Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal

please log in to view this image

Saturday 18th November 12.30pm
Premier League
Emirates Stadium​

The international distraction's over and it's back to the important stuff.
What a way to return, as we open the weekend's football with the North London Derby.
This is, of course, held between the only real North London club and some shower from South of the river.
Will the early kick-off dampen the spirits or will the Premier League be back with a bang?
It's normally the latter in this fixture. Rarely a dull affair.

Arsenal's season so far has been what most people have come to expect from Arsene Wenger's side.
They've played some decent football at times and got some decent results, but the overall picture's not 100%.
Largely treating the Europa League as a distraction, they've fielded weakened sides and still got good results.
Full strength Premier League teams should be pulling up trees, then? Not quite.
An exciting opening comeback against Leicester was followed by a loss to Stoke and humiliation by Liverpool.

Their form since hasn't been too bad, as they beat some sides you'd expect them to and drew with Chelsea.
Progress in the cups hasn't satisfied the fans either, as they threw away any good will with league disappointment.
Their annual loss to Watford was followed with a predictable humbling at City.
They're still in 6th place and only 4 points behind us though, so a win here would be massive for Wenger.
Can he get his stars to shine or will Arsenal Fan TV get record views on Saturday evening?

Last season's fixture saw us fight back from a goal down to earn a draw.
A bright start came to nothing and the Goons grew into the half, striking the post from range in a match short on chances.
Kevin Wimmer put into his own net just before half-time to put them ahead at the break.
Replays showed that it should've been chalked off, as they had a number of players offside, but them's the breaks.
A Harry Kane penalty put us level just after the restart, after Koscielny clumsily brought down Dembele.
Eriksen's late free-kick came back off the woodwork, but that was as close as either side came to nicking it.

The game at White Hart Lane saw us seal our place above them in the table and go 17 points clear of them.
Alli and Eriksen uncharacteristically missed sitters in a goalless first half.
Cech's goal was peppered in a quick start to the second, as we looked for the breakthrough.
The two first half villains quickly became heroes, as they combined to get the opener.
A one-two saw Eriksen in on goal, but his shot was saved, only to fall to the incoming Alli, who struck well.
A minute later and it was all over, as Gabriel's stupid tackle gave Kane a penalty, which he put away comfortably:

Alderweireld and Wanyama are still out, as they continue their recoveries.
Lamela, Winks, Kane and Alli will be assessed tomorrow.
Arsenal are missing Cazorla through a long-term issue and he's joined by Giroud, who was injured for France.
Koscielny, Ospina, Holding and Mustafi will be assessed.

Lineups for each side's last league game:

Spurs: Gazzaniga; Dier, Sanchez, Vertonghen; Aurier, Sissoko, Winks, Rose; Eriksen, Son; Kane.
Subs: Whiteman, Trippier, Davies, Foyth, Dembele, N'Koudou, Llorente.
League form: WWWWLW.

Arsenal: Cech; Koscielny, Coquelin, Monreal; Bellerin, Ramsey, Xhaka, Kolasinac; Ozil, Iwobi; Sanchez.
Subs: Macey, Debuchy, Elneny, Wilshere, Walcott, Giroud, Lacazette.
League form: WWLWWL.

Referee: Mike Dean.

TV: Sky Sports.

With Alderweireld still out, should we stick with three at the back or switch to a four?
Who should play in the fullback/wingback roles and who should play in the central midfield positions?
Is there a case for Gazzaniga to keep his place, if Lloris and/or Vorm are fit to return?

 

Not sure about the selection, but this should whet your appetite:

 

Surely Wenger won't play Coq-au-vin at centre half again.
It's not Christmas for another 39 days

 

Giroud injured for them

 

It’s difficult one to predict with all the injuries and who may or may not play. I am thinking either:

Lloris

Davies/ Rose (cant decide)
Vertonghen
Dier
Sanchez
Trippier

Dembele
Alli

Eriksen
Son
Kane

Or

Same defence but with

Dembele
Sissoko

Eriksen
Alli
Kane

Or do we do with llorente instead of Son in the first line up? Perhaps that is too attacking?

There is a lot of power in the first line up though that’s for sure.

 

I don't see why Rose should start over Davies.

Both could play with Davies in a back 3 if Diet is to be kept in midfield.

 

Is Winks fit? Assume his name goes ahead of Dembele and Sissoko now.

Plus think Son will be on the bench with Kane, Alli and Eriksen attacking.

 

I would also play Winks ahead of Dembele and Sissoko but I think Son should start along with Eriksen and Kane as the front 3, with Alli and Winks behind them. Verts, Big Dave and Eric as a back 3 and the wing backs? Perm any two from 4. Personally, I'd start with Trippier and Davies with a view to replace both on about 70-75 minutes.

Sonny always runs himself into the ground so depending how the game is going replace Sonny with either Sissoko or Dembele. If Dembele is used then move Alli into the front 3 and play the Belgian deeper, if Sissoko is used then leave as is with a straight one for one replacement.

