There will be a lot of scrutiny of Tottenham after their lopsided loss at the Emirates. Pundits will use the result to illustrate Spurs are not ready to break the top four. That’s a view with which I disagree, though it very well may be the case. I may be rating Tottenham too highly, thinking they are still a contender to qualify for their first Champions League.
More to the point, as it concerns today’s result in the North London Derby (a terribly unimaginative name): That line of analysis buries the lead. Today’s story should be Arsenal.
The Gunners played extremely well against a good side that, in the first forty minutes of the match, showed themselves capable. Tottenham was well organized, composed, and had a clear (if limited) sense of what they wanted to accomplish. That Arsenal found a way to break that capable foe and post a decisive victory deserves our full attention.
Arsenal dominated possession in the first twenty (or so) minutes but were unable to create opportunities against a Spurs defense that ardently maintained their shape. There was only one point in the first quarter of the match that Tottenham’s back line was broken. That time, Sebastien Bassong did a good job of guiding Cesc Fabregas to the end line.
During that time, Spurs showed they had few ways of establishing possession or attacking Arsenal. To establish possession, they would have had to start being more aggressive challenging Arsenal in the midfield. That would sacrifice their shape, with their unwillingness to do so also compromising their attack. Without Aaron Lennon or Luka Modric, Tottenham needed to get Verdan Corluka and Benoit Essou-Akoto into attack if they were to generate anything meaningful. Again not willing to sacrifice their shape my pushing their fullbacks, Spurs became dependent on two things: Jermaine Jenas getting forward, and over-working Peter Crouch as a target man.
Neither of these kept enough of the ball from Arsenal. It wasn’t until half way through the first half that Spurs started stringing three or four touches together. By that time, Arsenal had changed tactics.
Instead of trying to pass their way through Spurs’ line, the Gunners started directly challenging Tottenham’s defense; specifically, with Andrei Arshavin. Arshavin had moved from the left wing to the right after ten minutes to get away from Corluka after some nice early play from the Croat. Arshavin started running at Tottenham defenders, and while he didn’t create a clean chance, he seemed to put them on their heels. One run to right-center back Ledley King’s right saw a deflected shot come down on Fabregas’s left foot (near the spot). A one-timer hit well was brilliantly saved by Huerelho Gomes.
As the half wore on, Arsenal was able to start passing into the Spurs’ line, opening up the defence as they moved the ball back out. The quality of chances started to improve, and after a ten minute stretch of play where Arsenal looked ready to crack Tottenham, Robin van Persie put the Gunners ahead. After an astounding goal from Fabregas eleven seconds later, what was an even and intriguing match was 2-0 at half.
Arsenal would win 3-0, though it could have been worse. Gomes’s save on Fabregas was astounding, and Eduardo (having come on for an injured Nicklas Bendtner) could have had a couple of goals.
The final score will miss it, but Tottenham did not play poorly. They forced Arsenal to play well. In the process, the Gunners showed they are legitimate title contenders. Pundits will downplay this performance because of Arsenal’s recent history, but if we disregard the past and go only on what this year’s team has done, it’s hard to see the distance between Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United.
And their may be more contenders than that. Based on what we saw today, it’s not out-of-the-question that Spurs can get three points from Arsenal at White Hart Lane. Likewise, Manchester City may continue to improve as they have more time to play together, and when Liverpool gets healthy, they will be in the mix.
People have arguments against Arsenal – be it their defence or their history – but the other contenders have pocks, too. In taking apart a good Spurs side (and making in-match adjustments in doing so), Arsenal showed they are just as capable as their rivals.
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