Arsenal v Spurs Historic Preview and Ideal Lineup

49 thoughts on “Arsenal v Spurs Historic Preview and Ideal Lineup”

• Super preview, GN5. Love all the historical background stuff based around famous victories. Feeling good about this one (depending on the lineup)!

• What about George Graham’s wedding day, Terry Venables was his best man and then both met at Highbury in the Football League, 1967, my first NLD and a very enjoyable 4-0 win for the good guys…

• Kev, There are hundreds of stories over the years, but to be honest I never knew about Venables being Graham’s best man.

• Brilliant stuff, GN5 and Total. “as all rats do”. Ha!
  Only NLD I got to was that cup semi where our Tone nodded in at the winner at the back post. Tho’ my first ever match in the UK was Spuds v Arsenal at SHL for the great Pat Jennings testimonial.

• Nice , N5. Total, I like the choice of Cedric, Lacazette, Emile…. I’d rather start Pepe than Auba tomorrow, toughness needed, and I think Soares, ESR, and Laca all fit that bill as well …and I prefer Pepe starting over Willian in general on merit. Auba and Willian can come off the bench.

• My strongest memories of an NLD are not due to the football, the match at White Hart Lane in February 1997 was a goalless draw. I wouldn’t normally have gone near the place but, the directors of an agency working with me offered a couple of tickets and free hospitality in the Bill Nicholson Suite and my eldest (12 at the time) was desperate to go so I could hardly refuse. Bizarrely, they were Liverpool supporters but I knew they were entertaining other business colleagues so, I warned my son not to wear anything red and white and to cheer under his breath when we scored and off we went. Of course, as soon as we got into the Bill Nicholson Suite he whipped his coat off and revealed his Arsenal shirt! Fortunately, apart from a few raised eyebrows, there was no trouble. And he put his coat back on when we went to sit in the stand. We were right next to the away section and my son lapped it up, learning some new songs and some choice terms of endearment from them. The match was pretty boring but we were entertained by some Spuds fans who decided to have a punch up between themselves a couple of rows in front of us.

• J, I thought about Pepe but Auba got the nod because of a better ability to take a chance. And he is the captain.

• Great stuff, OX10. I bet your son remembers that game as much as you do.

• Wow OX10 – SHL is a hornets nest for Arsenal supporters.

• You do surprise me GN5 considering your encyclopaedic knowledge of all things Arsenal, it was in all the newspapers, I used to have the cutting from the Daily Express, Graham got married in the morning and El Tel his old Chelsea team mate was his best man. But the afternoon it was a very different but enjoyable occasion for us Gunners, I’m pretty certain that Arsenal haven’t had as good a win at home since, you know 4 goals and no reply.

  In those days there was usually only one goal in it either way…

  Do you remember the Phil Beal own goal at the White Hart Rubbish Dump?

  I cant really remember who scored Arsenal’s 2nd goal in that match, as we led 2-0, but I do recall the roar when Jimmy Greaves pulled one back, that has stayed with me since because I felt nothing as the stadium exploded, it was the first of many away games when I felt that feeling, the game ended 2-1 to the good guys.

• OX10, for sure, the atmosphere at SHL has become poisonous over the last 30 years, it’s not sensible to wear Arsenal colours at that place. It got really bad under Wenger because we kept on beating them and winning everything, even with their recent ‘success’ such as it is, they’ve not actually won anything, although the Champions League Final was hard to take a few years ago, I can’t imagine how it would have gone down if they’d won the bloody thing?

• OX10 the last time I went to their pit, about 10 years ago, I swore never to go back, horrible fans, horrible part of London and a sinister atmosphere inside – I really don’t need that crap anymore.

• Love the preview, GN5 and TA. Particularly enjoyed the historical perspective and always nice to know we have had the edge for so long now. Nice clap-back too on that Mourinho quip about only looking up the table (like all rats do. Lol); hopefully, he is made to eat his words.

