By Bulldog Drummond
This game at Wembley is one that is going to require nerves to be held. A look at Arsenal’s away record in the league shows why for Arsenal’s away form is at the heart of this season’s slip back into sixth place.
Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Manchester City | 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 29 | 10 | 19 | 32 |
2 | Chelsea | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 25 | 13 | 12 | 24 |
3 | Liverpool | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 32 | 22 | 10 | 24 |
4 | Manchester United | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 24 |
5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 21 |
6 | Burnley | 13 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 13 | -1 | 18 |
7 | Leicester City | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 20 | -1 | 14 |
8 | Watford | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 19 | -2 | 14 |
9 | Arsenal | 13 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 21 | -6 | 13 |
When we look at Tottenham at home we see they are in a strong position – not as strong as us but nevertheless a strong position.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Manchester City | 13 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 9 | 36 | 37 |
2 | Manchester United | 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 29 | 5 | 24 | 32 |
3 | Arsenal | 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 36 | 14 | 22 | 32 |
4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 28 | 9 | 19 | 28 |
Untold as you may recall, predicted difficulties for Tottenham in their time at Wembley and although that was how it started they have done much better of late. They are unbeaten in their last 11 matches home and away in all competitions, and indeed have not been beaten at Wembley since they went down to West Ham United 2-3 on 25 October.
In the league they have scored 28 goals in 13 games at Wembley and conceded just nine, approximating to a 2-1 win on each occasion, or better. Arsenal on the road have scored 15 and conceded 21, equating to a 1-2 defeat in approximation. A rather unnerving balance between those two average scores.
Tottenham’s recent run of home games in the league gives us five wins and two draws. This table contained an error initially and has been corrected
Date | Game | Res | Score |
25 Nov 2017 | Tottenham Hotspur v WBA | D | 1-1 |
09 Dec 2017 | Tottenham Hotspur v Stoke City | W | 5-1 |
13 Dec 2017 | Tottenham Hotspur v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 2-0 |
26 Dec 2017 | Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton | W | 5-2 |
04 Jan 2018 | Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United | D | 1-1 |
13 Jan 2018 | Tottenham Hotspur v Everton | W | 4-0 |
31 Jan 2018 | Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United | W | 2-0 |
Arsenal away over the same period gives two wins, three draws and two defeats.
Date | Game | Res | Score |
26 Nov 2017 | Burnley v Arsenal | W | 0-1 |
10 Dec 2017 | Southampton v Arsenal | D | 1-1 |
13 Dec 2017 | West Ham United v Arsenal | D | 0-0 |
28 Dec 2017 | Crystal Palace v Arsenal | W | 2-3 |
31 Dec 2017 | West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal | D | 1-1 |
14 Jan 2018 | AFC Bournemouth v Arsenal | L | 2-1 |
30 Jan 2018 | Swansea City v Arsenal | L | 3-1 |
Those figures most certainly make it look like an obvious win to Tottenham. So where to we find any hope?
There is a slight levelling of the situation when we look at the games between each of the two sides and other members of the current top six…
Tottenham against other members of the top six in the league…
- Lost to Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City
- Drew with Liverpool
- beat Liverpool, Manchester United
Arsenal against other members of the top six in the league
- Lost to Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United
- Drew with Chelsea, Liverpool, Chelsea
- Beat Tottenham
Tottenham have lost four, while we have lost three; and they have played one fewer than we have in the imaginary mini-league. We’ve also had a draw and a victory over Chelsea in the League Cup semi-final.
Taking the last five league games of Tottenham we find two wins and three draws.
Date | Game | Res | Score |
04 Jan 2018 | Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United | D | 1-1 |
13 Jan 2018 | Tottenham Hotspur v Everton | W | 4-0 |
21 Jan 2018 | Southampton v Tottenham Hotspur | D | 1-1 |
31 Jan 2018 | Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United | W | 2-0 |
04 Feb 2018 | Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur | D | 2-2 |
As for Arsenal across the last five league games it is also two wins, but we have suffered two defeats and a draw.
Date | Game | Res | Score |
03 Jan 2018 | Arsenal v Chelsea | D | 2-2 |
14 Jan 2018 | AFC Bournemouth v Arsenal | L | 2-1 |
20 Jan 2018 | Arsenal v Crystal Palace | W | 4-1 |
30 Jan 2018 | Swansea City v Arsenal | L | 3-1 |
03 Feb 2018 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 5-1 |
We have scored 13 and conceded nine in those games. Tottenham have scored 10, and conceded four.
So it is hard to find something that is seriously going to give Arsenal the edge. But there is one final preliminary thought that might sway this a little bit away from Tottenham and towards Arsenal. In the transfer window Tottenham bought midfielder Loucas Moura from PSG but he hasn’t yet played for Tottenham. Arsenal as you will know brought in Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and they’ve both had a chance to play with the current team and both of whom looked to be trans-formative.
