adminLONDON. — The season could not have started much better for Arsenal. At the first international break they find themselves top of the English Premier League football table `having only lost once all season — to Manchester United — in a match that they largely dominated.
The Gunners are even being tipped by many for a title, and manager Mikel Arteta has refused to put a limit on his team’s ambitions for this campaign. “You can ask me every day,” the Spaniard said in his post-match press conference after the 3-0 win over Brentford when asked if his team could be classified as title contenders.
“Today we are top of the league, I am so happy. Yesterday I was so annoyed because we lost it and we used that to want to get back there and show that we want to be there. That is what we are going to do — push to be the best we can be. That is the aim. The table won’t lie after 38 games, normally.” Now though Arsenal face their toughest test yet.
The North London Derby is never an easy game, but this particular iteration of Tottenham presents a potentially awkward test for Arteta’s side. This season Arsenal having been playing a brand of football perhaps most analogous to what Pep Guardiola has done at Manchester City.
Through a basic 2-3-5 set up in possession the Gunners create all manner of problems for the opposition through smart, short passing and dangerous, unpredictable movement, and the second they lose the ball they press high to win it back.
It is this approach that has seen spirits saw higher in north London than they arguably ever have throughout the Emirates Stadium era. The only problem is, Antonio Conte has already shown that he knows how to beat a team that play the Pep way.
When Tottenham travelled to Manchester City in February, they sprung a massive surprise by beating the English Premier League champions 3-2.
In a crazy game, Spurs managed to take home all three points with a last gasp Harry Kane winner, despite having seemingly thrown the victory away when Riyad Mahrez scored a 92nd minute penalty.
However, the late drama had been preceded by an attack vs defence style match where City out-shot their opponent by 21 to 6 and had 71% of the possession.
The game proved a particularly frustrating one for Guardiola, who bemoaned the defensive tactics Conte had elected to use after the game. — football.london
Online Reporter