Match Preview: Arsenal v Tottenham, October 1st, 2022
Today, we are going to talk about Tottenham’s style of play, how they can cause Arsenal problems, and most importantly, how we could likely get the better of them, in simple terms of course.
It’s that time of the year again, the North London Derby. Rivalries don’t get any fiercer, emotions don’t get any more intense. A 6-pointer, and above all, the match for the glory.
Arsenal are enjoying their best start in years, sitting on the top of the table after winning 6/7 games in the league. But Tottenham are also enjoying their life, sitting just below us with 1 less point only. All the more reason to look forward to the clash.
Spurs have created an identity as a counter-attacking side, which is accurate, and largely how they create chances and use their qualitative superiority in the front to score. So, we will talk about their out of possession style first. Spurs form a mid or low block of 5-4-1, almost exclusively. This is a very compact defensive shape, and this allows them to disrupt the opposition attacks. They counterpress to win the ball deep, and release their attacker in transition.
But that doesn’t mean that they don’t press high. They occasionally press high, the wingers inverting, Kane cutting off the #6, and their wingbacks backing the press. Usually, they try to win the ball high for counter, or they slow the tempo and get back to 5-4-1 shape. The goal for them is to create transition situations from all over the pitch, but mostly from the deep. They sometimes build from back, but often switch it with long diagonal balls. Dier is an important cog in the process. In transitions, they are the most dangerous side.
Usually, they build in 3-2 or 4-2. Building short has it’s risks, as they lack the technicality in the middle, and so they lose the ball often, but it can also be rewarding, as Son, Kane, Kulu can have a huge space to exploit. This is their biggest strength, their front 3. Tactically, they are top notch, as clearly they occupy all the lanes in progression, and so, whenever they lose the ball, they are in a good position to try and win it, or get back to their compact 5-4-1 shape.
Now, talking about Arsenal, they build from the back, but not exclusively. Against Brentford, Arsenal played long, and won many second balls. Playing out could be rewarding, but any counter from Spurs in the final third could be unstoppable. So, similarly to the game against Brentford, expecting Arsenal to go long a lot. This will help Arsenal get to their 2-3-5 shape quickly after winning the ball, and most importantly, will force Spurs back in their 5-4-1 shape, or create transition situations.
In settled play, Arsenal should do well against a pinned back 5-4-1 of Spurs. With better technicality, and inverted fullbacks, Arsenal should create central overloads to progress and pin back Spurs, and this is Arsenal’s favorite method of chance creation. Against Chelsea, Spurs struggled against Chelsea’s high press in and out of possession, and Chelsea created ample chances from both settled play and transitions. It’s very much possible for Arsenal to replicate that even better.
So, Arsenal could potentially create from both transitions by building out, or from settled play, pinning Spurs back. They don’t play well in those situations, considering the volume of shots they have conceded so far this season.
But the attackers have to be clinical, all of them. Scoring first will open them up better, and will possibly result in a second goal in quick time. It’s an area the attackers must improve in as soon as possible.
Also, lessons must be learned from the United game. Against counter attacking sides, we have to balance the press, and most importantly, make some technical compromises for defensive security. Tierney is my choice over Zinny for this reason.
Overall, Spurs play in a manner that can present us with the opportunity to dominate the game. The biggest threats are their front 3 in transitions, and it will be interesting to see how Mikel manages the situation. Expecting a dominating performance from our side.
