Kane against Holding is a mismatch which could decide the north London derby

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Harry Kane looked exhausted earlier on this season but has ploughed through that brick wall to lead from the front as Tottenham have put together a run that has kept them within touching distance of the title chasers in recent weeks.

He decimated David Luiz in Spurs’ last Premier League match as his side ran out 3-1 winners; a richly-deserved result following a performance which utterly exposed Maurizio Sarri’s side.

It has been a grueling week so far but Mauricio Pochettino will once more look to his talisman as his side make the short trip across north London to face Arsenal on Sunday.

Kane’s threat has been amplified this season; his tireless running makes him a threat when he’s not constantly getting chances and he is still cool enough to stick the ball in the net when the opportunities do come.

That’s bad news for Rob Holding, who has been given a great deal of responsibility this season under Unai Emery but has struggled at times.

The 23-year-old really cannot deal with pace in behind – which Son Hueng-min can maybe exploit more effectively than Kane – and simply does not look a complete enough centre-back to deal with his countryman if he’s on top form.

That mismatch could well decide the derby if Kane gets a sight of goal.