Before Tottenham’s defeat in the North London derby, fans were ecstatic. Up until that moment, everything appeared to be coming up in their favour. Unfortunately, it didn’t last and the Gunners provided Andre Villas-Boas’ boys with a stark reminder that they wouldn’t have things all their way this season.
The result game as something as a surprise as it seemed to defy all the pre-game rhetoric, punditry and nonsense that preceded the fixture. Just about everybody expected Spurs to coast to a victory over the Gunners. I’m sure even Arsenal fans will admit, given what had come before, that they were surprised by the result (and the performance).
Spurs had built up a wave of good feeling and it looked like they were going to ride it for some time. Indeed, Tottenham won their first two games (with admittedly unspectacular performances) and looked extremely well placed for the coming season.
There was a certain robustness about Tottenham’s performances that stood out. With the likes of Moussa Dembele, Etienne Capoue and Paulinho bossing the midfield, Spurs are now a physically imposing proposition. What’s more, after his summer of spending, Andre Villas-Boas’s squad now has excellent strength in depth.
So why didn’t Spurs win the North London derby?
There are a few reasons. The foremost is that Arsenal were the better team on the day. The Gunners midfield simply sparkles with creativity and Tottenham’s industrious team couldn’t stop them from crafting opportunities.
Then there’s the fact that it was more or less a ‘must win’ game for Arsenal (who had plenty to lose), whilst this was not really the case for Tottenham.
Finally, I think it’s fair to say that the Gareth Bale saga has affected the club like a bad head-cold. No matter what the players say, losing your best player has a bid effect on a team. He was the focal point of the team last year and it seems that Roberto Soldado still needs some time to adapt to the Premier League.
What’s more, with all Tottenham’s new additions, it’s going to take some time for the team as a whole to gel. You can’t simply throw 8 new players together and expect them to perform. It’s going to take time.
Whilst players have been easy to come by, you get the feeling that time and patience will be harder for Andre Villas-Boas to buy this season. These new signings have built up levels of expectation at White Hart Lane.
Nothing less than fourth place is good enough. That, however may be one step too far for Spurs this season.
What’s your take? What can Tottenham achieve this year?
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they say arsenal fans are dilusional but spuds take it to another level 18 years must do that to you there are big gaps every were in history and everything else. please mind the gap ozil just made it bigger
I suppose Arseanal will win the quad now they have Ozil PMSL.
Spurs only lost because Dawson played Giroud on side. They dominated possession for long periods but lacked a cutting edge. As others have pointed out, Lamela and Erikson should rectify this.
It was no bigee for Arsenal as Spurs were so poor on the day. But you can only beat what is put up before you. Spurs will get better, but they really need to. Arsenal won’t always have it so easy but then we do have a world class addition to the side thanks to Spurs selling Bale to Real for such a huge price. Er thanks for that!
azaz i agreed with till you said afc 6th your only half dilusoinal other half secretly an arsenal fan
The usual post match raving and rants from the nomads. Pre-game postings from the Woolwich witches were ones of dismay, trepidation, doom and gloom; and worried sick about losing to the spurs. As for the backbiting and hypocrisy concerning AW, well that makes me want to throw up. Grow some! Get behind your manager and be consistent. Sing when your winning comes to mind!
Message for the nomads.. Grow a pair and don’t bleat like frightened sheep! Pre-match ranting’s were ones of doom and gloom, despair, despondency – worried that spurs would win; AW is a twat, get rid of him, never spends, look how many players spurs have bought, I’m worried, hypocrites… Get behind your manager and team; he set his stall out perfectly against us-credit where credit is due.. sing when you’re winning comes to mind!!
AHHHHHHHHHHH.. that’s better!
