From ‘mind the gap’ to Andre Villas-Boas’ famous ”negative spiral” quote from last season, the rivalry in North London between Arsenal and Tottenham is arguably at its all-time best.
At this very moment, you could argue that it is currently the best rivalry in English football, as well as the most entertaining for the neutral. There has been very little to separate the ‘gap’ between these two sides in the past two seasons, with the goals from Laurent Koscielny in the final game of both seasons the difference both times around. Those goals were the difference in Champions League football and having to settle with playing in Europa League. Now, it’s a new season, and both teams are continuing where they left off in trying to get the better of each other.
Tottenham will be hoping to put a stop in a recent trend at the Emirates after enduring not one, but two embarrassing 5-2 losses to Arsenal in there last two visits at the Emirates. This time they’ll be arriving with a new and improved squad, but will likely be without their star player of the last two seasons in Gareth Bale. Tottenham have done some great business in the transfer window. Having spent around £110m this summer on additions such as Paulinho, Etienne Capoue, Roberto Soldado, Nacer Chadli, Vlad Chiriches, Christian Eriksen, and Erik Lamela, Tottenham have taken the right approach in preparing for life without Gareth Bale, who is on the verge of signing for Real Madrid.
For Arsenal, Arsene Wenger and his squad have bounced back from their opening day loss at home to Aston Villa by winning three in a row (Fenerbahce home & away, Fulham away). Arsene Wenger has returned to this season with the same core players as last season. He’s finally going through the summer without having to lose any of his key players in quite a while. However, after an offseason of offloading many fringe players, Arsenal’s squad depth is quite thin at this moment with slow activity in this summer transfer window as well as injuries to Mikel Arteta, Thomas Vermaelen, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Lukas Podolski. Additions to squad in Yaya Sanogo and Mathieu Flamini, both on free transfers, will help this issue, but Arsenal currently don’t have enough available players to fill out a strong bench. While squad depth remains to be an issue, the quality of play in players such as Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, Bacary Sagna, and Olivier Giroud have prevented the squad’s lack of depth to become a big issue on the pitch. With a lack of options on the bench, these players as well as the rest of the Arsenal staring eleven have to be on their A-game if they want to walk away in this North London Derby with a victory.
Team News
Arsenal: In his press conference on Friday, Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Lukas Podolski will be out for up to 10 weeks with a ‘grade three hamstring injury’ after injuring his hamstring early in the second half against Fenerbahce on Tuesday night.
A ‘welcome back’ is in order for Mathieu Flamini as he returns to the club on a free transfer. He is available to play this weekend. Arsene Wenger said about Mathieu Flamini in his press conference that “He is hugely fit. He worked very hard and he knows how we want to play.”
Jack Wilshere (foot/ankle) and Aaron Ramsey (groin) are both fit to play this weekend after they picked up minor knocks against Fenerbahce on Tuesday. Laurent Koscielny will also return this weekend after being suspended for last weekend’s game at Fulham as well as suffering a deep cut above his after being kicked in the face in the 1st Champions League tie at Fenerbahce.
Mikel Arteta, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Abou Diaby and Thomas Vermaelen are still out with injuries.
Tottenham: Gareth Bale is unexpected to play with his big move to Real Madrid on the verge of being completed. Newly signed players, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela have completed deals with the club and are available to play this weekend at the Emirates.
Tottenham’s only injury concerns are Benoit Assou-Ekotto (knee) and Aaron Lennon (ankle/foot) (according to PhysioRoom.com). Both are still expected to be fit for this weekend’s encounter with Arsenal.
Predicted Starting XI’s and Tactical Analysis
Arsenal [4-2-3-1]: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Ramsey, Wilshere; Walcott, Rosicky, Cazorla; Giroud
Bench: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Monreal, Sanogo, Flamini, Gnabry, Zelalem/Frimpong
Only a few changes will be made from Arsenal’s 2-0 win at home to Fenerbahce in midweek. In defence, Laurent Koscielny returns back into the Arsenal eleven after being rested on the bench, which means he will reunite his CB partnership with Per Mertesacker. His inclusion means that Bacary Sagna will be shifting to the right and playing RB, while Carl Jenkinson will make his way to the bench. Kieran Gibbs will also be returning to the Arsenal starting XI at LB in place for Nacho Monreal.
The double-pivot pairing of Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey will remain the same from the last game even though both players picked up minor injuries towards the end of the Fenerbache game on Tuesday. This midfield partnership has had its issues, but since the game against Villa, these two are becoming more cohesive as a unit. Also, Aaron Ramsey deserves praise for the way he has played so far this season. He has put in a Man of the Match performance in every game so far this season for Arsenal. He’s been the driving force and engine of this Arsenal eleven with his play in both the attack and in defence.
In the attacking area of the pitch, Tomas Rosicky is expected to return to his duties at the center of the attack with Santi Cazorla shifting back to the left flank after the injury to Lukas Podolski. Theo Walcott form having scored 3 goals in the first four games of the season.
Tottenham [4-3-3]: Lloris, Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Rose; Capoue, Paulinho, Dembele; Lennon, Soldado, Chadli
Bench: Friedel, Defoe, Naughton, Kaboul, Sandro, Eriksen, Lamela
Tottenham’s starting lineup will be the same as the one Andre Villas-Boas fielded last weekend against Swansea City. The back four remains unchanged but there’s little possibility that Younes Kaboul could start over Michael Dawson.
