Arsenal v Spurs Preview

Arsenal v Spurs, Sunday 1st September 4pm, Emirates Stadium, Premier League, Sky Sports 1


North London rivals clash at the Emirates

Between them, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have won their last seven fixtures, scoring eighteen times. The only blip during the duo's opening to the season was the gunners' 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa on the Premier League's opening day. Since that "accident", as Arsène Wenger called it, the flowing football of years gone by has returned. Fenerbahçe, twice, and Fulham were both disposed off in thrilling fashion. And Wenger, this his 17th year in charge, was quick to remind critics of Arsenal's consistency. "We lost one game since March," the Frenchman told the press last weekend, "the media has brainwashed the fans a little bit." Since a loss at White Hart Lane against Sunday's opponents Spurs back in March, Arsenal have played 15 competitive fixtures, winning 12 of them.

Four games, four wins for André Villas-Boas' Spurs so far in this campaign - and Spurs have yet to concede a goal, too. The signing of Ajax's Christian Eriksen late on Friday night took the club's spending this summer to £107.7m. Though, £100m of that will have been recouped once Gareth Bale completes his drawn-out transfer to Real Madrid before Monday's deadline. And much has been made of who now has a strong side in north London.

"Our objective is to become stronger (than Arsenal)," Villas-Boas said after Thursday's 3-0 win against Dinamo Tbilisi. "The advantage that they have is that they know each other very, very well from the past because they are a side that has been built together for these last years." With eight players signed, as well as the return to fitness of long-term injury victims Younes Kaboul and Sandro, Spurs could take some time to gel. Wenger had a warning for his neighbours on Friday afternoon. "In our job there is a technical risk when you buy more than three players because you unbalance a little bit the stability of your squad."

Just two new faces have arrived at the Emirates thus far this summer; Yaya Sanogo and Mathieu Flamini, both on free transfers. Arsenal's reported budget of over £70m remains untouched.

Wenger's Premier League record against Spurs

P34 W15 D14 L5 F67 A43 - (Though, 4 of the 5 defeats came in last 4 seasons)

Match Facts:

* Arsenal have failed to score in just 1 of their last 29 Premier League meetings with Tottenham.

* Spurs have not kept four clean sheets in a row in the Barclays Premier League since January 2010.

* There has been a Tottenham player sent off on each of their last two Premier League visits to The Emirates.

* 13 of the last 14 league matches between Tottenham and Arsenal have gone over 2.5 goals.

* All 13 of Giroud’s Premier League goals have come in London, 11 at The Emirates, one at West Ham and one at Fulham.

* Jermain Defoe has scored twice in 18 Premier League appearances against Arsenal. Only against Liverpool (two in 19) does Defoe have a worse record (10+ appearances).

Team News

Arsenal

Vermaelen (back), Arteta (thigh), Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee), Diaby (knee) and Podolski (hamstring) are all unavailable. Flamini is set to be included after signing on Thursday.

Spurs

Lennon (foot) hasn't trained all week and will be assessed on Saturday, whilst Bale is on the verge of joining Real Madrid and won't be included. New signings Chiriches, Eriksen and Lamela are unlikely to be involved after signing on Friday.


Managers' views

Wenger: "The two teams go into the match with an offensive mind, with a desire to win. Once you have scored first of course it opens the game up. We will again go into the game with that mind. It is two good teams against each other, on top of that it is a derby and on top of that there is a lot of passion there, so there is always uncertainty around these games. You want to focus on your football, the way you want to play and that is the best way of dealing with it. We had a big battle with Tottenham last year, let's not forget that. At one point we were seven points behind, we lost there and we still bounced back and managed to [make up] eight points in 10 games. That was quite remarkable. We needed absolutely to be consistent because you could not say Tottenham dropped off dramatically but we were so good in the last 10 games that we got 26 points and that made the difference."

Villas-Boas: "We have the quality to go there and win. I think we will set up to try to win the game and hopefully achieve the result we want. It is a different type of proposition on Sunday but it has special ingredients of a game that is unique in English football and full of emotion. Hopefully, if we set up properly, the match for sure will be a great game, because both teams want to play, want to win, want to attack, and hopefully it can be a present for the fans."

The new Spurs signings won't be ready for a derby of this magnitude. We shall triumph

Good job, Sam.


Bench: Fabianski; Jenkinson, Monreal; Wilshere, Gnabry, Ryo; Sanogo;

Assuming Flamini is physically ready to start, I'd like to see this team.

Last time Poldi had a great game, he'll be undoubtedly missed but I can still see our midfield creating a few good chances for Giroud/Walcott - they should be in their 'A' game on Sunday.

Let's crash the pricks... up the Arsenal!

I wanna see Flamini on the pitch as well. Interested in how 'hugely' fit he is. And to see that desire to 'make the fans happy' on the pitch

It would be unusual to see a new signing pushed straight into the starting XI but with Wilshere only 'okay' I would rather that than risk it.

urbaNRoots wrote:Good job, Sam.

