please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Arsenal take on Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium this Saturday in the North London Derby. Both teams go into this game in poor form. Arsenal could only manage a 3-3 draw against Fulham at home in their last league game, the Gunners raced to a two goal lead, but like they did in Schalke, they threw that lead away as Fulham scored twice to level the scores before half-time. Mikel Arteta fouled Bryan Ruiz in the penalty area and gave away a penalty to the away side. Dimitar Berbatov converted the spot kick and Fulham took the lead with just 20 minutes left on the clock. But, Olivier Giroud scored his second goal of the game to get the Gunners level again and in the 94th minute, they won a soft penalty that gave them the chance to take all three points. Mikel Arteta stepped up and missed and Arsenal had to do with a disappointing point. This result condemned Arsenal to their worst start in the league after eleven games since the 1982-83 season and has seen Arsenal fall behind the likes of West Ham and West Brom in the League table. Tottenham Hotspur come into the North London Derby with back to back defeats in the league. Their latest defeat came against Manchester City at the Ethiad Stadium. Spurs took the lead after Steven Caulker headed in from a Tom Huddlestone free-kick. But Spurs could not hold on to their lead as Sergio Aguero levelled the scores before Edin Dzeko grabbed the winner for the home side. After making a poor start under the management of Andres Villas Boas, Spurs recovered and were well place in the table but have since slipped up and now like Arsenal find themselves out of the top four and below the likes of West Ham and West Brom. The last North London Derby will live long in the memories of Arsenal fans and it proved to be the turning point in the fortunes of Spurs and Arsenal last season. Tottenham came into that game with a ten point lead over the Gunners, and after taking a two goal lead, Spurs had Arsenal down for the count. The response was stunning as Arsenal blitzed Spurs and put five goals past them and in doing so they did indeed turn their season around. In the end, Arsenal once again finished above Spurs and with Chelsea winning the Champions League, Spurs despite coming fourth, had to make do with Europa League football. If the derby on Saturday can be half as good as the previous North London Derby, then we are in for a treat. Spurs like Arsenal lost key players during the last summer transfer window and have since started rebuilding their squad but they have had to do that with a new manager, unlike Arsenal. Harry Redknapp was sacked and Daniel Levy turned to Andre Villas Boas to try and get Spurs back into the Champions League. Villa Boas had failed in his last job at Chelsea so Levy was taking a risk in appointing him. The first thing the new Spurs manager had to do was to deal with the departure of Luka Modric who was finally sold to Real Madrid. Modric had been the main man in the Spurs midfield under Redknapp and he established himself as one of the best midfielders in the league, so it was a big loss for Spurs, but they also got a big fee for the Croatian from Madrid. Replacing him was not an easy task but Spurs did recruit the excellent Moussa Dembele from Fulham for £15 Million and in his short time at Spurs, he has proved to be a bargain. Spurs have only been at their best this season when Dembele has been running their midfield. With the Belgian injured, Spurs have lost three of their last five league game. Spurs also managed to lure Hugo Lloris from Lyon during the summer transfer window and at the time it looked to be one of the best buys of the summer. But he has only started one league game despite being rated as one of the best keepers in Europe. AVB has instead kept Brad Freidel as his number one, and itâs a decision that has upset many Spurs fans. Moussa Dembele was not the only Belgian that Spurs recruited in the summer, the other was Jan Vertonghen from Ajax. A very highly rated and classy defender who has slotted into the Spurs set up without much fuss. In attack, Jermain Defoe has been the man that has been getting the goals for Tottenham this season. He has five league goals to his name and Defoe with his pace and movement as well as his lethal finishing will be a huge threat to an Arsenal defence that has been on a rapid decline in form. Spurs as always have plenty of pace on the wings with Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon. Both have caused Arsenal plenty of problems in the past and how Arsenal deal with this threat will have a huge effect on the game. Against City, Spurs could not get their wide men into the game and thus, failed to apply any pressure on the City defence. Bacary Sagna has had some very good battles with Garth Bale in the past and he will have to be at his best if he is to nullify the Welshmen. Olivier Giroud got his first league goals at the Emirates last Saturday and against Fulham he put in his best performance in an Arsenal shirt. Giroud was deadly in the air and on the floor he was finally able to link the play. He is also starting to form a good relationship with Theo Walcott, who provided Giroud with two assists. The Englishmen got his first league start since August and Walcott has been able to give Arsenal a cutting edge with his ability to get in behind defences. Walcott bagged a brace against Spurs in the last North London Derby and Arsenal will need Walcott in top form on Saturday if they want to be at their creative best. Jack Wilshere returns from his one game suspension and as a player that was produced in the Arsenal youth set up he will know what this game means and Wilshere will be looked upon to take control of the Arsenal midfield. In recent games and especially against Fulham, Arsenal have not been able to control the midfield and Mikel Arteta was not able to assert any sort of control on the game. Santi Cazorla will again be the man that will need to create for Arsenal but Cazorla is getting less and less time on the ball as teams try and limit his influence. Sandro has been in excellent form for Tottenham and he will the man that looks to try and contain Cazorla in the midfield for Tottenham. Last season, Arsenalâs win over Tottenham at the Emirates turned their season around and it gave them a much needed boost to their moral and confidence. With another North London Derby looming, Arsenal are in need of a positive performance and a result as their season could be danger of fizzling out into nothing. Arsenal fans are restless and a defeat against Tottenham on Saturday will leave a huge cloud of doubt over the future of Arsene Wenger. But Wenger has seen his team turn up and put in performances that defy the critics and he needs one of those performance from his team on Saturday against the old enemy. Itâs become the biggest and most important game in Arsenal's league campaign and if recent history is anything to go by, we could be in for yet another classic between Arsenal and Spurs. Team News: Arsene Wenger: Form Guide: please log in to view this image Three Key Match-ups: please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Overall Record vs Tottenham Hotspur: Played: 167 Wins: 70 Draws: 44 Losses: 53 For: 260 Against: 227 GD: 33 Last 6 Meetings: Arsenal 5 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Arsenal Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 3 Arsenal Arsenal 2 - 3 Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 4 Arsenal (League Cup) Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Arsenal please log in to view this image Managers Views: Arsene Wenger on the importance of the North London Derby: My Team: please log in to view this image Final Score: please log in to view this image
With that midfield, we should trounce them. However, Wilshere, Arteta and Cazorla need time to gel together before they start dominating teams. I think we know that Wilshere will be giving us 100% and more against the Spuds. That could work to energize the team.
