Arsenal – Tottenham: 'Death Ground' Emirates

(Baonghean.vn) - The earliest match of round 12 of the Premier League is a fierce competition between two arch-rivals Arsenal and Tottenham, taking place at 7:30 p.m. (Hanoi time) on November 18.

In English football, the North London derby is one of the most exciting and fierce clashes alongside the Man Utd – Man City (Manchester derby) and the Liverpool – Everton (Merseyside derby). The battles between Arsenal and Tottenham over the past decades have always been extremely tense and attractive.

The team nicknamed “the gunners” is the one who often has a winning smile against the rival. Most likely, this match will not be an exception.

At the moment, Arsenal is not rated as highly as Tottenham in terms of form and squad quality. The Emirates team is showing a disappointing performance, stuck in 6th place on the Premier League table after 11 rounds. With 19 points, coach Wenger and his team have been 12 points behind the leading team Man City. The championship goal seems to be quite out of reach for Sanchez and his teammates. Arsenal's mission from now until the end of the season is nothing more than trying to get into the TOP 4.

A few years ago, few people believed that the Gunners would not achieve that modest goal. But now, on the contrary, with the rise of Tottenham, Arsenal's chances of winning one of the top four positions in the Premier League have become much smaller. The proof is that last season, Arsenal only finished in 5th place - the lowest position of the Gunners under the reign of coach Wenger. In the current situation, many Arsenal fans have thought that the terrible prospect will continue to recur at the Emirates Stadium team this season.

The first leg between the two teams last season ended in a 1-1 draw. Photo: Internet

The humiliating defeats against Stoke City (0-1), Liverpool (0-4), Watford (1-2) and most recently against Man City (1-3) have rung an urgent alarm bell for coach Wenger and his team. If Arsenal can quickly regain their winning streak, they will not dream of a championship title, and even a place in the TOP 4 is a distant dream. Therefore, the most urgent task at the moment for the Emirates team is to win all 3 points against their rival and direct opponent - Tottenham in round 12.

Although not in as good form as Tottenham, Arsenal still has certain advantages to defeat their opponents right at the Emirates. First of all, the head-to-head record at home. According to statistics, since November 20, 2010, the "gunners" have not lost to Tottenham in any match (4 wins, 3 draws) every time Wenger and his team played at Emirates. And Arsenal's record at home in the Premier League 2017/2018 is extremely convincing, with 5 consecutive wins against Leicester City (4-3), Bournemouth (3-0), West Brom (2-0), Brighton (2-0) and Swansea (2-1).

Center-back Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham) is definitely unable to play. Photo: Internet

Arsenal's second advantage in this match against Tottenham is the squad. While Wenger has almost all of his best players, Pochettino, on the other side, cannot have his strongest squad. Center-back Toby Alderweireld has just been added to the list of injured players along with the following names: goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, Michel Vorm, defender Jan Vertonghen, midfielder Wanyama, Lamela, Harry Winks, Dele Alli. Not to mention, the possibility of main striker Harry Kane playing is still uncertain.

Bringing such a 'crippled' team to the 'death ground' Emirates, no matter how talented Coach Pochettino is, it will be difficult for Tottenham to score points against their rival Arsenal. If Sanchez and his teammates successfully defeat Tottenham, they will close in on the 3rd position of their opponent with 1 point less (Tottenham currently has 23 points). This is a great motivation for the home team to strive. Victory will almost certainly be in the hands of Coach Wenger and his team./.

Thanh Hung