FROM TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM – Within the fashionable Premier League period, the north London derby has tended to favour the house aspect. In the latest of years, that sentiment has flipped in opposition to the lilywhite half of city.
Arsenal have now gained three straight video games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, another victory than Spurs have claimed at their Emirates Stadium house, regardless of giving their rivals a 13-year head begin.
Sunday’s 1-0 loss to the Gunners is nearly definitely going to show pivotal by hook or by crook in Ange Postecoglou’s tenure as head coach. As soon as extra, the stats have been variety to Tottenham, who had 64% possession, extra photographs, extra photographs on the right track, and a greater expected-goals whole.
But it did not really feel like they might’ve been deserved winners of this derby, even deserved point-takers had they conjured an equaliser from someplace.
Construct-up to the weekend centred round Arsenal’s scarce midfield choices within the absence of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. Tottenham’s midfield trio walked throughout Jorginho and Thomas Partey, however that mattered little within the grand scheme of the sport.
Lots of the hosts’ possibilities have been half relatively than full. That could be as a result of imperious defensive juggernaut which Arsenal are these days, however that does not clarify their struggles to carve open Newcastle United and Leicester Metropolis already this season, or any of the 19 groups who did so final 12 months.
The attacking blueprint is ok however deeply faulted. For Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham’s ambitions, that may not be sufficient to succeed. And the larger downside goes the opposite method.
Spurs are straightforward to play in opposition to. You won’t have the ability to get the ball off them for prolonged stretches and also you won’t even play properly, however they may afford you area in transition, area on free kicks, area on corners. There’s all the time a set play to be gained and a lapse in focus to pounce upon. This time round, it was the area on the nook, nonetheless marginal that was.
What’s occurring to Tottenham is not an accident, extra the fault of ill-advised planning. Postecoglou bemoans that his aspect’s largest issues is their lack of medical ending, however that energy is not going to come back again on once more like turning on a faucet – the objectives will not move as a result of the possibilities aren’t clear.
One of many largest compliments you’ll be able to pay to Mikel Arteta is that he has redefined who Arsenal are, as they too have been of that ilk as soon as upon a time. Now you would be hard-pushed to discover a extra streetwise outfit.
Postecoglou has succeeded all around the world, however now beneath the Premier League highlight his flaws are starting to face out.
Tottenham’s document in large video games and derbies – zero wins in opposition to Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham United – is turning into as predictable as their favorite play to run. The place Spurs will play a disguised reverse cross between the traces to the winger for a cutback cross on the close to publish, they won’t take three factors when the stakes are excessive.
Postecoglou is agency in his perception that if his males work laborious sufficient, they may overcome this difficult interval and switch into the group he’s dreaming of. It is simply nowhere close to as clear a assure that’ll occur as he appears to suppose.
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