Odegaard v Maddison: How midfield metronomes could swing the North London derby
Spurs came into the new season on the back of a laboured eighth-place finish and the loss of their talisman Harry Kane, but things have been pleasantly surprising for them so far.
New manager Ange Postecoglou is ticking all the right boxes with a fresh, attacking brand of football which has earned Spurs four wins from five games.
Their 13 points are equal to that of Arsenal, who have been ticking along after mounting a title challenge against Manchester City last term.
The Gunners made their return to the Champions League for the first time since 2017 in midweek, thrashing PSV Eindhoven 4-0 to give them a real lift.
So, the scene has been set nicely ahead of Sunday's tilt at the Emirates Stadium and both sides will be hoping their key men in midfield will continue to be on song.
Arsenal's Martin Odegaard and Spurs' James Maddison have been two of the Premier League's standout performers so far, with both demonstrating just how important they are to their respective teams.
Odegaard - Arsenal's captain - has elevated his game and was recently rewarded with a new contract while Maddison has quickly hit the ground running at Spurs with some of his early season displays.
Both have had a very similar impact in the middle of the park and Arsenal and Spurs will no doubt be looking their way to try and tip the balance.
Maddison's early impact for Spurs has been incredibly noticeable and his £40 million transfer from Leicester over the summer already looks to be a snip.
The 26-year-old has registered two goals and two assists and was deservedly named the Premier League Player of the Month for August.
No other Spurs player has created more chances than his 14, while no player in the division can top his 36 shot-creating actions (actions that directly lead to a shot such as passes or take-ons).
Maddison's counterpart in Odegaard has also been an important asset to his team this season but to a slightly less creative degree than the Spurs man.
The Norway international is usually the man who plays the pass before the assist, which would explain his five chances created in comparison.
However, it is out of possession where Odegaard can have the one-up on Maddison.
He has emerged as one of Arsenal's best pressers out of possession and is pivotal for them seizing control further forward - his 70 pressures in the final third are a team-high and in the top 10 in the league.
Maddison, meanwhile, trails with 54 final-third pressures which places him in the top 30.
Postecoglou will not have necessarily recruited Maddison solely for his work off the ball but given the way Spurs have been aggressive in their press this term, there could be more to come from him.
Whatever happens on Sunday, the key for both sides will be to get their midfield sparks on the ball to dictate play as much as possible.
That will likely be easier said than done seeing as the derby is notorious for being played at a frantic pace but the way Odegaard and Maddison have been performing, it would not be out of the question to see either of them shine come crunch time.