  You may just get the line up 11/11, except for Rob Holding, who hasn’t been getting the nod for that right CB berth, lately. I can’t tell why, for the life of me, but Arteta is likely to stay with Luis there. If only we could have a pairing of Gab and Mari, it would be ideal. Since that is unlikely, I’d prefer Holding; he would relish the duel with Kane. Laca and Auba both have a knack for scoring against the Spuds, with Laca in particular always willing to get one over his French team mate and No. 1.
  Mourinho will pack his midfield with his most muscular men: Ndombele, Hoijberg and Sisoko, sacrificing flare for brawn until late on. But, we do have Partey, Xhaka and others who can play around the lot of them. We have to handle this game with confidence, be clinical and just fight for the 3 points. I predicted a draw but know we can get the win.

  COYG!

• Hojbjerg*

  Yeah, Kev. I don’t envy the fans who brave it to that venue each season. I hear it’s like running the gauntlet and has resulted in some bloody noses, at times. Tough!

• Nice to hear from you, Eris, and good views. ⚽

• Kev, The problem is that like most old farts my “encyclopedic knowledge” blurs with age, sad to admit but a fact is a fact.
  But I frankly do not remember that event on the other hand when I was a young man Jimmy Logie was my idol.

• Jimmy appeared in 328 games over a 16 year period and scored 76 goals.

  Born in Edinburgh and raised in the city’s Grassmarket, Jimmy first played for Scottish junior side Lochore Welfare, before being signed by Arsenal in June 1939. Soon afterwards World War II broke out, and he was called up; he served in the Royal Navy for the entire duration of the conflict.

  After being demobbed he rejoined Arsenal, playing several wartime matches, before making his full first-team debut against Wolves on 31 August 1946. Jimmy was a talented and creative player (many observers likened him to his fellow countryman Alex James, who had played for Arsenal in the 1930s), and for the next eight seasons he was a regular in the Arsenal side, playing at inside forward.

  He took part in all of Arsenal’s early post-war successes; winning two First Division titles in 1947-48 and 1952-53. He also lifted the 1950 FA Cup (setting up both goals in the 2-0 win over Liverpool) and played in the 1952 final when the Gunners were beaten 1-0 by Newcastle after playing 55 minutes with just 10 men. In the latter stages of his career he also served as Arsenal vice-captain, behind Joe Mercer.

  In all he played 328 matches for Arsenal, scoring 76 goals and after a distinguished career with Arsenal, he was transferred to Gravesend and Northfleet for £2,000 in February 1955.

  Despite his success at Arsenal, Jimmy only ever won a single a cap for Scotland, playing against Northern Ireland on 5 November 1952.

  After retirement Jimmy fell on hard times; football was not the lucrative profession it is currently, and he was a keen gambler. He eventually ended up working for a newsagent in Piccadilly Circus.

  Jimmy Logie dedicated almost 16 years of his life to Arsenal.

  He died in 1984, aged 64.

• Above was from a series that I wrote on Arsenal’s best players.

• As I wrote Jimmy ended up as a news vendor outside Piccadilly Circus and would always be surrounded by Arsenal going in and out of the underground – including GN5 when I was in the area.

• “surrounded by Arsenal supporters”

• Yes, it’s odd isn’t it GN5 because I can remember obscure facts from years ago but I can’t remember what I did last week…

• Yes Jimmy Logie, he was a part of my Dads favourite all time Arsenal team, 1947/48, ended up selling the Evening Standard outside Leicester Square Tube station.

• Or was it Piccadilly Circus GN5? Maybe it was both…

  Alex James was on the coaching staff during the 1950’s so he must have worked with Logie.

• Interesting that you mention the 1950 FACup final GN5 because the recipient of those Logie assists was Reg Lewis, who broke into the Arsenal team towards the end of the 1930’s and finished at Arsenal I think the season we won the league in 1953.

  Lewis was Arsenal’s major striker during the post-war period and scored well over 100 goals but I wonder how many he would have got if he hadn’t lost almost 7 years of top level football from 1939/40 to 1945/46.

• Memory act in strange ways, I can clearly remember going down the Caledonain underground prior to air raids during WW11 and if we didn’t have time to make the underground we tried the air raid shelter at the top of the Street – if that failed we stayed home, pulled the black out curtains tight and then snuffed the gas lights – and hoped for good luck..

