hello everyone.
The big story ahead of today’s North London derby is what Mikel Arteta will do in midfield without Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. There are options, but who knows what he will choose. Our Preview the podcast on PatreonI’ve written down some of the variations we discussed.
Party-Jorginho-Havertz: A double pivot with Havertz added to two very experienced players seems like a move the manager would make, but the legs of the two veterans are a concern against a Spurs side who prefer to attack through the middle.
Party-Havertz-Saka: Can you move Saka from the right to more central? I think he’s good enough to play there, but I don’t think he’ll play like Odegaard. It’s risky to move one of the best players in the world from his best position, but with Raheem Sterling on the right, you could try.
Party – Havertz – Nwaneri: As I said earlier this week, the 17-year-old is the most natural replacement for the captain and it would be exciting to see him start. Arteta is reluctant to use young players until he feels they are ready, so it would be a real testament to his faith if he gave him his first start in a North London derby away from home. I would like to see it, but I think it is probably unlikely.
Party-Havertz- Zinchenko: Again, I think it’s unlikely, but I think they would have definitely considered it when they considered all the options. I’m concerned that he’s not a 90-minute player, which is essentially a 90-minute position.
Party-Trossard-Havertz: Trossard has played as a left-sided number 8 before, and Havertz has played in Odegaard’s position a couple of times, but I don’t think either of them have had much success in that position. So this is also a long shot.
In fact, there are arguments against all of those options, and I don’t know what he’d do. It could be something completely different from the above. I wouldn’t be surprised at all. And let me be clear, it’s far from ideal to not have two players of that quality in this game. It’s inevitable. But it’s something we have to deal with. There’s no point in sympathizing in the Premier League, and I’m sure Arteta has presented this as a challenge to his players. Who will take responsibility today? Who will work harder to make up for the absence? All 11 are hopeful, but sometimes these situations present an opportunity for someone to be a hero.
As difficult as the Rice/Odegaard issue is, if there is a similar problem in defence, it would be more worrying. The solidity and consistency of the back four/five will be tested today, but we know what they can do. And furthermore, we have enough firepower to test the most disorganised Tottenham defensive line. We know they play high and I think part of our plan today is to expose that when the moment comes. And they will.
Of course, the concern is that the lack of control in midfield without Odegaard and the lack of defensive running power provided by Rice will mean that the opposition will enjoy more possession than we normally would like. So it wouldn’t be surprising to see Arsenal sit back and try to absorb the pressure before attempting a counter attack. That’s not to say I think that’s our game plan, but given the situation we’re in, it’s more likely.
Underlying all this is the low-level confusion that is present throughout these games. The derby is an unusual game at the best of times. Perhaps Spurs will have a chance against an Arsenal team without two key players, and that will certainly help them, but if they take anything for granted today, they will pay a price. This Arsenal team still has enough quality to cause them plenty of trouble.
I hope everything goes well for you.
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