Morning all. Quick post today as I’ve overslept and need to get to the ground for the game. Ahead of this afternoon’s derby, I’ve had a chat with my Tottenham-supporting friend Adam Nathan to get their perspective on the game. Enjoy.
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How do you feel about Tottenham’s season so far?
I think we have done quite well, all factors considered. We look like we will progress from an extremely tough Champions League group which is a fantastic achievement for a first-time entrant and whilst our league form has been erratic, we still sit in 7th and not far off 4th place. Considering we have played the entire season with plenty of injuries but most importantly NO decent strikers (Peter Crouch doesn’t count), I’m pretty pleased with how we are going. Fans are always going to be critical and want more from their team, especially given the highs of last year, but I think we have achieved everything we could have asked for at this stage of the season, namely progression from our Champions League group and still being nicely in touch with the top four.
To what extent do you think Champions League qualification has affected domestic form?
I don’t think it has affected our form any more than other factors such as injuries and lack of striking options. We have picked up 7 points from the weekends after our 4 games so far which is a pretty decent return, and apart from the Bolton game which was a bit of a disaster, we have performed well in the games after group matches too.
The biggest gripe I have about our attitude towards the Champions League is that, especially at the start of the season, we were really prioritising Europe over domestic football, which could be the difference between Champions and Europa League qualification in May. As great as its been dining at Europe’s top table, I think we should be focusing predominantly on the Premier League again this year as we will only truly progress as a club with continual qualification for the Champions League.
How do Spurs fans feel about the signing of William Gallas? How has he settled in to the team?
Overall, I think he has done pretty well in a Spurs shirt. He came to us having had no pre-season which would affect even the best of players, so a slow start was to be expected. However, having been given a decent run of games he has performed fairly well in most games and outstandingly in others, namely along side Younes Kaboul on that fantastic night against Inter.
Sadly, a fair proportion of our less tolerant fans seem to take immense pleasure in him making a mistake so they can label him an ‘Arsenal agent,’ which quite frankly is a disgraceful attitude to adopt; the guy has come here for a pretty small weekly wage and is clearly giving it his all for the club – that he played for Arsenal and Chelsea really shouldn’t matter anymore. It will probably take a goal in the derby tomorrow for him to fully win over the rest of the ‘fans,’ which is a great shame really.
Who is Tottenham’s most important player: Bale, Modric or Van Der Vaart?
That really is a tough question to answer, and one that I’m sure every fan will have a differing opinion on. I think I’m going to go with the Welsh wonder as he gives us a genuine fear factor; I doubt there is a single player or manager out there that wouldn’t jump for joy if Bale was injured when we played them, and as a result, he is pretty much indispensable.
In saying that, both Modric and Van Der Vaart have been outstanding this year and we would be massively affected if either of them were ruled out for any game; Luka because of the amount he gets on the ball both in bringing it out from the back and linking play in attack, and Van Der Vaart because he gives us a touch of genius that we haven’t really had since Ginola. When he plays off the striker he is an extremely dangerous opponent for any side, and one that I expect Alex Song to keep a very close eye on tomorrow afternoon.
Will Arsenal’s 4-1 win at WHL in the Carling Cup have any bearing on today’s game?
No I don’t think it will do at all. We had a mixture of second and third string players on the pitch that night and apart from Ekotto, there won’t be a starter tomorrow who also played a part in the Carling Cup fiasco. That said, I was extremely disappointed to see our line-up that night as I thought it would be a really good chance for some of our younger players like Bale and Huddlestone to register another win against the red-shirt of Arsenal that Spurs players have come to fear so much in the past 5-10 years.
Who do you think to be the key players on each team today?
On our side the three players previously mentioned will have to have great games if we are to win the match, whilst we will also be reliant on solid performances from Kaboul, Gallas and Gomes if we want to take even a point from the game. The return of Aaron Lennon will hopefully also be crucial as he has often looked dangerous playing against Clichy – we will need him and Bale to get plenty of balls into Crouch from decent positions and hope that Van Der Vaart can feed off as many scraps as possible.
In terms of the Arsenal side, Song and Fabregas will as always be crucial in stopping their opponents and re-starting your attacks. I have, along with everyone else, been really impressed with Nasri this year and am very worried about the effect he may have if he drifts away from his wide position. When Huddlestone is absent we often concede too much space in front of our back four and that is where Nasri seems to have done a lot of his good work from this year, the goal against City being a classic example.
