Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will renew their longtime rival at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, but this particular fixture hasn’t been one of much competition in recent years. Spurs have not won a Premier League game at their nearest enemy’s home since November 2010, when manager Harry Redknapp masterminded a 2-0 recovery to win 3-2, leaving his counterpart Arsene Wenger threw a water bottle in unbelievable.
It was an iconic moment for Tottenham, as it appeared in a video montage before every home game at old White Hart Lane. However, it is also a time of not much competition in recent times, not in the context of Arsenal’s trips to the league, where they have lost 7/11 matches since then, to Conceded 27 goals.
Arsenal will no doubt have to answer – many more questions – but the record shows a fragile Tottenham mentality that Antonio Conte is keen to change.
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, Spurs have won just nine of their 61 away games against Arsenal, Liverpool, City of Manchester, Manchester United and Chelsea. They were beaten 37 times. Conte scored a notable win at Man City last term but this season their only visit to the traditional Big Six was against Chelsea in August and they were lucky to get out of Stamford Bridge with a win. draw 2-2 like Harry Kane deep balance into the added time.
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The best thing about third-placed Spurs at the moment is their score: 17 vs. 21. It’s difficult to highlight a performance they have authority over; even when putting six past Leicester City just before the international break, they asked for a hattrick from Son Heung-Min in the last 17 minutes to secure points against a team ranked bottom of the table.
However, they have found a way to stay in games and win for the most part – a sign of a trend attributed to Conte’s growing demand and a deeper squad. They can make a real statement on developments in that area on Saturday by looking to beat Arsenal in form, who are top of the table with 18 points, and that’s good for Spurs. that Son has shown more signs of a personal revival – scoring in both south Koreainternational holiday matches with Costa Rica and Cameroon – give the probable pattern of the game.
Spurs have averaged 49.4% possession in seven Premier League games so far, notably less than Arsenal’s 57.2%. Against Chelsea in August, perhaps the most comparable test against Arsenal, Spurs held the ball only 36.5% and there is a high chance of a counter-attack this weekend.
Before the two teams met at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in May, Gunners coach Mikel Arteta communicated what he believes is a key component of their tactical plan, as revealed in the kit. Amazon documentary “All or Nothing”.
Arteta told his players during a training session: “We have to counter-attack and apply pressure as quickly as possible. “In two passes, they didn’t manage the ball well, we could have killed them because they were 20 yards from goal. And that’s the game we have to play. That’s clear.”
It may have been obvious, but Arsenal then lost 3-0 and with it all the momentum in the race for the Champions League that Spurs won on the final day of the season. . It wasn’t the counter-attacks but Son’s direct style, crucial in transitions, that did the damage. Cedric Soares fouled Son as he darted into the box to contest a header, allowing Kane to open the scoring. Afterward, Rob Holding sent off for two fouls while trying to stop Son, the second time blocking his run when the striker tried to connect with Eric DierArsenal’s rough pass (not close to Arsenal’s attacking players.)
Holding was caught on camera by Amazon lamenting the situation as he returned to the Arsenal dressing room, saying: “It should never have been one on one in the first place… all the time, one on one. .”
As Arsenal have signed more players in line with its philosophy, Arteta has sought greater control over games and in fact Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli not selected for Brazil and therefore staying in London Colney for the last 10 days can be a significant advantage. Both players are key to the press and counter-attacking that Arteta describes but they must be more balanced than Manchester United, who counter-attacked to win 3-1 earlier this month in Arsenal’s only defeat. in the season so far.
However, right at Old Trafford, the Gunners took control of the game and were able to easily take a 1-1 lead before being allowed to make a lightning counter-attack. Marcus Rashford to put United forward. Arteta unbalanced the team further with the introductions to Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira and Eddie Nketiah In search of an equalizer, it only created more space for United to attack, with Rashford scoring another third.
Whether Spurs can perform as effectively as United back then is a key question for their big game mentality. Kane definitely has it, especially against this opposition: England The captain has 13 goals in 17 games against Arsenal. He only scored more goals against Leicester (20 goals in 19 games) and Everton (14 of 15)
Conte could be tempted to tweak his 3-4-3 system to add an extra midfielder, not only because of Arsenal’s numerical advantage but also lingering memories of how Spurs played. eliminated in the central areas in this match last season. Nuno Espirito Santo – remember him? – send Spurs out with a central midfielder of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg behind Dele Alli and Tanguy Ndombele. Hojbjerg withdrew, Alli and Ndombele continued to push and the combination left a deep hole in the middle of north London that Arsenal had ruthlessly exploited. Spurs conceded three times in the first 34 minutes and lost 3-1.
With last season’s defeat, Arsenal are likely to be similarly aggressive this time around. However, Conte will probably have more faith in Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancurwith Kane retreating further if required to bring Son and Dejan Kulusevski. RicharlisonHis recent form also makes him an attractive substitute, especially as Kulusevski is a doubt for the game with a hamstring problem.
North London derbies are increasingly influenced by home advantage. The last away win in the tournament for both sides came when Tomas Rosicky delivered a 1–0 victory for Arsenal in March 2014, although Spurs won the EFL Cup draw at the Emirates Stadium in December. 2018. Both are off to a good start, but each needs a victory statement to bolster their credentials for the challenges ahead.
Such has been the dominance of Man City and Liverpool in recent times, the Arsenal vs Spurs games always in the shadow of title challenges elsewhere. A commanding victory here will give hope that one of these sides may soon come to light.