Szczesny
Sagna Mertesacker Koscielny Gibbs
Flamini Ramsey
Walcott Rosicky Cazorla
Giroud

Bench: Fabianski; Jenkinson, Monreal; Wilshere, Gnabry, Ryo; Sanogo;

Assuming Flamini is physically ready to start, I'd like to see this team.

Last time Poldi had a great game, he'll be undoubtedly missed but I can still see our midfield creating a few good chances for Giroud/Walcott - they should be in their 'A' game on Sunday.

Let's crash the pricks... up the Arsenal!

i too prefer this lineup if Flamini is ready to have a go.. double pivots with Wilshere had always problems with Wilsheres positioning and defensive awareness.. he should be played in a more advanced role focused on his attacking talent...

Wilson37 wrote:

urbaNRoots wrote:Good job, Sam.

Szczesny
Sagna Mertesacker Koscielny Gibbs
Flamini Ramsey
Walcott Rosicky Cazorla
Giroud

Bench: Fabianski; Jenkinson, Monreal; Wilshere, Gnabry, Ryo; Sanogo;

Assuming Flamini is physically ready to start, I'd like to see this team.

Last time Poldi had a great game, he'll be undoubtedly missed but I can still see our midfield creating a few good chances for Giroud/Walcott - they should be in their 'A' game on Sunday.

Let's crash the pricks... up the Arsenal!

i too prefer this lineup if Flamini is ready to have a go.. double pivots with Wilshere had always problems with Wilsheres positioning and defensive awareness.. he should be played in a more advanced role focused on his attacking talent...

Except for the last 2 games he started.

Good luck guys. Should be a cracking match. I can't wait!

I think zelalem is going to be on the bench again as he didn't play for the u21s. Chances of him playing a part though = 0.00%

Guess it's better than having nothing but thin air sitting there though

Just to get things into perspective:


And DAT comeback:


 

I am not too sure about Rosicky playing there. Put Cazorla in the middle and fill the wings with Gibbs and Walcott. Kyle Walker has hurt us in the past... so having Monreal and Gibbs there to shield that area might not be bad.

Oh and I am hoping United and Liverpool end the game with a 0-0.

A full fit Rosicky is still the best attacking option we have.. No question of him not playing if fit.. Cazorla can play a free role as the false LW..

urbaNRoots wrote:Good job, Sam.

Szczesny
Sagna Mertesacker Koscielny Gibbs
Flamini Ramsey
Walcott Rosicky Cazorla
Giroud

Bench: Fabianski; Jenkinson, Monreal; Wilshere, Gnabry, Ryo; Sanogo;

Assuming Flamini is physically ready to start, I'd like to see this team.

Last time Poldi had a great game, he'll be undoubtedly missed but I can still see our midfield creating a few good chances for Giroud/Walcott - they should be in their 'A' game on Sunday.

Let's crash the pricks... up the Arsenal!

The key to beat spurs IMO would be a 5 man midfield. I agree with your line up.

We need Rozza and his energy and directness there in the AM position. I would go for that team that Sam has posted. Not that there many others to choose from. (Let me rather not get started on this one)

Both managers saying it is gonna be an attacking game. I guess another 5-2 then

C'MON ARSENAL!!!

Without bale and lennon, Spuds counter-attacking threat will be greatly diminished and we can risk playing with Ramsey and Wilshere in the midfield. Great that Spuds new signings will not play. Although even if they played, they did not have any time to gel with the team and it would have been advantageous for us.
I think we will have a 3-1 victory.

Back to 2007/08:

Achu wrote:Back to 2007/08:

.... And they say we don't hang on to our star players... <3

Great preview Sam.

Beating Spurs is like a new signing.  

excellent work Sam

i think they will come out to start at high tempo and take a lead and then control the space and drop off later on

we need to control the game in first half and do it cool out from the back under pressure like we did vs Fulham
gotta expose dat highline we Seemed  to be lacking confidence playing it through /over the top in last NLD when the pass was there

it seems  Paulinho is dangerous more when off the ball as he can make good runs and pop up in dangerous positions
with Ramshere pivot still a work in progress we might get punished so i wouldnt mind sticking Flamini there to do some nasty job and keep that guy in check

shame we will miss Poldi not only he would be another weapon to make runs in behind but also could trouble positionally suspect Walker

they have replaced one diver with another assuming that Townsend Guy starts
gotta be careful not giving away fouls in threatening areas

and i guess HP stands for Hopeless Pricks
lets kill all this Hype and put them in their place
5puds we re coming to hunt you down
COYG

https://i.servimg.com/u/f72/16/79/56/27/foysca11.jpg

Shame podolski and aoc are out. I hate the false lw thing we do with cazorla/rosicky.

Its a big match but either way the result goes we shouldn't put too much stock into it

I actually kinda feel that way for both sets of fans.

For Tottenham as well it's a team with a bunch of new signings that need to gel. Even if Spurs lose, they could go on to dominate. Even if Spurs win, they could go on to fail to gel and have relatively uninspired performances without the star man Bale.

For Arsenal fans I kind of feel the same way.

Perhaps it's due to how early in the season it is.