They might just give Arsenal an additional edge.
More anon.
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I’m slightly confused as to why you’ve include the game at Anfield as one of the Spuds’ home games!
I think AW got his tactics spot on in the reverse fixture. We did not allow their midfield any time on the ball. Ericksen in particular was closed down immediately. As a result their forwards got no service. For someone who doesn’t do tactics, I think M. Wenger did pretty well.
Probably because it could be a mistake. I will check and change
Tony
And indeed it has been changed.
It aren’t only the purchase of Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang by Arsenal during the last winter transfer window that will give them the game winning edge over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League match big game encounter between the duo clubs that is taking place at Wembley on Saturday. But the Arsenal recent winning run at Wembley in the last 3 – 4 seasons is an added strong edge giver to the Arsenals whom with their newly acquired powerful strike force of Aubameyang who has consistently been scoring goals against Spurs, and the combine assist supply routes of both Ozil and the new man, Mkhi’ will become a greater dynamic strike force over Spurs which will be telling on them during the playing of the match to an extent that will see the Spurs defending in the game cave in under the swaping barrages of bombardment by the attacking Gunners who will hit the Spurs’ back of the net 4 times during the match without any reply by Spurs’ hitman, Harry Kane or from any his lieutnants during the game encounter.
My Arsenal 3-2-4-1 starts and 7 Gunners on the bench for the Spurs game.
Start:
Ospina…………………………………………….
……………………Mustafi………………………
……Koscielny………………….Monreal……
Bellerin…………………………….Kolasinac
Ozil…Ramsey…Wilshere…Mkhitaryan
…………………Aubameyang………………..
Bench:
Macey Chambers Holding ElNeny Xhaka Iwobi Welbeck.
But the questions that begs me for answers are, will Le Boss drop Xhaka and Iwobi to the bench and change the formation to allow him start Xhaka and Iwobi which could see Wilshere and Kolasinac dropped to the bench? Well, we’ll see.
I think on our day we are as good as anyone, possibly even City. Our recent overall record against them is not bad.
But we have thrown in some stinkers.
But that being said, even in a couple of those, shall we say, less the magnificent performances, we should still of picked up more points but for pigmobs dubious shananagins.
2 points at WBA and 1 or possibly even 3 at Watford for certain.
Anything like an even hand from pigmob would of seen us level with Spurs and when you consider how crap we are and how wonderful Spurs are?
As for Spurs.
I think they are a good side with a couple of very good players and one special.
I think their biggest asset this season has been their consistency.
They also seem to be extremely fit. They was outplayed by Liverpool for 45 minutes but in the end they just couldn’t keep it up in the 2nd half and Spurs just got stronger and Stronger.
Despite all the penalty fiascos, over the 90 minutes I think Spurs just edged it. When you look at what they did to us that says something.
That makes them very dangerous opponents.
But as we know, not unbeatable. Match them for work rate. Starve Kane. Take our chances and we could come away with a point, maybe all 3.
Fanny around like we have on occasion and we could be in trouble.
Klopp caused the problems with his substitutions. Taking Henderson and Milner off and going to a back five was a stupid decision, if Arsene had done the same he would have been heavily criticised.
Once the great midfielder Chamberlain let his marker go it was advantage Spuds.
Snobby
Fair point.
And I thought Chamberlain was a different player under Klopp.
Maybe he’s even worse !
Snobby? F***ing auto correct.
Sorry Knobby
No probs
Chamberlain is the same, depends what tint is on your spectacles if he is better or not.
It seems to me he doesn’t fit in and they don’t pass to him so he looks like he goes missing
Knobby
Truth is i always liked him. Nice lad. Good attitude.
Trouble is he was too inconsistent.
But his big Achilles heel was giving the ball away in dangerous positions and not picking up his man
Seems nothing has indeed changed.
Hysterical how report after report proclaim how much Klott has improved him. Loved the Ox , well , for always trying to live up to his name, and occasionally succeeding. But he doesn’t get given those reigns up there. …and still gives the ball away.
He has scored a goal tho.
“Snobby” …class spello
Tony
No thread on here about our player of the month btw??
Ferg, write one and submit it to Tony.
Gord
Is now MO’s moment?
Haven’t checked yet, but will our motmonth make the starting 11?
How and WHY has he been voted mo of the month?
I like him, I think he could be a more reliable player than Xhaka.
I got vilified last week for questioning xhakas inclusion, but for Mo to be voted , overwhelmingly, as our potm on Arsenall.com, represents a significant undercurrent
Having said that, I have to concede that I don’t have a clue of how many people voted. It could be 12.
That’s why I hoped to prod Tony into a bit of proper analysis, whilst I went down the pub.
COYG
Just checked
Mo’s IN. ?
As is Dhaka
Interesting
Rambo must be sick.