North London Derby Looms & The Gunners Are Looking To Smash Some Spuds

Match Preview: Arsenal vs. Tottenham 27.09.2014

I gotta admit, I haven't hungered for a North London Derby as much as I have for this one in a while. Regardless of either club's relative fortunes, which one is in a "negative spiral," or what the match means for bragging rights, this match presents an itch that I just can't wait to scratch. Losing to Southampton on Tuesday only fuels that fire; I'm looking around for something to smash. It that something happens to be a Spud, well, then, so be it.

Let's be honest ourselves. We're off to a stuttering start, what with two wins from five matches in the league, a draw and a win to qualify for the Champions League, a group stage loss in the group-stage, and a desultory defeat in the League Cup. It's not been the stuff of legend, even if we can lay claim to remaining undefeated in the league itself.

Then again, it's not as if Spurs have set the world afire with their own start. After having started off strong with four straight wins, including two to qualify for Europa League competition, Spurs have stumbled lately, drawing away to Sunderland and Partizan Belgrade before losing at home to West Brom, continuing a trend of tepid form at White Hart Lane, only to right things a bit by defeating Nottingham Forest on Wednesday in the League Cup. All in all, though, this can't be what Mauricio Pochettino envisioned when he came over from Southampton. He inherited a squad that struggled last season to account for the departure of Bale and to bed in seven new players. By all outward signs, then, there should be but a few kinks to iron out. After all, Spurs conducted only the most-modest of business over the summer, spending barely more than 37m on new players--none, it might be noted, from Southampton, despite an exodus of near-Biblical proportions.

There are some tea-leaves to read there, perhaps akin to the Moyes/Man U saga of a season ago. It's a signal of faith and loyalty when players are willing to uproot and follow a manager to a new club, even if the new club is bigger and more glorious than the club being left. Pochettino left pluckly l'il Southampton to come to the bright lights and big city on offer at Tottenham. Who followed him? None. This despite Southampton losing the likes of Shaw, Lovren, Lallana, Lambert, and (ahem) Chambers. This does bespeak a certain lack of faith in Pochettino, whether it be in his methods or manners. What that might mean for Saturday is anyone's guess.

If anything, there's a warning to be heeded. Even if our noisome neighbors have lost two at home, and even if they didn't do much to strengthen the squad, all logic and rationalism go out the window for a North London Derby. Pochettino did nearly prove that he had a formula for beating Arsenal last season, and a higher-pressing, more-energetic attack, such as those that very nearly did us in against Everton and Man City and that did do us in against Dortmund, is the kind of gameplan we might expect from the man. Whether his players are up to the challenge of carrying that gameplan out is another matter.

Yes, we're a bit of a wounded beast, literally and figuratively, but a wounded beast is a dangerous one. 

LAST 3 Meetings

• Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal (16.03.2014)
• Arsenal 2-0 Tottenham (04.01.2014)
• Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham (01.09.2013)

FACTFILE

• Arsenal have won the last four derbies at the Emirates by a scoreline of 13-4.
• Arsenal's biggest margin of victory wa a 6-0 away-win in 1935.
• Tottenham have not won at the Emirates since November 2011.

INJURIES

We'll go in without Giroud, Debuchy, Walcott, Sanogo, and Gnabry. 

POSSIBLE STARTING XI

Szczesny; Gibbs, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Chambers; Arteta, Ramsey; Cazorla, Ozil, Alexis; Welbeck.

As always, expect a intense battle, but one that goes Arsenal's way.

GOONERSPHERE PREDICTION

Arsenal 2-0 Tottenham

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