Intriguingly, Fabianski will also be an important player for both sides and could be the man that decides the result. He has shown a real improvement in form over the past few weeks but I still don’t entirely trust him to avoid a rush of blood and give away a goal. I expect us to create quite a few chances tomorrow as it will surely be an open and attractive game to watch, so the performance of Fabianski could determine whether we win, lose or draw.
Finally, would you venture a prediction?
Tough one to call but I can’t see us getting anything more than a point out of the game. Without Dawson, King and Huddlestone we are going to be a bit light through the centre of the pitch and I expect Arsenal to take full advantage – unfortunately for us. I can see us going 2-0 down by half time, pulling a goal back shortly after the break but then losing a goal on the counter attack to decide the match. Both teams’ performances are often polarised: we play either superbly or terribly, and if we do happen to catch you on an off day we will simply have to take advantage. Sadly I don’t see the Arsenal players giving up the chance to take top spot by 3 o’clock tomorrow afternoon.
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Thanks to Adam for answering those questions. He’s surprisingly moderate, for a Spurs fan, so if you want to hear more from him, including his reaction to the match, follow him on twitter.
It’s kind of a pun, you see. Because there are Matters in hand, Matters which require discussion, most of which relate to tomorrow’s Derby Day. But of course, Derby Day also Matters. More than most. So this post is called ‘Derby Day Matters’.
After that excruciating start, let’s take a surprisingly painless look at the international break. Incredibly, it seems that we have ended the weak with at least as strong a squad as we started. With the news that Jack Wilshere and Andrey Arshavin have come through fitness tests, it’s arguably stronger: Robin van Persie got some much-needed playing time, and is now firmly back in contention for a regular role.
Van Persie’s return is good news for Arsenal, but bad news for another player well on the way to recovery: Nicklas Bendtner. After sitting out the win at Goodison Park, the Danish striker is back in the mix this weekend. However, with three strikers all competing for that one starting spot, he’s unlikely to get the football he desires. Marouane Chamakh has done nothing to warrant being dropped, but Van Persie will be hot on his heels now. Bendtner’s versatility means he could get games on the flank, but he is still very much third choice for the role he craves.
For now, however, our Moroccan in the middle will continue. He’s in good form, as evidenced by his lucky goal in midweek. Either side of him, I’d expect Arshavin and Nasri to continue – the Frenchman is also right at the top of his game, and was instrumental in picking England apart at Wembley on Wednesday night.
Although Wilshere is available, I’d say he was far from certain to start. Denilson was very impressive as a substitute at Everton, and might be given the nod. Song and Cesc, however, will be among the first names on the team-sheet.
At the back Arsene has one choice to make, between Koscielny and Djourou. After the kind of shaky start to the season you can only expect from a guy who had been missing for the best part of 18 months, Djourou impressed at both Wolves and Everton. His height might be an advantage against Peter Crouch, so Koscielny could find himself relegated to the subs bench. I don’t know if anyone has noticed, by the way, that with the exception of Kieran Gibbs (who made his first England start on Wednesday), every senior defender in the squad is French-speaking. Apart from the goalkeeper. Who is Polish. So we’ll know who to blame for any miscommunication…
Spurs welcome back Jermaine Defoe, but I’d be surprised if they started with both him and Crouch. I expect it’ll be the taller Englishmen, with the trio of Bale, Van der Vaart and Lennon playing off him. With Modric and Huddlestone sitting deep, Spurs have a very strong midfield now, and that is where the game will be won or lost. We’ll need Cesc to be in better form than he has been in recent weeks if we’re to overcome our rivals and claim the three points.
William Gallas could well be on the field for Spurs. Arsene Wenger has asked for the fans to ‘respect’ him – whilst I can’t guarantee that’ll happen, I can assure Le Boss there won’t be burning effigies, death threats, racial of homophobic abuse. That’s just not our style.
Tottenham’s domestic form has been patchy, as many predicted in the light of their Champions League qualification. That said, they’re still able to sit in seventh place, in a congested Premier League where just five points separate European qualification from the relegation zone.
There are local bragging rights at stake – derby day has added significance for those who have to turn up for work on Monday morning and sit opposite the enemy. However, more importantly than that, a win would take us top of the Premier League. Some anticipated that the entire season would merely be a prolonged procession for the eventual Champions Chelsea. Taking top spot at this crucial point in the season, if only for a few hours, would put a different spin on that.
The Premier League table makes for fairly pretty reading at the moment.
The weekend couldn’t have gone much better for us, with United, City, and most spectacularly Chelsea all dropping points whilst we secured a big win at Goodison Park. It doesn’t set right the folly of losing at home to Newcastle, but six points from two tricky away trips in five days is a good return.