I'm beginning to feel nervous, that is a good thing. I was super confident before the Manure match and look what happened.

 

Providing players are fit to play, I'd go with:

Hugo
Dier, Dave, Jan
Tripps, Winks, Alli, Davies
Eriksen, Son
Kane

Vorm/ Gazza, Aurier, Rose, Foyth, Dembele, Sissoko, Llorente

 

Better Manager...............Check
Better Players.................Check
Better Team....................Check
Better Fans.....................Check

Still, strangely, something's missing.................

"Arsene Wenger has told Mauricio Pochettino that Tottenham must overcome the 'fear of failure' if they are to land silverware in the future."

That'll do it. COYS.

 

I think we need more of a presence in CM tbh. Doesn't matter what combination of players they put there as they're all crap. We won the game in April because Vic and Dembele simply overwhelmed them. I think that's where we have to pitch the battle again. Dembele should be fit to manage most of the game. Aurier was utter turd against Palace so I would go with the same team as you but put Dembele in next to Winks and push Alli up to Son's position.

EDIT:
Looking at it again, there isn't much pace at all in my side. Have to be honest i'm toying with:

Hugo
Dave Jan Davies
Trippier Dier Winks Rose
Alli Eriksen
Kane

There's a bit more dynamism to that side imho. Truth is, we could go 4 at the back as Wenger wouldn't recognise a parked bus if it ran him over...

Hugo
Tripps Dave Jan Davies
Dier Winks
Eriksen Alli Son
Kane

...so in conclusion, I am bloody nervous and therefore bloody confused

 

That's what I said, you just write it clearer.

 

Great minds, mate, great minds

 

I'm reaching that stage where I feel I can't rely on starting Dembele mate, at least not at the moment anyway. When 100% fit he's unplayable and gets in above all CMs but he's been nowhere near the level of last season so far. He's barely been able to play 90 minutes and his actual performances have left a lot to be desired. I thought he looked horrendous when he came on against Real, sure it was great to see him whack Ramos once or twice but he looked so off the pace it was worrying, while I can't think of him doing too much of note when he came on against Palace, so baring in mind tomorrow's game is going to be 100mph - as they always are - I just think it's a massive risk of he starts.

If Winks can hold his own against Modric and Kroos then I fancy him against Ramsay/ Wheelchair/ Cock-Alan/ Xhaka etc, while Alli has impressed on the sporadic times he's been played deeper due to his tenacity and work rate. They may not be a beefy duo like Mousa and Vic but they have far more grit about them than anything Arsenal can throw in together.

As for pace, like I've said numerous times, it's an overrated attribute in my opinion. Brilliant if you play the system for it but our style doesn't solely rely on it to bring success. Davies and Tripps make more than enough runs to get balls in behind the defence while Eriksen can find space inside a Nun's snatch. Plus, IF Poch did go with my selection, we have Sonny to cause some mayhem with his speed.

 

"If Winks can hold his own against Modric and Kroos" He was excellent but let's not forget that we played on the counter rather than our usual ball possession game. They still dominated midfield for most of the game especially in the first half. We do need some muscle in midfield alongside the creativity of Winks.

 

I have to agree with Dier-hard here, I think Alli and Winks will be more than a match for anything the goons can offer. Both have a brilliant first touch which should be enough to rip through their midfield and open their defense.

In addition, following his mid-week performance I really want to see Eriksen in the front three along with two in form strikers, Sonny boy and Harry Kane. I want to see us destroy the goons, not scrape past them. If we are only a goal up with 15 minutes to play the Dembele for Son is an option, if we are losing, Sissoko for Son is an option. In any case I'd give Rose and Aurier 15-20 minutes at the end when the arses are falling out of l'arse and see what answer they have to a late introduction of pace. We might, and it is a big might, be able to catch Manure's goal difference.

 

I don't disagree with you or DH especially as it's not unusual for this Arsenal sides midfield to go missing, it's just that they will as usual be well up for this game and that's Arsenal's major problem these days 'being up for it' they get beat when they are not at it. I am sure they will be 'at it' for this game so we should expect a tougher game. Players like Ramsey always run their socks off against us. I was never one of those who thought that Modric was too lightweight , as you will remember that many of our fans thought he was, so I am not about to lay that on Winks but I do think we are missing Wanjama and now we won't have Toby either. I won't go on I'll leave it to RCL he does it far better than me

 

It's a shame this game doesn't get more credit from the usual suspects for the classic it often is. Sky insist on promoting certain other matches (like Pool v Manure) that turn out to be unwatchable yet fail to talk up what is usually a far better match. They've done amazingly at marketing the PL around the world, but surely the international audience feel a bit short changed when the premium matches they're offered don't often offer premium entertainment.

 

It's why so many Africans prefer to watch La Liga. Most support Real Madrid or Barcelona and they know that they are going to get goals.

Furthermore, you can't even use the phrase 'parking the bus', they don't understand it. Have anyone ever been to a Nairobi bus Depot?