  However many times I can’t remember what I did last week – my memory used to be crystal clear but now I find myself writing things down so i won’t forget what to do? – the curse of creeping age.

• I also included Reg Lewis in my series.

  Reg Lewis: 1935-1953.

  Reg appeared in 176 games over an 18 year period and scored 118 goals.

  Born in Bilston, Staffordshire, Reg spent his entire career at Arsenal. He joined the club as a schoolboy in 1935, and scored on his debut against Everton on January 1, 1938. He made only four appearances in 1937-38, however, and as a result missed out on a League Championship winners’ medal. He broke into the first-team more in 1938-39, making 16 appearances in league and cup, scoring 7 goals, but the advent of the WW11 interrupted his career.

  During the war he continued to play for Arsenal and shone as a natural goal scorer; although wartime appearances and goals are not officially counted, he scored 143 goals in 130 games, including four in the 1943 War Cup Southern Final, in a 7-1 demolition of Charlton Athletic. Towards the end of the war he served in the British Army of the Rhine in Occupied Germany, but returned to play for Arsenal once first-class football resumed in 1946. Although most of the Arsenal side of the 1930s were past their best by this time, Reg was still only 26 and he continued to be a regular in the first team throughout the remainder of the 1940s. He was the club’s top scorer in 1946-47 with 29 goals, and the following season (1947-48), he partnered new signing Ronnie Rooke and between them they scored 47 goals as Arsenal won the First Division title.

  He continued to be a regular for the rest of the decade and he enjoyed arguably his best season in 1949-50; he scored 19 goals in 31 league games, played twice for the England B team. However, during the early 1950s, Reg became constantly afflicted with injuries, and he made only 12 appearances in 1951-52 and none at all in 1952-53.

  His tally of 118 in 176 first-team games puts him 13th in the all-time list but his total figure from 1935 to 1953 was a staggering 392 in 451 matches. His finest hour came in the 1950 FA Cup final, when he scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Liverpool.

  In the close season of 1953, he retired from the game at the age of 33. After retiring, Reg first ran a pub, and then worked in insurance.

  Reg passed away in 1997 aged 77 years.

• I meant to type “flair”, somewhere up there*

  The way the memory works has also fascinated me. With you two talking about having clearer memories of events in our youthful days than those only weeks previously, just brings home the fact it is all in the aging process.

  I get frustrated when I can’t recall what I intended to say or assign to someone I was anxious to see just hours earlier. I learnt quickly to make notes and that makes it so much better.

  I remember the sequence of moves (especially, leading to goals) in games I saw as a kid than those I watch in the present times. Amazing, really. It is what Life is about, I guess.

• Yes GN5, I wouldn’t know where I was without my old style calendar, thanks for the Reg Lewis info.

  Dougie Lishman took on the striker’s role when Reg’s powers waned and he looked a really tough hombre. The 1952/53 title winning team was the last hurrah of that immediate group of post war players, Arsenal then went into a slumber until Bertie Mee and Don Howe shook the place up.

• Kev I also included Doug Lishman in my series – would you like to see that as well?

• The brain will remember good things and new things much more than normal and repetitive events, so it is ok not to remember what we did last week if nothing extraordinary happened then.

• Team News: Leno, Cedric, David Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney, Xhaka, Partey, Smith Rowe, Odegaard, Saka, Lacazette

• Youth with Laca in attack, Pepe, Auba and Willian on bench to come on when the Spuddies are tired out?

  CoyrrGs ⚽ ⚽ ⚽ ⚽ ⚽

• Hmmmm. Still no room for Holding and Martinelli. Not sure I understand playing both ESR and Odegaard when we could deploy Pepe or Willian for some pressure.

  Let’s hope it works a trick. COYG!

• This is the future, Eris. Saka, Ode and ESR will pass and pass and find the gaps hopefully. Key is for Xhaka and Partey to form a strong wall behind them.. I like it but will we take our chances when they occur?

• TA, nicely done with the 9/11 predictions, especially finding Soares at RB.

  Eris, my thoughts/concerns exactly. However ESR used to play LW often at U23 level, so it might not be that strange to him not playing at AM (where Odegaard is indeed the real deal).

