This week, Arsenal face their bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur in their first game of the Capital One Cup this season. Most fans were relishing the fixture when it had been initially drawn, but with numerous injuries and suspensions, things aren’t looking too great for the Gunners right now.
Arsene Wenger’s side goes into the game having lost their last two fixtures. By contrast, Mauricio Pochettino’s side come into the fixture off the back of three straight victories. It seems that the home side may have the psychological edge coming into the game.
With last season’s golden boy Harry Kane underperforming this year, Tottenham have had to look elsewhere in their squad for goals. The man who has so far stepped up to the plate is their new South Korean forward Son Heung-Min. The 23-year-old has scored three goals in three appearances for Spurs and looks like a very good signing. Originally playing as a winger back in Germany, the South Korean is rapid on the ball and is an excellent finisher and as such will certainly prove to be the attacking outlet for Tottenham. The problem that Son has, though, is that he is not the most physical of players and as such this must be taken advantage of by the Arsenal defenders. With Gabriel suspended, Per Mertesacker may be played by Arsene Wenger and so his physical presence will no doubt pay dividends.
Another new player on the Tottenham books is Clinton N’Jie, who recently signed for the club from Lyon. The Cameroonian attacker is well-known for his pace and skill on the ball. He hasn’t had many minutes on the pitch for the home side yet but given the fact that the fixture is in the League Cup, it may prove to be the perfect game to be given his first start.
With N’Jie coupled with Son Heung-Min, Tottenham will certainly be attacking with pace and flair and as such it is vital that the Arsenal defenders don’t get drawn into either of them. Should multiple defenders concern themselves with one of these players, the other one will be played through easily and find themselves one on one with the goalkeeper, and with their finishing abilities it is unlikely that they would miss too many chances. To avoid this, the Arsenal defenders must stay rigid in defence and hold their shape. If they don’t get sucked toward the ball then the gaps for these pacey players to run into won’t be created, meaning that the Spurs attackers will be forced to find another avenue of attack and won’t be able to utilise their speed which is their greatest asset.
In terms of attack, Arsene Wenger’s men will struggle a little bit. Their options have been severely limited following the suspension of Cazorla and the injuries to Danny Welbeck, Tomas Rosicky, Jack Wilshere and Jeff Reine-Adelaide. Obviously many of the Arsenal attackers are still available but after having played so many games already and no real alternatives, the same players will have to be played.
The big question is whether to drop Alexis Sanchez for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The Chilean has endured a slower start to the season than he had last year and this may be down to his lack of rest following a summer dominated by his Copa America success. This game may be the perfect time to rest him and give Oxlade-Chamberlain the chance to show whether he can perform against the bigger sides.
Joel Campbell is another option. He hasn’t seen much playing time as an Arsenal player and this game could be the perfect time for him to prove why Arsenal stood so resolute in keeping him. He has performed well while out on loan and this season, with the limited attacking options that Wenger has at his disposal, may be his breakthrough year.
With Cazorla and Francis Coquelin both missing from the side, Wenger will be puzzled as to who to play in the middle of the park. The obvious choice would be to move Aaron Ramsey to a more central position and start Mikel Arteta – although his performances this season have left questions over whether he can still perform at the top-level. This could give licence for Theo Walcott to revert back to his natural winger position and in doing so start Olivier Giroud up front. This would mean the players are all back in their natural positions and we may very well see an improved Arsenal side.
Only time will tell for fans as to whether their side can pick themselves back up, and a win against bitter rivals Tottenham would certainly be a great way to revitalise their season.