The midfield three remains the same with Capoue in the holding midfield role along with Paulinho and Dembele in more advanced positions, which means Sandro is left out of the lineup once again. AVB is hoping this midfield three can be more cohesive this weekend than they have been in previous games because creativity has been an issue.
Lastly, Chadli and Lennon retain their positions on the wings and Soldado remains up front as the lone striker. New signees Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen will have to settle starting on the bench as they have only joined the club and AVB won’t risk starting them this early in this monumental of a match when they’ve had no time to settle in at the club. Soldado will have a tough task on his hands going up against one of the Premier League’s best defensive partnerships in Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker.
Key Matchups
Midfield Battle: Ramsey and Wilshere vs midfield three of Capoue-Paulinho-Dembele
Probably the most important matchup of this weekend’s fixture is going to be taken place in the midfield. Arsenal’s double pivot of Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere going up against Tottenham’s midfield three of Etienne Capoue, Paulinho, and Mousa Dembele. With Mikel Arteta absent, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere have had to accommodate forming a midfield partnership with one another. They have only had a couple of occurrences where they played with each other in a double-pivot system. Usually it was one of them alongside with Arteta. However, with Arteta being sidelined with injury, the two had little time to adjust playing alongside each other in deeper midfield roles. A lack of experience between the two was exposed on the opening day of the Premier League season in Arsenal’s 3-1 loss to Aston Villa.
After that loss, both must have went back to the drawing board alongside Wenger to see what changes must be done in order to become a more cohesive unit. And, it was obvious these changes had a positive effect by their performance in the first leg of their Champions League tie against Fenerbahce and again in the second leg at the Emirates. What I saw from these games was better and smarter play from a tactical and positional sense from both players. Never drifted far too forward and out of position at the same time that would lead to vulnerable to a counter attack. Whenever one of them, whether it was Jack or Aaron, ventured forward in the attack, the other would sit back to prevent them from being exposed by the opposition. They still have some issues to work out, but they are becoming a more cohesive unit day by day.
But, Wilshere and Ramsey face a sterner test this weekend with this Spurs midfield three compared to the midfield they faced against Fenerbahce. This midfield three of Capoue, Paulinho, and Dembele looks very strong on paper. A group of very good all-around midfielders that can give Arsenal a lot of trouble on Sunday if they start clicking.
However, they too have had issues this season. They have lacked sparked and creativity so far, which can benefit Ramsey and Wilshere. If Tottenham’s midfield can’t generate much creativity, it will make life for Ramsey and Wilshere much easier. Lastly, Ramsey and Wilshere, along with Rosicky, can expose this midfield three whenever a player Paulinho is out of position leaving the midfield exposed due to his tendency of being drawn out and played around into the hands of the opposition.
This battle of midfields should be a good clash of both physical and tactical abilities between both sides.
Theo Walcott vs Danny Rose
If there is one player that has left Tottenham sick to their stomach in two of their 5-2 losses to Arsenal, it is Theo Walcott. Having scored two in the first of the 5-2 games and scoring as well as providing an assist in the second game, Theo Walcott could be Arsenal’s main factor in the attacking third this weekend. This time around it will be Danny Rose who will have the privilege of marking Theo throughout the game. Danny Rose is no slouch. He put a good showing during his loan spell at Sunderland last season and has earned the starting LB spot at Tottenham.
Walcott has started off this season a bit slow, but he’s steadily improving game after game. A big game like this just may be what he needs to get his season going.
Prediction
In recent years, the distance between both clubs has gotten smaller and smaller. Both clubs have been neck and neck with each other in the past two seasons, which has made this rivalry even better. But what makes this rivalry different to other rivalries in English football is the play on the pitch. There has never really been a dull game between the two in recent memory, so I expect there to be quite a few goals in this contest.
Even though Arsenal are entering this game with a weak squad, they still have a strong, cohesive starting eleven. Spurs are entering the game with a better squad and more players at their disposal, but we don’t know what to expect or how much to expect out of them with these new players and no Gareth Bale. Because we are early into the season, I’m edging this fixture towards the home side, Arsenal, as I expect them to catch this newly assembled Spurs’ team by surprise. 3-2 to The Arsenal.
Betting Tips
Walcott First Goalscorer – Walcott, as I said before, is on top form so far and against Danny Rose he has a good chance of getting in behind. BET ON THIS MARKET
3-2 Arsenal Full Time Result – These match ups are always tight and recently they have been fairly high scoring. There’s going to be a lot of too-ing and fro-ing. BET ON THIS MARKET
Soldado To Score Anytime – As much as I hate to say this, Soldado has scored in both of Tottenham’s opening games and his chances of scoring are increased because he takes the spot kicks. BET ON THIS MARKET
Arsenal Goal In The Last 15 Minutes – It always goes to the wire and I think we might just see a late goal. BET ON THIS MARKET
A Red Card Anytime – These are always feisty affairs and I think it’s going to be worse than usual because the gap has been closed and players are coming in not knowing how to react as well. There may be a few loose challenges. BET ON THIS MARKET
