Skip to main content

Why Arsenal are King of North London ?


Arsenal take on Tottenham this weekend in arguably the biggest north London derby in years, with Champions League football and the all-important bragging rights both up grabs.
Spurs come into the game with the advantage, being in excellent form and third in the league, while the beleaguered Gunners are in 5th and have had a difficult few weeks.

But who is the real king of North London? Danny Griffiths makes a case for Tottenham, but here’s Jamie Sanderson on why Arsenal are the only team in town:
Manager
Arsene Wenger is feeling the pressure after failing to deliver a trophy in the last eight years, but he is still loved, wanted and admired by some of the biggest clubs in the world.
Wenger’s stock may be down, but he’s definitely not out. He has a proven track record of winning, and nothing brings out the best in him like a good battle with Spurs in the derby. Andre Villas-Boas has had a good season, but is a mere minnow compared to The Professor.
Star Man
All the talk in the run up to this match has been Gareth Bale, but Jack Wilshere has arguably had more of an influence on his team than the Welshman.
Since returning from injury, Jack has returned to the top of his game, and inspired Arsenal’s push up the table. Forget Bale’s long-range goals and love heart celebration, Wilshere wears his heart on his sleeve and does everything – pass, shoot, tackle, attack, defend and lead. He’s the complete player, and an absolute joy to watch.
Squad
Spurs are all about their one-man Gareth Bale – Arsenal are an abundance of options to watch out for.
Despite the sale of Robin van Persie, Arsenal have more attacking options this season, with Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott all playing and scoring goals down the middle. Santi Cazorla has added much-needed creativity – and 10 goals to boot – and the Gunners now carry a goal threat from all over the pitch.
The defence remains as suspect as ever, especially from set pieces, but Nacho Monreal at left-back has been a superb signing, and can help snuff out Aaron Lennon’s pace, while Spurs’ goal shy strikers are unlikely to trouble the back four that much anyway.
StadiumArsenal have arguably the best stadium in the country, with the always evolving £360million Emirates Stadium boasting 60,000 seats, superb player facilities and some of the finest restaurants in London. The tickets are expensive – around £1 per minute for many matches – but to watch sumptuous football in a top quality venue costs.
The stadium has helped Arsenal build their commercial revenue, with Emirates happy to pay £150million to renew their naming rights deal, and while it is yet to see any trophy wins – Emirates Cup aside – compared to the tired and run down White Hart Lane, it’s a premier venue fit for the kings of north London.
Overall
Make no mistakes, Arsenal are on the down and enduring a difficult season, with frustrating cup results combined with a poor league position leading to question marks over Arsene Wenger’s future.
But when push comes to shove, they are still the number one team in north London, boasting a superior all-round squad, a more experienced and proven manager, better strength in depth and even a better stadium.
Spurs are on the up and if Arsenal are not careful, they will one day overtake the Gunners, but Wenger should keep his side on top this term at least.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Battle for Pride of London

Arsenal vs Chelsea Preview Arsenal will tomorrow face Chelsea in Super Sunday’s 1.30pm kick off. Chelsea have released a statement saying the game will be going ahead for the time being as long as there is not much more snow but have warned those attending to allow extra time for their journey to Stamford Bridge. Both teams will be looking to get back to winning ways, with both London clubs dropping points over the last few weeks. Arsenal will want to get back on track after losing 2-0 to Manchester City, whilst Chelsea lost a 2 goal lead against Southampton a few days ago. In terms of players who will miss the game, Chelsea will be without Nigerian pair John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses, who are at the African Cup of Nations tournament. Whilst they welcome back Terry, Ba and Torres to full fitness. Arsenal have more problems with Gervinho, Arteta, and Rosicky all missing this game. I think we could see a line-up of; Szczesny Sagna Mertesacker Vermaelen Gibbs Diaby Wilsher...
Post a Comment
Read more

Arsenal Vs Bayern Munich Preview

 Champions League – Round of 16  Arsenal vs Bayern Munich  Tuesday 19th February, 2013, at    19:45 UK Time  Emirates Stadium, London, England Daunting Task For Gunners Arsenal continue their search for a first Champions League crown knowing that their best hope of lifting the trophy is to finish in England’s top four and start again next year. Defeat to Blackburn on Saturday means their FA Cup hopes are over for this year, and seemingly, the club’s last realistic chance of silverware.  This has been an inconsistent season for Arsenal and they have not been their usual selves even in Europe, where they are traditionally strong in the group stage. The last German side to visit the Emirates Stadium, Schalke, ended a long unbeaten run at home in Europe for Arsenal. Bayern Munich, who thrashed Schalke at the weekend and are out of sight at the top of the Bundesliga, appear to present a formidable task which it is hard to see the Premie...
Post a Comment
Read more

Arsenal Down, But By No Means Out.

The beautiful game of football has once again shown how quickly things can change. After being knocked out of the FA cup by a non Premier League side (Blackburn Rovers) and being humbled at the hands of European giants Bayern Munich,  Arsenal 's average showing continued with a loss to their North London Rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. After this latest setback, even manager Arsene Wenger was quick to acknowledge the harsh reality facing the club “It will be a massive challenge, massive. I said before the game we couldn't drop these points today and I maintain that after the game. Especially the way the game went, it is difficult to understand how we can lose games like that.” The importance of the next ten games for Arsenal cannot be understated. The Gunners have only two of the top seven teams yet to be played (against Everton &  Manchester United ) both of which are at the Emirates. A similar run like last season (7 games unbeaten) would be required for Arsenal to have...
Post a Comment
Read more