Massive game, for both teams. The pressure is on Arsenal though being at home. The NLD is usually an entertaining affair, both teams go for it and there are usually plenty of goals. What with both defences leaking goals I think this will be another high scoring affair. - it will probably be a boring O-O now I've said that I love the NLD and take great pride in being at the last one to witness us hand the spuds their arses on a plate with a Five goal demolition, which was the catalyst for their implosion last season. I remember with glee seeing the spuds racing for the exits when we scored our fourth and Cym starting the chant 'Is there a fire drill?' - then, as they were queuing to get out, we scored again Let's hope for a repeat - COME ON YOU GUNNERS
I know we are hardly solid in the full backs positions but I think Spurs are most definitely vulnerable in that area. Walker has been in shocking form this season, and hopefully Podolski is on it because we could get a lot of joy from that side.
Spurs also tried to play a really high line against City. Time and again their back four were caught out and but for some poor control by Aguero and some over hit passes, City could have scored 2-3 this way. I think we should try and utilise the speed of Walcott to get in behind their CBs, we've also got the option of getting down the left and putting in some crosses for Giroud, who is beginning to answer his critics with some fine goals. I'm hoping that Bale has just as **** a game again as he did against City, the they start with Mr anonymous Dempsey and that AVB makes some tactical suicidal moves so that Spurs finish the game under the kosh as he seems to love to put them under pressure in the last 15mins of games. Spurs have conceded a lot of late goals this season and we have scored a few late ones ourselves. Spurs seem to be just as bad, if not worse at throwing away a lead in games, so even if we're behind with 10 mins to go, we should have the belief that we can still win it. COYG
We really need to win this. The result against them last season really proved the catalyst on which we built a good winning run which eventually hauled us over the line. Let's hope it can inspire us again this season. Nothing like beating the old enemy. I think this will be a close game though.
My predicted starting 11: ------------------Szczesny--------------- -------Sagna-------Mert--------Verm----- --------------Arteta---Wilshere---------- ------Cazorla-----------------Fabregas---- Walcott----------Van Persie---------Nasri Arsenal 33-0 Spurs COYG!
2-1 Arsenal All depends on AVB and his approach. I don't mean that by a way of disrespect to Arsenal. If AVB comes out from the offset and has a go at you guys I think they may well end up taking all the points. Bale and Lennon would cause any full back problems in full swing and one of them is bound to have a good game if not both. Arsenal at the moment lack confidence, the last thing Spurs want to do is hand them initiative because when Arsenal are in full flow and at/close to their best they can beat anyone in this league. Without the ball Spurs are poor, as Chelsea, City and even United/Newcastle proved. That will play into the hands of Cazorla and Wilshere whose movement will cause G*llas and the inexperienced Caulker endless problems. This match is made for Defoe as well, he'd have a field day with your backline. They need somebody who can pick a pass like Huddlestone or Dembele. Sandro is an excellent player who I rate but his distribution with the ball is poor.
If Huddlestone plays, then I can see Wilshere and Cazorla running rings around him. Our midfield has been disrupted by teams who have players with high energy in midfield. Look at the United game, Rooney and Cleverley did a brilliant job disrupting our game. For Chelsea, Oscar and Ramires did this job. Apart from Sandro, Spurs do not have this sort of player in their midfield.
The tactics AVB used in that '5-3' game was so idotic it was unreal. Playing a really high line against a team with one of the fastest players around (Walcott), a forward who knows a thing or two about timing his runs and finding space (RVP) and another winger that is pretty fast (Gervinho). And even then he played that high line with John Terry and Ivanovic as his CB's. And people wonder why he lost the dressing room?
Dembele is rated as 50/50 but back in training. He will not be match fit but even if Spurs get an hour out of him that could be significant. I can't see who else Spurs have for that role. Caulker and G*llas are the real weak link in that side though. It's a big chance for Giroud and Podolski to win the Arsenal fans over.
Because evil Lampard, Cole, Drogba all revolted against him and stole all his Fruit Pastilles . That's the myth anyway. I said at half time during that game when we were 2-1 up I'd guarantee Arsenal will win. I was laughed out the house by my housemates but was proven right. I knew from the way Arsenal scored their first goal with ease exposing our high line it was an inevitability. What was worse was that Arsenal hadn't won an away game until that point and were all over the place. I've never seen tactical ineptitude of that scale. Only the high line against Napoli (a side known for their explosive counter attacking style) with Bosingwa at LB surpassed that day.