Tottenham Fans are the most deluded fans i have ever seen in football. Before the NLD, the whole social networks was busy on how spurs is going to trash Arsenal. But they ended up losing to a more quality and superior Arsenal side. Spurs was very busy in the transfer market signing Average players. Non of spurs signing can make 1st team at Arsenal. Talking about squad depth, if u substitute average to average, does it make any difference? It’s even funny, spurs can’t score from open play. Thank God martesacker can beat capoue in 100m race. Squad depth? Arsenal have a quality 1st team and also quality in squad depth. We are unlucky with injury, but it won’t last whole season. The truth is, we are competing directly with chelsea,Man u and City for tittle. Spurs is just our city Rival.
WEhat a moron but, then again, the English language seems to be a challenge. At least hsi status as a gooner established. No concept of using capital letters and can’t even spell his own player’s name correctly.” martesacker”!! The player with the speed and turbning circle of a super tanker!! Yep. a spped merchant thatcan beat Capoue in n100m race when the Spurs player was being carried by four stretcher bearers. So Arsenal are competing for the TITTLE. Well Frankie Howard would have at least got on Arsenal’s bench recently.
“But they ended up losing to a more quality and superior Arsenal side” What la=nguage is this? Perhaps a competent adult might prevent nkusuny making such a prat of himself by reading and correcting the infantile drivel. You are embarrasing to grown up fans.
Afraid the heat must have gotten to you, because your comments are delusional.
Lol competing with the top 3?! I think I just crapped my pants in laughter! Spurs will finish above arsenal this year, they have a better squad that just hasn’t gelled yet, and no I’m not a spurs fan, lol arsenal competing with the top 3………. BAHAHAHA!!!
LMFAO you say spurs fans are deluded then you go on to say you can challenge for the title! HYPOCRISY! You think because you have 1 good player in ozil you can win the league. You couldnt with fabregas or nasri, or RVP and you won’t with Ozil. Title contenders LMFAO!!! and spurs have only spent £10m this summer thats £40m less than you scummy lot
They are not in trouble, 6 points from 3 games, all bar Liverpool have dropped points.
Nkusuny….who you kidding competing directly with man city, Chelsea and man utd. Everyone is coveting directly with them but to win 1-0 against spurs when you take 2 midfielders off for 2 defenders and park the bus for last 20 mins and also lose at home to villa, me thinks 4th 5th or 6th for the gooners….and that’s with ozil. All he will do is replace wiltshere when he breaks down again after 3 games.
You’re an idiot! always in our shadows – I’ve heard this crap the past 17 seasons, give it a break spurs are no way near the same level as arsenal and without bale you’re f&c!ed!! COYG!!
6 points in two games? 2 goals in two games all with two soft penalties. Spurs has a huge problem and they shoul be worried about it. Cos if you don’t score goal. you can’t win match.
That’s probably why they signed the Lamela and Eriksen.
Even without them though Spurs dominated the game, but couldn’t break down a team playing with a 6 man defence.
I’d be much more worried about woolwich if I were you, they have a soft underbelly and will bullied by a lot teams.
It will take a while for Spurs new players to gel, but I doubt goals will be a problem when they do.
Time to gel has nothing to do with scoring goals from open play – quality players always find the net no matter what – when we got cazorla,Giroud and Podolski last season we managed to score from open play albeit we wasn’t at a peak level. This gel crap is nonsense and a scapegoat – spurs are almost like the old stoke city, big and powerful and no spark – COYG!!
Spurs dominance is coming to get yaaaaaaa!
I’m assuming a gooner wrote this! Come off that cloud your riding please, your embarrassing!
Sad old gooners, 1-0 win and they are a ‘force’ again! Spurs are far from trouble, Le Arse will be in the brown stuff if Ozil gets injuired, mind you they do have Bentnier!
Spurs will come good, arse nil will finally get found out this season
The reason we lost our formation was wrong demele behind solado , com on , hence we lack the creativity to create a GOOd scoring oppertunity, still tink we move vertonga to the left , besides daws failing to read the offside rose looked confused as to who he shud mark ”keep left danny boy” ps still member that volley that left the gunners in tears you wud be beta attcking then defending … Weres is that new cb we bawt, kyle rite kaboul and the new guy in the middle vertonga out left magic I tell yah coys
They need a player, who will provide a final ball for Saldano. I hope Erricson is this player. We could do with Modric right now.
