Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal

please log in to view this image

Sunday 2nd December 2.05pm
Premier League
Emirates Stadium​

Two big games down so far this week and two wins. Now the important one.
Both of the sides that we defeated were on very good form and that remains true for this opponent.
They've had something of a midweek rest, as their Europa League trip was meaningless.
Most of their better players remained behind and prepared for this game.
It's another tactical test for Pochettino, as he goes up against an old La Liga foe in Emery.

The Goons finally replaced Arsene Wenger this summer after years of speculation and abuse.
Departing PSG coach Unai Emery was the man to take over, following a mixed time at the club.
His second and final season probably summed up things in the French capital under Qatari ownership.
Massive domestic success, including a clean sweep of trophies, was not enough and it was time to leave.
His European success with Sevilla wasn't replicated and money demands that aspect, apparently.

The summer also saw a few club favourites leave and the new man add a few names of his own.
Wilshere and Cazorla were released, while Mertesacker retired and joined the academy set-up.
Lucas Perez joined West Ham, Joel Campbell moved to Frosinone and Ospina moved to Napoli.
Leno, Sokratis, Torreira, Guendouzi and Lichsteiner took their places and added depth.

A change of coach didn't add the immediate impetus that their fans would have hoped for.
Two tough games saw back-to-back defeats, as they faced City and Chelsea in their openers.
They've been undefeated since though, putting together a run of 20+ games in all competitions.
Expectations have been raised leading into this derby and hopes will be high.

This fixture went badly for us last season, as we put in an awful performance and got a poor result.
Fitness and injury concerns were high leading into the match and those fears proved to be well founded.
Arsenal took the lead through a ridiculously given free-kick, which was dispatched by an offside Mustafi.
Sanchez added a second shortly afterward and it was also offside, summing up a poor day for the officials.

The match at Wembley was a far better performance, but it wasn't reflected in the scoreline properly.
A very one-sided affair ended with only a solitary goal dividing the sides.
Harry Kane headed home in the first half from Ben Davies' cross to put us ahead.
Petr Cech looked back to his best for the rest of the match, as he kept the score down.

Dembele, Sanchez and Trippier are still out for this one, but Rose made the bench on Wednesday.
Monreal and Welbeck are out for the hosts. Neither side has any suspensions.

Lineups for each side's last league game:

Spurs: Llories; Aurier, Foyth, Alderweireld, Davies; Dier, Sissoko; Eriksen, Alli, Son; Kane.
Subs: Gazzaniga, Walker-Peters, Vertonghen, Winks, Lamela, Moura, Llorente.
League form: WWLWWW.

Arsenal: Leno; Mustafi, Sokratis, Holding; Bellerin, Torreira, Xhaka, Kolasinac; Mkhitaryan, Iwobi; Aubameyang.
Subs: Cech, Elneny, Guendouzi, Ramsey, Ozil, Maitland-Niles, Nketiah.
League form: WWDDDW.

Referee: Mike Dean.

TV: Sky Sports.

Should we return to the side that beat Chelsea on the weekend for this one?
Did anyone do enough against Inter to earn a starting spot?
Is there anything about Arsenal's style of play that we should adjust to?

 

As good as Foyth's been, I'd have Jan in for Arsenal if he's able to play. Not sure how he'll be feeling after the Inter game but hopefully it's enough time to fully recover.

Other than that, I think you'd have to play the side that beat Chelsea. Mad to think that our two best players so far in Lucas and Lamela don't make the XI but that performance on Saturday was the best team performance all season.

Here's hoping Big Mouss fancies doing to Xhaka/ Torreira what he did to Jorginho, Kante and Kovacic.

 

100% agree on Foyth, Lucas and Erik Lamela.

Eric Dier or Winksy with Sissoko is the only issue for me. Given Moussa's desire to go forwards of late,ifor me, it's probably just Eric Dier to bully their midfield.

Maybe Rose for Ben Davies, who's been very busy recently and could probably do with a rest?

MP's been fantastic at juggling scant resource this season. He really is magic, you know?

 

I've read in a couple of places that it was the first time in 7 months that Eriksen, Alli, Son and Kane started a league match together.

 

Definitely Dier for me. Winks has gotten better in games but he’s still not at the level I want him to be, he also gave away three very sloppy passes last night that’s very uncharacteristic of him. Dier on the other hand has arguably been our most consistent player so far, not really been a MOTM contender in any games but he’s also not been anywhere near the worst. Seems to have gotten over a poor season last year by his standards.

Ben could definitely do with a rest although it could be asking a bit too much of Rose to come in from injury and perform against Arsenal. Poch is magic though, as you say, so if he thinks Rose is fine then I’d 100% trust him.

 

Crazy.

That sounds similar to when we signed Eriksen, Lamela and Chadli, I don’t think those three played together until about 6 or so months in.

 

That was more a case of The Baldini Splurge putting is into a position where there were six players (Lennon, Townsend, Sigurdsson, Eriksen, Lamela and Chadli) vying for three places in the team, leaving us in a situation where we had to make three separate choices every match about whether we wanted to have a settled player start or help a new signing settle in by giving them playing time - a scenario familiar to people playing their first game of Football Manager, but not one that any real-life manager should ever be placed into

 

Arsenal changed their style of play in their last game to a back 3 and 2 wing backs.

Do we have to adjust to that and also play Foyth , Jan and Toby? Or Dier in the back 3 with Moussa and Dele in the middle. Just thoughts.

 

What about Foyth for Alderweireld? Toby must be needing a rest soon? Not sure how far away Sanchez is.

 

Toby'll probably be rested for Southampton

 

Probably right, but Arsenal don't have any big strong forwards, Foyth is skilful enough to deal with Ozil/Ramsey etc - assuming Lacazette is still out?

 

if Jan plays on Sunday I would expect him to be rested v The saints as 3 matches in a week after 2 months out maybe pushing it.

In any case if Toby isn't signing a new contract we can run him into the ground he can rest when Davinson and Jan are fully back up to speed!

 

On the ball he's excellent. Off the ball? He's still very much a work in progress. He's getting himself into positions where he feels that he has to make reckless challenges in the penalty area. I'd not pick him for Sunday, unless either Toby or Jan have to be rested.

Centre half and goalkeeper are probably the two positions requiring little rotation for physical reasons. There's a lot less ground to cover comparative to full backs, midfielders and strikers. It's about concentration and picking the right time to step in, hold or drop off. Whilst Davinson and Juan Foyth will be a world class pairing in the years ahead, Toby and Jan have that ranking right now and for me, they must start.

 

FFS, need Lamela strong. Wasn't at his best v Inter, maybe carrying something?

 

6

 

Five, given Janssen's Unperson status

 

You need to take that up with physio room.

 

Big Vic's status remains poorly concealed.

Yes, it's his knee, we all know that. No, there's no specifics about diagnosis, current status, rehabilitation or anything useful. Occasionally he plays a game and then we don't see him or get anything for weeks. It's Ledley re-visited but for a player in a position where mobility and endurance are key.

The line is..."We need to wait to give a better update on his problem". I think that means "We're going to wait until we sell him to West Ham before announcing how bad the problem is." I'm sorry to say it, but he's not worth putting in the CL/EL squad ahead of 25% or anyone else in 2019. He's not at the level of the first and he'd be denying Skippy experience in the second.

He was a fabulous player and is a great bloke but it's time to replace him, whether we can sell him or let him go on a free. He's taking up a non-home grown space and like Mitch Vorm, we aren't getting enough back to justify that scarce place.

 

Surely we couldn't sell him in that case, the medical would tell all on such a chronic injury.