Match Threads Arsenal vs Spurs - Match Thread - Day 28

[hughy]

Honestly not sure what to expect from this game. I was confident in getting a result at West Ham, and despite a decent second half we still went away with nothing.

I'm going score draw. Keeps the recent unbeaten run going, a 7 point gap between us and them, and still with a shot of top 4.

 

[Serpico]

Defensively they are shocking. Put their defence under presure and it should reap rewards.

 

[rupsmith]

Jose and the dream team attack are the difference this time . Kane is on fire and just have a feeling that Spurs express is going to carry on. I think Jose has got the team hungry for success again..

It is going to be a tough game. Think a bit like that West Ham one. Can be a real spring board if we win this one - 4 wins in a row and not the toughest run in to finish the season.

 

[cider spurs]

If we're on it, we win.

Yeah they've a few players starting to look decent for them. Partey and Pepe for example. But I suggest on form, we surpass them in most areas.

 

[teok]

Arsenal v Tottenham tactical preview: one big game, five big questions

Will Mourinho resist all natural urges to be conservative? Will Arteta go for it? Smith Rowe and Bale may be crucial for Arsenal and Spurs.

www.football365.com

1) Will Mourinho stick with his new attacking system or pull back?
Tottenham have won five consecutive games in all competitions and scored four goals in three of these, a frankly ridiculous turnaround under Jose Mourinho that nobody saw coming. Spurs are now among the favourites to win the Europa League and are closing in on the top four. It would be the ultimate surprise of this confounding Premier League season should Spurs and Mourinho achieve all of their wildest ambitions for 2020/21.

To do so, Mourinho needs to continue with this aesthetic, however strong the urge to retreat to more conservative tactics for big games like this one. That’s why Sunday’s North London Derby is a particularly crucial litmus test for the months ahead; if Tottenham go all out at the Emirates with an attacking line-up and a 4-2-3-1 they can blow away an error-prone Arsenal and begin serious discussion of a top-four challenge.

To retreat – to drop the number ten for a third stodgy midfielder or to leave Gareth Bale out of the side – would see heads drop somewhat. Mourinho needs to seize the moment and seize the initiative. The option he chooses will go a long way to defining the tactical pattern of this match.



2) Will Arteta try to dull the game with Elneny and Willian selections?
But Mikel Arteta’s choices are just as important in avoiding yet another tedious ‘Big Six’ game. At their best, Arsenal look distinctly modern and pleasingly different from a Pep Guardiola team, focusing on quick verticality; on direct dribblers playing on the half-turn; and on risky passing out from the back followed by a sudden surge in tempo.

This is surely the best approach to tackling Mourinho’s Spurs, who will either sit deep (meaning Arteta needs more creative players and hard runners to break through the blockade) or play more expansively with Bale and a number ten (meaning extra space in the transition, where players like Emile Smith Rowe and Dani Ceballos flourish). However, Arteta has shown a disappointing tendency to pick a slower, possession-based line-up for big games.

Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka often play together against big teams, which inevitably leads to endless sideways passing as Arsenal hesitantly shuttle the ball meaninglessly in front of a low block. Similarly Arteta may go for Willian on the left, a more defensive option than Nicolas Pepe or Martin Odegaard. Here’s hoping both Mourinho and Arteta decide to go for it.



3) Can Bale indirectly put Arsenal’s right-back under pressure?
Although Bale has been directly involved in nine goals in his last seven games in all competitions, arguably the Welshman’s biggest influence is indirect; he is proving a good distraction on the right, drawing attention away from Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane (who tends to drift to the left) and therefore creating more room for Tottenham’s two best players.

Son remains high and wide on the left, Kane occupies central attacking midfield, and Bale tends to drop the deepest of the three to collect a pass between the lines: the three Spurs forwards occupy different zones vertically as well as horizontally, and it is Bale’s job to receive on the half-turn, drive at the defence, and – having drawn the opposition to his side – switch the play out to Son.

This attacking interplay is likely to expose Arsenal at right-back, which remains their most problematic area. Hector Bellerin, Cedric Soares, and Callum Chambers are all rotated into this role, betraying Arteta’s distrust in their respective defensive qualities. Whenever Bale switches it out to Son or Kane, Arsenal fans will be holding their breath.

4) Can Smith Rowe help expose Spurs’ weaker right flank?
Tottenham are also weakest at right-back, with Matt Doherty failing to settle well into a back four and Serge Aurier continuing to make rash decisions. This problem will only get worse with Bale expected to help out on that side, so if Mourinho does pick an attacking line-up Spurs should have serious problems on this flank.

Only Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, and Manchester United attack down the left more frequently than Arsenal (41% of the time), reflecting Kieran Tierney’s attacking importance and Arteta’s tendency to play Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on that side. Whoever the manager plumps for on Sunday, as long as it isn’t Willian – the defensive option – Arsenal should be able to put Spurs under significant pressure.

