after opening the scoring in midweek.

Arsenal were able to welcome a number of previous absentees back in that win over Rapid Vienna, with Pablo Mari, Calum Chambers and Sead Kolasinac among those to return to the squad.

None of those players is likely to start another game in such quick succession here, but they do boost Arteta's options for rotation heading into the festive fixture pile-up.

> Click here to see how Tottenham could line up for this North London derby