The Very Tiny Totts v Arsenal « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. Supporting the Lord Wenger; coach of the decade
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By Phil Gregory.
The Liverpool game was a big, big disappointment. A draw against Liverpool is no bad thing even given their relative fall from grace, so the result in itself is not the end of the world. The manner of the defeat is what stings. Going from title race surely over, to three points in the bag and back again wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences and the manner of their second penalty just makes it all the harder to take. It’s too easy to just blame Eboue and go along with the mainstream, it’s much harder to look at it objectively, judge it on what actually happened and stick by your own opinion. Walter did exactly that in his ref review, and points out that it wasn’t a penalty (Lucas fouled Eboue!) and that we missed out on a couple of other calls. That’s why it stings so much. The old adage is that the league table never lies… I’ll let you make your own mind up on that one.
Anyway, we have Tottenham up now and we head into this game that, having lost the first tie Tottenham have a chance to do the double over us for the first time in… erm, I think Arsenal historian Tony will have to field that one, I was only born in 1989! Even with United drawing last night, I just can’t see us winning the title this year, it just seems that we’ve been shot in the foot by referees too many times. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few times we’ve done it to ourselves, but we’ve done that less than a Manchester United side who can’t win away. What matters for me this season is winning the North London Derby and beating United at home. If we can’t win the league, then let’s at least get a bit of pride back in the side with a couple of important wins.
In that regard, the injury situation is looking up. Sagna is expected to be back, which would give us a first choice back four bar Vermaelen. Similarly available are Almunia and Denilson, with the latter an option to come in for Wilshere given the word “burnout” has started to be used about the youngster. Almunia’s return is no bad thing, offering us an experienced bench option, but with Szcznesy fit again we could well have seen the last of Almunia in an Arsenal shirt. The new absentee is Rosicky, who is ill, but was unlikely to have started anyway.
Szcznesy
Sagna Djourou Koscielny Clichy
Song Wilshere
Fabregas
Walcott Van Persie Nasri
There are a few question marks around the team for this game. Szcznesy will remain between the sticks and if fit, Sagna will be the only change to the back four. After coming on late in the second half, Song will hopefully start against Spurs but the question is more who will start next to him. Wilshere is right up there at the top of the season appearances list for Arsenal this year and he was substituted in the Liverpool game with signs of fatigue. If he’s exhausted, there is no reason to start him in this game as he simply won’t perform. That said, if deemed sufficiently rested, will he start and then be rested for the following fixture with United’s visit in mind? That to me seems a more plausible outcome.
Further forward, Fabregas will play as the most advanced central midfielder behind Van Persie in the central striker’s role. Out wide it will probably be Nasri and Walcott. Nasri’s lack of goals is a concern in recent weeks. Admittedly he offers a lot in terms of build-up play but with him not really offering assists he needs to be producing goals.
In terms of tactics, Wenger pinpointed Bale and Van Der Vaart as Tottenham’s key men. Van Der Vaart has been vital for Tottenham with their strikers offering very few goals. Crouch has four in 28 Premier League appearances and Defoe has dropped out of the starting line-up, contributing only two goals this season. The Dutchman on the other hand has provided ten goals in 22 appearances, a record a centre forward would be pleased with.
Crouch’s partnership with Van Der Vaart has meant the breakup of Tottenham’s traditional “little and large” (probably better referred to as a target man with a pacey striker). The logic behind that partnership was simple: teams don’t want Crouch winning headers in the box so play a high line, which leaves space in behind for Defoe to exploit. Now however, Tottenham don’t have someone up front exploiting that space, and a high defensive line reduces the space between the opposition’s midfield and defence nicely, exactly where Van Der Vaart likes to operate. That said, they play with a pair of pacey wingers who will take advantage of the space in behind, so the set-up still works nicely.
That’s the risk then: in trying to limit Crouch’s impact, we leave ourselves vulnerable to their pace out wide. There’s not much that can be done really, though we are fortunate in that we have quick fullbacks who won’t be left behind by Bale and Lennon.
Spur’s weakness is in midfield. By playing two up front plus two wingers, they don’t have anyone who gets involved in build-up play bar Van Der Vaart (and he’s pretty lazy defensively). With three in the midfield plus Nasri who is great on the ball we should boss possession despite playing away, which will work as a defensive strategy.
On the whole, tactics will only tell part of the story. Will the team be down after the Liverpool game, or will they be motivated by the earlier defeat by Spurs and seeks to make amends? I suspect the answer to that question will probably have as big a role in defining the winner as anything else. 1-0 to the Arsenal for me
RefWatch – Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal (20/04/2011 19:45)
The TinyTotts – what do these footballers have in common
History of Arsenal including the series on the failures of Herbert Chapman
Making the Arsenal – the book of Arsenal death and rebirth