Arteta’s team selection against Olympiacos hints at starts for Smith Rowe and Alexandre Lacazette, which means Aubameyang out on the left. Smith Rowe will no doubt lean over to that left side to combine with Aubameyang as he has done throughout the season. In those moments when Bale is caught high up the pitch, Doherty is in trouble.


5) How does Mourinho force more Arsenal defensive errors?
Arsenal just can’t stop giving away easy goals. Xhaka’s awful mistake gifted Burnley a point last weekend, and on Thursday night Dani Ceballos was caught on the ball for a soft Olympiacos equaliser. Both goals followed a well-established pattern that Mourinho will have noted: Arsenal’s relentless attempts to pass out from the back are extremely vulnerable to high pressing.

Arteta really won’t mind that his team are encouraging this approach, because the whole point of the strategy is to draw the opposition forward, thus creating more space once the press has been out-manoeuvred. Conceding goals like the ones against Burnley and Olympiacos are just collateral damage that serves to further lure the opponent into their trap.

High pressing isn’t usually something Mourinho likes to do, but surely Spurs will indeed close down the Arsenal centre-backs when Bernd Leno has the ball. Tottenham’s best option is to field Dele Alli, a good presser under Mauricio Pochettino, behind Kane, but that might be a little too ambitious for Mourinho to stomach

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

I'm literally never confident when it comes to any derby. But when it comes to playing this lot, the nerves are almost unbearable. I hate playing them!

 

[rez9000]

What a great way to start my Saturday! Thanks, Dan.

And thanks @Bulletspur for the thread and @chrissivad for the graphicalisations.

 

[Stavrogin]

Defensively they are shocking. Put their defence under presure and it should reap rewards.

Ethically they are shocking. Get them indicted for War crimes before the Hague and it should reap rewards.

 

[The Doc]

Arsenal v Tottenham tactical preview: one big game, five big questions

Will Mourinho resist all natural urges to be conservative? Will Arteta go for it? Smith Rowe and Bale may be crucial for Arsenal and Spurs.

www.football365.com

1) Will Mourinho stick with his new attacking system or pull back?
Tottenham have won five consecutive games in all competitions and scored four goals in three of these, a frankly ridiculous turnaround under Jose Mourinho that nobody saw coming. Spurs are now among the favourites to win the Europa League and are closing in on the top four. It would be the ultimate surprise of this confounding Premier League season should Spurs and Mourinho achieve all of their wildest ambitions for 2020/21.

To do so, Mourinho needs to continue with this aesthetic, however strong the urge to retreat to more conservative tactics for big games like this one. That’s why Sunday’s North London Derby is a particularly crucial litmus test for the months ahead; if Tottenham go all out at the Emirates with an attacking line-up and a 4-2-3-1 they can blow away an error-prone Arsenal and begin serious discussion of a top-four challenge.

To retreat – to drop the number ten for a third stodgy midfielder or to leave Gareth Bale out of the side – would see heads drop somewhat. Mourinho needs to seize the moment and seize the initiative. The option he chooses will go a long way to defining the tactical pattern of this match.



2) Will Arteta try to dull the game with Elneny and Willian selections?
But Mikel Arteta’s choices are just as important in avoiding yet another tedious ‘Big Six’ game. At their best, Arsenal look distinctly modern and pleasingly different from a Pep Guardiola team, focusing on quick verticality; on direct dribblers playing on the half-turn; and on risky passing out from the back followed by a sudden surge in tempo.

This is surely the best approach to tackling Mourinho’s Spurs, who will either sit deep (meaning Arteta needs more creative players and hard runners to break through the blockade) or play more expansively with Bale and a number ten (meaning extra space in the transition, where players like Emile Smith Rowe and Dani Ceballos flourish). However, Arteta has shown a disappointing tendency to pick a slower, possession-based line-up for big games.

Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka often play together against big teams, which inevitably leads to endless sideways passing as Arsenal hesitantly shuttle the ball meaninglessly in front of a low block. Similarly Arteta may go for Willian on the left, a more defensive option than Nicolas Pepe or Martin Odegaard. Here’s hoping both Mourinho and Arteta decide to go for it.



3) Can Bale indirectly put Arsenal’s right-back under pressure?
Although Bale has been directly involved in nine goals in his last seven games in all competitions, arguably the Welshman’s biggest influence is indirect; he is proving a good distraction on the right, drawing attention away from Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane (who tends to drift to the left) and therefore creating more room for Tottenham’s two best players.

Son remains high and wide on the left, Kane occupies central attacking midfield, and Bale tends to drop the deepest of the three to collect a pass between the lines: the three Spurs forwards occupy different zones vertically as well as horizontally, and it is Bale’s job to receive on the half-turn, drive at the defence, and – having drawn the opposition to his side – switch the play out to Son.

