To me, it genuinely feels as though the dust has barely settled on the last North London Derby in May, but here we are, traveling to the Emirates to take on our beloved neighbours this Saturday for the weekend’s early-kick off (12.30 PM BST KO).
Indeed, that encounter over 4 months ago saw us take a huge step towards securing Champions League football at the expense of our hosts, yet we find ourselves behind the Gunners after 7 games. Admittedly, Arsenal have improved since the back end of last season, and Arteta has them playing some great stuff, but I think they’ve had the “easiest” start to the season out of everyone in the top 6 – Palace (A), Leicester (H), Bournemouth (A), Fulham (H), Villa (H), United (A), and Brentford (A).
Although I’m of the school of thought that dictates there’s no “easy” game in the Premiership, every game you’d expect a top-four team to win, they’ve won, and the one match many doubted they would win (United away), they lost. Although on the balance of the 7 games they’ve played so far it’s difficult to argue that they don’t deserve to be where they presently are, I don’t think they’ll be up there for much longer.
Although this is technically a “top-of-the-table” clash, it’s worth pointing out that it is not even October yet, making it too early to jump to conclusions in calling this a “title decider” or even a “top four” decider. As much as I’d love to beat Arsenal and would hate to lose on Saturday, this is a match fraught with peril – Arsenal always turn up for this one at the Emirates, and it won’t be easy given our dreadful record at their place over the years.
Indeed, our solitary league win since they moved there in 2006 in November 2010, the iconic 3-2 triumph where we snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
Moreover, the away team tends to lose this win, with the last away victory in the league being Arsenal’s 1-0 victory at WHL in March 2014.
There are some injury worries for Arsenal, with Kieran Tierney, Thomas Partey and Takehiro Tomisayu all having to withdraw from their respective national teams’ squads with various injury problems of their own. Emil SMith-Rowe, Reiss Nelson, Mohamed Elneny are likely to be out, with Oleksander Zinchenko a doubt too.
Up until yesterday, we had a clean bill of health in terms of internationals, but news has come this morning that Dejan Kulusevski has picked up a hamstring injury while playing for Sweden, making him a doubt for the weekend. Hugo Lloris is also doubtful with a thigh injury he picked up before the international break. We currently await Conte’s quotes on the state of those guys along with the rest of the squad, including Lucas Moura, who has been out since August with a calf injury, and Ben Davies, who picked up a knee injury against Sporting Lisbon a few weeks back.
The derby thread is here folks – discuss away!
Thanks Omar for the NLD thread.
Gooners going to face their toughest opposition so far this season, ok! they played an in a mess MU, look at the result lol!
As its a NLD it will be tough, anything can happen, but I believe we will not get beat.
Kulu! looks like he is out, hamstring apparently, but they have their injury probs also. COYS
SPOILER ALERT!!
Wow, what a great game! How good was that? After eight games we are top of the PL. To get there at the expense of that other lot on their own park makes it even sweeter.
We looked tight at the back and defended resolutely throughout. Four brilliantly taken goals on the break were no more than we deserved. How good was Son!
The Arsenal defence could not handle our attack and our defence stopped everything they threw at us, with Dier our stand-out defender.
It was good to see us playing with intensity and moving the ball faster and sharper. Our movement off the ball was superb.
Now all we have to do is keep it going and we’ll have our first league title since …. a very long time ago.
I wrote this next Sunday!!
Geof,
Ilove the creativity of your post. Well done, mate. The quantum folk doing retro-causation work should get a copy. Effects do bring about their causes! The apple hitting the ground caused it to fall from the tree. Of course, this is consistent with what Aristottle suggested 2500 years before Neils Bohr (left wing-back for Denmark and chief opponent for Albert Einstein who played for Princeton).
I believe our last league title was won back in next June. The next title will be in 1961.
And I’m really happy to see Danny Blanchflower playing for us this year. Hope he sticks around until 1961.
on a less serious note, this is the first I’ve heard about Kooloo’s injury, but we’ve got good coverage up front even without him. First time in a long long time (the usual chronological time, not quantum time) we’ve had anything approaching depth (which collapses into a flat surface in Bohr’s world).
Arsenal 0 x 12 Tottenham. 6 goals split between Kane and Richarlison and 3 to Emerson Royal. Why not? and the other 3 goals to Gabriel Jesus as goals against.
I wrote this next Monday.
It will be an interesting game. I’m not sure how significant it will be though. I’m already looking forward with dread to the World Cup, to me its which squads come out of that still in good shape for the rest of the season that will be crucial. So while I obviously hope for a win I won’t be thinking its the end of the world if we lose.