No shit Sherlock we wont have a problem once team has settled Spurs dominated large parts of the game against Arsenal and have played a lot worse against them and won! 3 games in 6 points NO NEED TO PANIC!!
The only reason Arsenal won was a myopic ref that was intent on giving most of the decisions to the home side , nothing new there!
Flamini was very lucky to be on the pitch. Walcott looks like the new Pires very unstable on his feet!!
Parking the bus at home tut tut ,Mertesacker must be the worst defender for miles around.
Lennon would have had a field day .
That so called keeper for Arsenal couldn’t have wasted more time if had tried.
No wonder after Chelsea ,Arsenal are the most hated bunch in the league.
My take is this article is a joke. The author must have been watching another game. Spurs dominated the game and had almost 60% of the ball as the away team. Arsenal played like a lower mid table team away from home with every player behind the ball for most of the game trying to hit Spurs on the counter. They then ended the game with four full backs in a back 6!
Spurs had 14 shots (only 4 on target) to Arsenal’s 12 (5 on target), had 6 corners twice as many as Arsenal, committed less fouls and had 57% of the ball.
Spurs have a much better squad than Arsenal. Even with 2 of the 3 midfielders playing only their 3rd premiere league game were able to dominate their way more experienced rivals. Think about how good they will be once they have settled??
I have no idea how anyone can claim Arsenal were better. The article is a joke really and the author a troll.
What a load of nonsense Spurs had played Thursday and also had the Bale fiasco rumbling on plus Ady Defoe Lennon Erickson Lamela only just signed. This game was to early for Spurs who had 8 players who never played in a Derby and the pace of energized Arsenal was there for all to see. What pundits and Fans don’t no there is a lot of swallowing tempo so teams can defend in numbers and attack with the same numbers. This has sneaked into football I no from 2008-9 Season and a drug once banned in 2005 was reintroduced in my opinion to stop all the sudden deaths in Football. This could been caused through using another banned drug Paddy Kenny failed a test for Ephedrine. The problem with these supplements its spoiling football and preventing goals from being scored with energized defending saves blocks lasting for the full 90 plus mins Trust me this is not said without evidence even though i could just point to Toure and Kenny in my defense i all ready knew about this extra energy ages ago. There is other sines weight loss and illness stomach cramps strokes and sadly heart attacks all side affects from Ephedrine based supplements i was told are in sample taken but not enough. So Spurs getting overrun by energetic Arsenal after they played Thursday was not a shock but a word of warning burn out and massive injury’s will take its toll. This is very easy to spot if you no what to look for and apart from shock results massive weight loss with gaunt faces through all extra running of the whole team defending and attacking shown so good by ******l and ********
Yes, spurs are yet to score in open play. it’s a well known fact players from other countries take time to adjust to the premier league.. Our striker and 4 out of 5 midfilders are from over seas.. All of them internationals, 1 from brazil, 1 from Spain and 1 from Argentina.. You can’t say they are not quality players.. Will they adjust to the English style and learn to play as a team, only time will tell but a 1 nil win at home and very little of the ball would not fill me with confidence if the boot was in the other foot.. Oh an we have eriksen to add to the mix.. Another top quality international player!
Hey Brad. We have scored 8 goals in the Europa league. To date we played Palace who were fired up for their first prem game and Swansea who were doing all they could after a 4-1 defeat at home to Utd. All without Lamela, Eriksen and Chiriches. We only Lost at Arsenal due to stupid errors by the LB and CB respectively.
coys
From a neutral. Brilliant first half, then the goal, from then on it reminded me of Chelsea “Park the bus,, 8 plus the keeper behind the ball. U both need help.