This is a crucial period of the season.
Not because of the fixture list – although we do face some important games. It’s a crucial time because if Chelsea are ever going to be vulnerable, it’s now. Sunderland’s romping victory at Stamford Bridge was largely due to the absence of key Chelsea players through injury. They were without both Frank Lampard and John Terry, whilst Didier Drogba is still recovering from a bout of malaria. Since then they’ve also lost Alex, leaving them with Branislav Ivanovic as their only fit recognised centre-back. If Chelsea do slip up, it’s imperative we take advantage.
Neither the Everton nor Wolves win were particularly convincing.
In both, we were reliant on Lukasz Fabianski to secure the result. Whilst he wasn’t stretched quite as much at Goodison as at Molineux, he still made a series of important saves. Manuel Almunia is reportedly ready to return to action, but I can’t see him encroaching on the number one spot. It wouldn’t surprise me if a condition of Wojciech Szczesny’s decision to sign a new contract is an understanding that he will soon be the undisputed number two. Szczesny and Fabianski are obviously close – they celebrated on the pitch together after the win at Wolves – but a bit of friendly rivalry won’t do either any harm.
Sebastien Squillaci ought to have been sent off.
I thought the calls from pundits for Cesc to receive a red card at Wolves were over-the-top and hysterical, but in this case I was flabbergasted that Squillaci stayed on the pitch after bringing down Louis Saha when the striker was clear on goal. Alan Smith suggested on Sky that Gael Clichy would have got across to cover, but I’m not sure I agree – Saha’s turn was excellent, and left Squillaci very exposed. Still, you need more than a touch of luck to win a title.
Johan Djourou grows with every game.
Not literally, of course. He’d be massive. That said, his size is a definite advantage. He’s also got some real passing ability – a couple of lofted balls out of the back showed off his range. Laurent Koscielny will be back in contention for the visit of Spurs, but I’d give real consideration to sticking with the men in situe.
Bacary Sagna ought to score more goals.
Perhaps not with his feet – even Sunday’s goal was something of a hit and hope – but certainly with his head. He goes forward for most corners and is definitely one of the team’s biggest aerial threats – defensively, he’s rarely beaten to the ball, yet he’s never translated that in to a realistic goal threat. Something to work on.
Alex Song’s passing was absolutely atrocious.
Jack Wilshere was withdrawn at half-time in favour of the impressive Denilson, but Song can count himself lucky it wasn’t he who was hauled off. A quick glance at the Guardian’s chalkboard isn’t too damning:
However, it’s worth noting that three passes went directly out of play, whilst I distinctly remember some which have been marked down as ‘accurate’ were struck so incorrectly that it made it almost impossible for the receiver to retain possession.
Let’s hope it was just a blip – against the likes of Modric and Van der Vaart, such mistakes could be costly.
After the defeat against Newcastle at the weekend, I questioned Lukasz Fabianski’s right to be Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper. Based on the evidence of last season, it was a fair aspersion to cast. The hallmark of his disastrous 09/10 campaign was shattered confidence: each disaster had a cumulative effect, gradually wearing down of his self-esteem, and the mistakes followed on like dominoes. Last night, however, he showed us that something has changed.
Undoubtedly, Fabianski made a big mistake against Newcastle. But instead of allowing that to be a catalyst to a downward spiral, he recovered with perhaps his best ever performance in an Arsenal shirt. Not even his ridiculous pink outfit could make him look silly: he was outstanding.
Arsene Wenger said:
“I think he did extremely well and made a fantastic save in the last minute of the game. He was of course disappointed with the goal we conceded against Newcastle on Sunday but overall it’s good that not only he had a good game tonight but as well that he has the mental strength to respond quickly in a positive way.”
This was a big, big win. Wolves will be wondering how they ended up losing by two goals. Fabianski is one of the main reasons, as he made a succession of impressive saves. But this Arsenal side showed desire and determination that was notably lacking at the weekend. When they needed to put their body on the line and in front of the ball, they did.
Arsene made a couple of changes to the team beyond the enforced switch of replacing the suspended Koscielny with Djourou. Rosicky and Arshavin came in for Nasri and Walcott.
The introduction of Rosicky reaped dividends inside the first minute, as he found Song, whose cross from the right was met by the forceful header of Marouane Chamakh to give us an early lead and the perfect start. A goal so soon after kick-off threw Wolves, and we ought to have taken advantage. Andrey Arshavin missed a presentable opportunity as we put their defenders under pressure high up the pitch.