This attacking interplay is likely to expose Arsenal at right-back, which remains their most problematic area. Hector Bellerin, Cedric Soares, and Callum Chambers are all rotated into this role, betraying Arteta’s distrust in their respective defensive qualities. Whenever Bale switches it out to Son or Kane, Arsenal fans will be holding their breath.

4) Can Smith Rowe help expose Spurs’ weaker right flank?
Tottenham are also weakest at right-back, with Matt Doherty failing to settle well into a back four and Serge Aurier continuing to make rash decisions. This problem will only get worse with Bale expected to help out on that side, so if Mourinho does pick an attacking line-up Spurs should have serious problems on this flank.

Only Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, and Manchester United attack down the left more frequently than Arsenal (41% of the time), reflecting Kieran Tierney’s attacking importance and Arteta’s tendency to play Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on that side. Whoever the manager plumps for on Sunday, as long as it isn’t Willian – the defensive option – Arsenal should be able to put Spurs under significant pressure.

Arteta’s team selection against Olympiacos hints at starts for Smith Rowe and Alexandre Lacazette, which means Aubameyang out on the left. Smith Rowe will no doubt lean over to that left side to combine with Aubameyang as he has done throughout the season. In those moments when Bale is caught high up the pitch, Doherty is in trouble.


5) How does Mourinho force more Arsenal defensive errors?
Arsenal just can’t stop giving away easy goals. Xhaka’s awful mistake gifted Burnley a point last weekend, and on Thursday night Dani Ceballos was caught on the ball for a soft Olympiacos equaliser. Both goals followed a well-established pattern that Mourinho will have noted: Arsenal’s relentless attempts to pass out from the back are extremely vulnerable to high pressing.

Arteta really won’t mind that his team are encouraging this approach, because the whole point of the strategy is to draw the opposition forward, thus creating more space once the press has been out-manoeuvred. Conceding goals like the ones against Burnley and Olympiacos are just collateral damage that serves to further lure the opponent into their trap.

High pressing isn’t usually something Mourinho likes to do, but surely Spurs will indeed close down the Arsenal centre-backs when Bernd Leno has the ball. Tottenham’s best option is to field Dele Alli, a good presser under Mauricio Pochettino, behind Kane, but that might be a little too ambitious for Mourinho to stomach

I do hope it is "stick with the new attacking system" and force "more defensive errors". I know we won comfortably doing it the other way at home, but it's just working right now. Pick the right tool and use it (as per the indignant Chigurh line from NCFOM when he discovers the mob boss has enlisted someone else to recover the missing drug money).

 

[MotspurHotspur]

Both teams capable of making a hash of things defensively and both with very capable attacks (although ours is obviously better of course!), this could easily end up being another 5-4, 4-4 classic.

I can't see Aubamayang or Lacazette spurning some of the chances we've offered up to recent opponents so we just need to be focused and sharp going forwards to outscore them, no glory individuals, play for the team and the win. I haven't seen much of the Goons, what do they have in midfield? Anything to compete with Hoijberg and Tanguy?

 

[McFlash]

Hope Jose doesn't do anything crazy with the starting line up, especially with the back four of Doherty Sanchez Toby & Reggie who seem to have found some form between them, Doherty seems to have clicked with Bale on the right side.

Think he'll go strong as he knows how important this game is to fans and players alike.
Plus, Jose seems to take a special kind of pleasure from beating Arsenal.

 

[TheChosenOne]

Merson

 

[GutBucket]

Our movement is definitely better. Not many are better than Kane, Son, Bale, Dele (if he plays). Lucas lately also.

 

[idontgetit]

Merson

Spurs rely too much on Kane, Son and Gareth Bale. I could have probably wanked to that comment a year ago.

 

[UncleBuck]

Merson

He’s such an arse hat isn’t he, quite clearly been on the Kestrel Super Strength again.
Never been more confident going into a NLD, even if they score one or two I can see our movement, if we are on it, tearing their back line to pieces. 1-3.

 

[Clockspur]

Merson

So we are too reliant on 3 players who we own, are fit, will be playing this weekend and are the 3 best players on the pitch. Merson actually gets paid for this.

 

[McFlash]

Merson just opens his mouth and lets his belly rumble.
What team doesn't rely on their 3 best players?
I honestly don't think that Arsenal have anyone with the ability of those 3, let alone mentioning the rest of the squad.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

I’d rather have three starts to rely on that have none to rely on.

 

[rossdapep]

Merson

I swear I didn't imagine this but about two weeks ago he was absolutely laying into this Arsenal team saying they are a distinctively average team??

These pundits...anyone would think they were well informed ?

 

[wrd]

Arsenal v Tottenham tactical preview: one big game, five big questions

Will Mourinho resist all natural urges to be conservative? Will Arteta go for it? Smith Rowe and Bale may be crucial for Arsenal and Spurs.

www.football365.com

Great write up, always impressed by football 365.