Maybe the big question for me remains the shape of the team. The midfield is usually 2 against three, against Arsenal that could be a problem. The other option seems to be to drop a forward and play the extra midfield player. I don’t expect Conte to start with that but he may be forced into it if the extra man is hurting us. One thing that will help is Son’s return to goal scoring form, we know just playing two up front won’t be a problem if it turns out to be necessary.
I really hope we come out with a three man midfield as it’s rather discouraging to consistently get pressed on our back foot. Unable to clear our lines is not a comfortable way to play the game. Arsenal will be coming out hard on their home turf. If we do go with a front three then all three forwards will need to come back and battle hard to win the ball in the midfield.
I am a little concerned for our chances on Saturday . I find the defensive style we play will backfire at some point and unless Conte beefs out the midfield we will have pressure continually applied throughout the game . Considering our inability to pass our way out of the press with poor passing and the pressure which will be applied I see unfortunately an Arsenal win . We bring pressure upon ourselves and think that Arteta will play on that .
Arsenal have improved and I doubt they will be the team we demolished last match out .
However if our passing is accurate on our breakaways we might just pinch a goal of two . I am forever hopeful and as usual hope that I will be proved wrong and somehow we can at least get a draw .
Allan – Not sure you are correct about defence. If you look back to Arsenal’s defeat to United they were essentially destroyed on the break. Arsenal had plenty of possession and were moaning about how unlucky they were but United defended surprisingly well, often on the edge of their own area, and when they broke they scored. Its where Son finding his goal scoring touch again may be crucial.
i have no insights about which team will come out on top tomorrow. Both teams may have been playing above their weight so far this year, but then again, maybe not. Surely neither team would have been predicted to be at the top of the table now if the predictions were made before the season started. This match could be a nail biter down to the final whistle, or might be a blow out by either team. If it’s a nail biter, can we count on Foster if Lloris isn’t ready to play? Can we count of Lloris if he is ready to play?
The loss of Kulusevski is unfortunate, as it cuts down of the options and alternatives for Conte. He and Richarlison present quite different sets of strengths, so this might change the way Conte approaches the match tactically.
Richarlison on one side and Gabriel Jesus on the other might be interesting since Jesus was kept out of the Brazilian Seleção by Richarlison,and I’m sure Jesus was thinking that he was sure to start at N0. 9. Not only is Richarlison playing at that position, but that’s the number on his jersey. There’s a real motivation for both of those men. To me, that’s the match within the match, as least if I were writing a column about the match.
By the way, Kane often drifts back into a quasi-midfield position, and he might do far more of that tomorrow. Surely Conte knows that midfield is where he needs to be concerned. If we’re overrun there because of the formation that favors width, then it’s all over for us.
Football’s a funny old game. Even if one team dominates a match, the other team can win it anyway.
Arsenal derby tomorrow and so few people on the site today? Times have changed
Good point, TK. Where is everyone. It’s a NLD and going to be intense and competitive. If a red card is produced (which is a distinct possibility) I hope it is pointed in their direction!
I would be well satisfied with a draw today as the experience against Chelsea gives me little confidence in controlling the game. I know it’s still early in both the season and Conte’s project but this could be a defining game. Lose badly and the doubts will grow but a good performance and result will put fire in the belly. COYS.
How dare you speak of losing badly. Don’t jinx our lads. A glorious win is to be on our lipss as we settle in.
As in all games with arsenal, the 100 mph running and intensity tends to show which team wants it more… form book is out the window most times and usually there’s some incident with players as well. A tactical 352 formation by conte will cover gooners 3 mf..allowing w/b crosses and counters by hk10 / sonny.. Richie in for kulu. … So i predict a 2-1 score at final whistle, spurs but it’s a tight call. Coys…
Well its nearly here the seasons 1st NLD.
Methinks we are going to win this! COYS
Us Lot 4-2 Them Lot!
Lloris
Romero Dier Lenglet
Emerson Hojbjerg Bentancur Perisic
Richarlison Son
Kane
Let the match begin! North London Derby! COYS! Play a beautiful game today! Ride with the wind! Be intelligent! Keep your form! Dare to be great!
Feck it all to bloody hell.
Come on you Spurs. Playing too much on the back foot, lads.
Strap on those Spursn and ride forward.
Conte setting up to defensively and this is what happens.
Yes, our Harry. Our Harry Hotspur!!!!!!