As the half wore on, however, Wolves crept back in to it, and Fabianski had to produce his first piece of outstanding goalkeeping to claw a deflected cross away from the presumably empty head of Stehen Hunt. A Hernandez-esque header from Kevin Doyle also threatened, but fortunately dropped just over the bar.
The second half started with a great opportunity for Cesc Fabregas, but he dragged his shot wide. After that, and with the exception of an Arshavin shot that cannoned off the post and a Djourou effort from a corner where he really ought to have scored, it was all Wolves pressure. Our goal was under siege. Tomas Rosicky made a clearance off the line, and Fabianski was on hand to palm away a delicate lob from Kevin Doyle.
His most crucial save came in stoppage time. Despite seeing Christophe Berra’s shot late, he got a strong left-hand to the ball to prevent it nestling neatly in the corner. He then instantly gathered the ball to prevent an opposition forward latching on to the rebound. And there was more: he also had the presence of mind to look up and launch a swift counter-attack.
It was a move which ended with Fabregas clipping the ball through to Marouane Chamakh, whose unorthodox finish with the outside of his boot was too powerful for Marcus Hahnemann to keep out. Game over.
Some will say Fabregas shouldn’t have been on the pitch, after catching Stephen Ward with a late lunge by the touchline. It was indeed very reminiscent of Joe Cole’s challenge on Laurent Koscielny on the opening day of the season, which produced a red card. On this occasion, Fabregas escaped with a caution.
I haven’t had a chance to study the morning’s headlines, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that challenge picked up undue attention. Perhaps it ought to have been a red card, but I hope any article condemning Cesc also mention Karl Henry’s appalling ‘tackle’ on Andrey Arshavin, for which he wasn’t even booked. After the game, Cesc went in to the Wolves dressing room to apologise to Ward. I wonder if Henry did the same.
Fabianski aside, there were plenty of big performances. The back four were solid – Sebastien Squillaci has adapted to the Premier League remarkably quickly. Until the 94th minute, Arsene Wenger made just one substitution, meaning that plenty of sweat was shed in the name of the Arsenal cause. Even Andrey Arshavin could be seen chasing and harrying defenders. Marouane Chamakh’s goals, meanwhile, came 92 mins 26 seconds apart (thanks Optajoe), which is ample demonstration of the fact he worked solidly from the first whistle to the last.
Arsenal will need to do the same at Goodison Park on Sunday if we’re to prevent this from becoming another November to forget.
As I write this, Arsene Wenger is waiting to hear the FA’s ruling on an appeal against the red card given to Laurent Koscielny. The sending off was Koscielny’s second of the season, meaning he is currently due to miss two games: the away fixtures at Wolves and Everton.
I have to say, the decision to appeal is an odd one: for me, the red-card was absolutely the right decision. The arguments against the sending off are flimsy. Those who’ve pointed out that Ranger was very wide on the pitch fail to take in to account the fact that he is actually capable of running in a diagonal line, toward goal. And yes, Squillaci was coming across, but in a straight race with the Newcastle striker he wouldn’t have stood a chance.
There’s a similar likelihood of the card being rescinded, and every chance that it will be extended on the grounds of a ‘frivolous’ appeal. That would result in Koscielny serving a three-game ban and missing the North London Derby with Spurs, which makes our choice to contest the decision all the more bizarre. Hopefully Thomas Vermaelen is close to returning and easing the strain at the heart of our defence. His presence and leadership have been sorely missed.
(Update: The ban has been upheld but not extended. Koscielny will be back for Spurs.)
One man who is back is Robin van Persie, although Arsene is insistent that he’s “not ready”. I did think there was something vaguely hypocritical and possibly desperate about Arsene throwing Robin on against Newcastle having spent a week preaching about the importance of easing him slowly back in. Any argument against Van Persie going away with Holland has now disintegrated: if he’s fit enough for the Premier League, he’s fit enough for International football. That said, he’s clearly nowhere near being ready to start, and will be back on the bench tomorrow night at Wolves.
“When you play for a team like Arsenal, after two defeats you need to respond. A great team doesn’t concede three consecutive defeats. So the next game will be really important, we need to show that Arsenal are a great team. We need to respond well at Wolves on Wednesday.”
Wolves are playing some decent stuff and will provide stiff opposition, but over the coming weeks the games don’t get easier. We face Spurs at home, and travel to Everton and Aston Villa. Of those forthcoming fixtures, tomorrow’s tricky encounter is arguably the most winnable. After recent slip-ups, it’s imperative we put three points on the board.
