Tseyi Agharaye (Abuja)
How quickly things can change in football! Arsenal found themselves 10 point behind spurs two weeks ago and a win at Wembley could see them close the gap to just one point.
Spurs have lost their last two games and now face Arsenal in a London derby, and another defeat would be a disaster so Tottenham will look to start very strongly. As for the Gunners, they have scored more Premier League goals than Spurs this season.
While Tottenham has played 28 matches with 55 goals, Arsenal has also played 28 matches but with 60 goals.
Considering the fact that only a couple of weeks back and Mauricio Pochettino’s side were being talked up as title contenders, while Arsenal’s hopes of reaching the top four were being written off, defeat for Tottenham on Saturday will turn the heat on the Pochettino’s boys. While a win at Wembley would see Unai Emery’s Gunners tighten their grip on a Champions League place and move them within a point of Spurs in third. The momentum is with Arsenal.
Spurs have lost their last two matches and, while they have dug in to grind out results since the new year, performances have been far from convincing.
Inflicting a third straight defeat on Tottenham would give Arsenal the confidence that it can finish above its London rivals. For Spurs, that would be disastrous.
Their season is hanging in the balance. If everything falls away and Real Madrid come calling in the summer, could Mauricio Pochettino really turn the Spaniards down?
It is why I expect Tottenham to come flying out of the traps. The consequences of defeat are so huge that I can see them doing everything in their power to prevent it. These are the key areas which will decide the game.
As stated earlier, up front, Arsenal have outperformed Tottenham this season. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette have helped propel Unai Emery’s side to 60 goals in the Premier League — five more than Spurs.
That they have been so prolific without creator-in-chief Mesut Ozil for large parts of the season shows just how dangerous they are.
Even if it is with Aubameyang off the left and Lacazette leading the line, both players have to start at Wembley.
It is scarcely believable that Tottenham should wait so long for Harry Kane to return only to lose both matches for which he has been available.
Spurs could not muster a shot on target in their defeat at Stamford Bridge but I do not expect them to be as bad on Saturday.
Kane remains the one player Arsenal players must tame. Give him a minute’s peace and he will blow you away. With eight goals to his name in these derbies, I will not bet against Kane doing the damage.
The first goal will be crucial. If Arsenal concede early on, they will be forced into chasing the game. The more aggressive they attack, the more space they are likely to leave for Spurs to hit them with a second goal on the counter.
This is a huge game for the Arsenal defence. Shkodran Mustafi can be error-prone when put under pressure and, should he play, it is vital he holds his nerve.
Tottenham do not look the most solid in defence either. That has partly been due to Pochettino’s decision to rotate his centre backs but I have not been convinced by Hugo Lloris since he returned from the 2018 World Cup. He has been making poor decisions all season and it was his poor positioning and lack of communication that led to Kieran Trippier’s unfortunate own goal at Chelsea.
Spurs’ great asset has been their solidity but they do not seem to have the same strong foundations.
I am a big fan of Ozil. He has the ability to conjure a moment of magic to win this game, but the way this season has gone suggests he is not likely to start the game.
Away from home, Emery does not want any players he thinks will be onlookers. He wants his team to be hardworking, out of possession but question-marks remain over whether Ozil can fulfil that role.
In a week where player-power has been in the spotlight, you cannot criticise Emery for having the courage to leave out Ozil.
If the manager does not think a player fits his style, he is fully entitled to drop them. The puzzle for Emery is whether to prioritise creative spark or hard graft.
The North London derby is here and it doesn’t get better than this.
What’s your prediction? Let us know in the comment below.
