Match Day Thread Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal

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Saturday 10th February 12.30pm
Premier League
Wembley Stadium​

Our tricky run continues apace and this really could be something of a season defining game.
Win this and we're right in the fight for the top four and it casts our visitors a little adrift.
Heading to Turin with a spring in our step would be a real boost, before we take on the potential banana skin at Rochdale.
Fail to win and the Goons won't be far behind, plus they'll have the chance to rest and rotate in the Europa League.
Can we continue our good form or will we make things tough for ourselves?

Arsenal have had something of a strange season, veering from some real highs to some serious lows.
The January transfer window reflected that quite well, as they lost big names but brought some in, too.
Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud strengthened other sides in the division that they're competing with.
Ex-Dortmund pair Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have replaced the trio.
Time will tell whether this has strengthened or weakened them.

A roller coaster of form has made their campaign entertaining for neutrals, but probably nerve shredding for their fans.
They've had some big wins and respectable draws, but there's also been a number of unexpected losses.
Stoke, Watford, Bournemouth and Swansea have all taken three points at home against them this season.
Nottingham Forest also knocked them out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle.
We need to take advantage of this apparent travel sickness.

The game at The Emirates in November was something of a disaster.
Illness, injuries and form plagued our squad, as did an awful Mike Dean performance, as we lost 2-0.
The opening goal came from a ludicrously awarded free-kick, which was headed home by an offside Mustafi.
Alexis Sanchez added the second shortly afterward, before replays revealed that he too was offside.
A tough pill to swallow, but the level of performance made it even worse, as we simply failed to turn up:

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The last North London derby at White Hart Lane was an entirely different affair.
The visitors were lucky to still be level at half-time, as both Alli and Eriksen missed relatively easy chances.
That luck didn't last too long after the break though, as the two combined to open the scoring.
Eriksen's jinking run lead to a shot that Cech could only parry and Alli pounced on the loose ball to fire home.
Gabriel conceded a stupid penalty shortly after that and Kane fired it home to ensure that we finished above them:

We appear to have no injuries at all for this one and everyone's available.
Lucas Moura will be considered for his first match for us.
Arsenal will be without long-term casualty Santi Cazorla and Petr Cech faces a late assessment.
Neither side has any suspensions.

Lineups for each side's last league game:

Spurs: Lloris; Trippier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Dembele; Eriksen, Alli, Son; Kane.
Subs: Vorm, Aurier, Rose, Wanyama, Winks, Sissoko, Lamela, Llorente.
League form: WDWDWD.

Arsenal: Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Ramsey, Xhaka; Iwobi, Ozil, Mkhitaryan; Aubameyang.
Subs: Ospina, Chambers, Kolasinac, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Wilshere, Lacazette.
League form: DDLWLW.

Referee: Anthony Taylor.

TV: BT Sport 1.

Should we make any changes from the side that drew at Anfield?
Did anyone do enough against Newport to stake a claim for a starting spot or even a place on the bench?
Is there anything that we need to do differently to deal with Arsenal's new signings?

 

Haven't watched it yet, but here it is:

 

Should be a good game.

Could go either way. We have been horrendous away from home this Season. However, I fancy Aubamayeng to have another blinder and win it for us.

 

He is trying to be the first player to
lose 3 times to Spurs this season.

< ambition >

 

Of fitness or general competence?
He seems to have been in decline for a while, but Whinger remains loyal to him. Fecker will probably have a worldie tomorrow having said that.....

Every game is a ‘must win’ but this is a ‘really must win’ one. Goons are crowing about their new strikeforce, but if we win then the psychological effect on the rest of the season will be immense.

Never have good feelings about these games, just differing levels of nausea.....

 

For Arsenal it's a big game. On the one hand most have written Arsenal off for top 4 including the media and fans so the pressure is off a bit. But on the other hand if we beat Spurs it potentially opens the top 4 battle back up again as it would create a 3 point gap between 3rd and 6th with Liverpool and Chelsea having a game in hand.

 

Not at all. In fact, far from it (pressure and expectation) .

You face big pressure to qualify again for the CL.
If you fail to do so this season, then you are in decline.
And Kroenke will begin to feel it on the balance sheet.

If you fail to do it via the PL, then you must emulate
what Man Utd did last season. That in itself brings
immense pressure because the claim has been that
qualifying for PL top 4 when you are in the EL is
easier than when you are in the CL. We'll soon find
out on that one eh.

For Spurs, the pressure is only financial.
The expectations (PL top 4, home games at Wembley,
the CL "group of death" etc) have been lower, and
currently been exceeded.

 

so basically the pressure is financial too?

I think Spurs have more pressure. The arse fans are already in the mode of their season being over in the PL. getting 4th now would be a massive bonus whereas for you boys you are still in the mix.

As for consequences, if you don't get CL then it'll be interesting how many of your players will still want to stay underpaid and not competing at the highest level. Obviously Levy will make a killing but can "lads" who have invested so much believing in Pochs project really continue believing if you can't even make it into the CL.

 

Their supporters don't run the balance sheet
(they do not vote with their wallets) .


"As for consequences, if you don't get CL then it'll be interesting how many of your players will still
want to stay underpaid and not competing at the highest level."

It will indeed.

 

The only thing that matters is that it's the NLD. It'll be another record PL attendance and the atmosphere is going to be 'off the chart'. Once the players are on the pitch none of the other stuff matters a damn. Can't wait.

COYS.

 

While there will obviously be behind the scenes pressure relating to finances, the general pressure of expectation from fans and the media will be small in the league as top four is now seen as a bonus with more expectation and focus given to the LC final and europa league.

Given the teams in the competition I think the europa is a cup we should be able to win (though we have sold some of our players eligible to play in it) and it is a route to the CL so I think that is where pressure will begin to mount as we progress through the competition.

As for it being easier to get top 4 when in europa to CL I'd say that depends how you approach the competition. If you go on a run to the europa final for example you will have more games and disruption to the domestic season than if you drop out of the CL group or last 16. If you flunk out of the europa by not bothering with it and you play youth instead of first team players then of course it'll be easier to make top 4.

Spurs expectation will be focused on the league. There is no expectation that you'll go far in the CL so if you do the pressure will be off. But in the league there will be big pressure to get top four which will grow if it starts looking unlikely.

So from a pressure and expectation point of view I'd say Spurs are the team under pressure to win.

Though it could mean just as much in terms of how the season will play out to both teams.

 

but in terms of the pressure you say about arsenal not making the CL for financial reasons, they are both as big for yourselves as it is for arsenal so i was trying to understand why you think that there is MORE pressure on arsenal for financial reasons?

 

Much larger wage bill.

Sponsor (kit etc) payout levels depending on CL etc.
That is why Wenger continually parrots on about the
PL top 4 Cup and what an "achievement" it has been
(not for him, his paymasters) .

The Goon wage bill has been escalating upwards
these past few years to levels towards those of
the Sugga Daddy FCs and actual PL winners.

To put finances in perspective, what Spurs have
earned in UEFA prize money just for reaching the
CL group stage, the Goons could only make by
reaching the EL final by winning EVERY game
along the way. And that is without considering TV money.

 

26th May is Spurs lucky day mate, we received our first ever Champions Trophy on 26th May 1900. By co-incidence the CL final is in Kiev on 26th May this year, it could be written in the Stars

 

I love an obscure stat

Can't see you guys getting much further in the CL though. I'm interested to see if City or PSG have finally spent enough to have a team who can win it.

 

A lot depends on the draw mate if we beat the Old Lady.

If PSG and Citeh draw each other en-route, there is a path to the final for any of the teams left in it. I seem to remember Ar5ena1 getting to the final one year thanks to a series of easy draws.

 

The year we got to the CL final can hardly be called a series of easy draws... Real Madrid in the last 16, Juventus in the Quarter final and then Villarreal in the semi (who had knocked out Inter in the quarter final). Could have had a more traditionally difficult team in the semi final but the other two knockout games weren't easy by any stretch of the imagination.

If a team gets a lucky draw they may get a route to the final but with City and PSG as well as the usual suspects it'll have to be very lucky to go all the way without playing some very good opposition this year.

 

Spurs have already played good opposition twice
in the CL this year, and that is just in the group stage.
I suspect that victory over Juventus will :

1. make Spurs the first club to defeat both the previous
seasons' CL finalists in the following season.

2. put Spurs on course to draw PSG before the final
(destiny with Aurier and Moura now Spurs players) .

 

Group stage is different to knockout stages though. But the fact you've played these teams already just goes to show how difficult it is to have an easy run in the CL.

I could see you being able to beat Juventus but think PSG would open you like a can of beans. They have a lethal front line.

 

I've seen headlines begging for clicks by hinting at Wenger's secret weapon for the match.

I'm going to hazard a guess they're not referring to him mouthing off to the press about English players being divers, with specific mention given to Dele Alli, a few days before the match...