  Tottenham fielded a strong and attack-minded team with the identical formation as Arsenal. The 2 main difference are:
  – in midfield we play with our 2 best passers while Tottenham plays with 2 brutes (Ndombele & Højbjerg)
  – the trio behind the lone striker is experienced and in form for Tottenham (11 goals and 10 assist combined since February), while Arsenal’s trio is more for the future than prolific (3 goals and 4 assist since February)

  While I don’t see a clear weakness in our defense, both Tottenham full backs are a liability defensively. We should target them (but not in terms of crossing, rather winning 1-on-1 or 2v1 duels then cutting inside), and for that purpose Pepe would be more effective than anybody…

• Good shout re full backs, PB.

  Playing really well. Disciplined and creating chances. Was Leno too fat out of goal for the Spuds goal?

  ESR went so close but Ode had that much needed bounce of the ball.

  1-1 all to play for ⚽

• I agree Arsenal is playing really good. Especially in transitioning from defense to offense, but generally I’m satisfied with the line of play. The 2 shots on the post also convincing that we are not far from scoring more.

  I don’t think Leno had a chance. The rabona style is not (entirely) for showing off, but rather depriving the defender (this time the goalkeeper) from your intention. Bernd couldn’t dive sooner due to the lack of sign that there is a shot coming to the far post.
  I despise the spuds just like every other Arsenal fan, but I have to admit, this goal was a beauty. I don’t remember when did I see such a great goal conceded.

  Back to the game, we are balanced and effectively targeting both flanks. But still decide too often to go with the high cross. In fact our equalizer was the result of Tierney passing low in a position where he opted to cross previously. I hope the lads will keep doing that and wash the spuds away.

• What the hell is happening we lost concentration ever since that red card misplaced passes and free kicks all over the place.

• I only got to see the Kane freekick replay lol I had to look away could not believe how we were about to let a ten man team get back into it so easily

• So proud of the boys. A great win.

• Post match everyone Wright, hoddle and Owen all said it was not a penalty I disagree. Let me explain. Everyone is saying sanchez didn’t impede Laca and Laca had fluffed his chance, but the ball was still in play and Laca was close to the ball and sanchez took him out. If the ball is in play in the box and a player is fouled inside the box it’s penalty irrespective of the fact that the impeded player is denied a goal scoring opportunity. It’s a clear panalty because the play didn’t go out of play.
  Great 3 points and te.played really well. Negatives for later but enjoyed the game.

• Yes please GN5

• You are right, Madhu. Don’t sweat on it: the pundits in the studio are just there for decor, they don’t know more on these matters than the the 2 commentators or even us (absolutely ZERO irony or sarcasm here), It was a clear fault, which was indeed unnecessary as Lacazette had minimal chance converting the shot, and it is also true that Sanchez didn’t force Laca to miss, however the rules say that a player shouldn’t fault another even when the ball is irrecoverable. We saw this thousands of time that a free kick was given after an – unforced! – long ball didn’t reach its intended target only because the player was faulted after the ball was already in the air…
  So I don’t consider ourselves lucky for the penalty – nor for Lamela’s red card or Kane’s disallowed goal – unless having a fair refereeing constitutes as luck (of which you may have good rationale to argue).

  There are a plethora of positives in the game. Tierney was a menace both offensively and defensively, Xhaka was granit(e) in the middle (2nd most tackles and highest number of interceptions on the pitch), ESR provided 4 key passes of our 11 total (Tottenham had only 3 all players combined!), and Odegaard contributed to the pressing and defense actively (with 3 tackles and 1-1 interception/clearance) besides dictating the play and scoring making my MotM twice in a row.

  Not for the glass being half empty, but there were a few negatives as well. Saka was quite poor for the third time in March (after being voted player of the Month for 3 times in succession), and Leno wasn’t that convincing either tonight, especially with Kane’s free kick. Gabriel seemed superfluous based solely on statistics (with 0 tackle, clearance or interception), however his one and only block was vital in the game and he made a leaping header (next to the sideline in an unimportant situation in the 55’s minute) when he jumped about a meter over his opponent. Anyway, it’s not his fault that the so-called “in-form” Tottenham couldn’t apply more pressure so Soares, Luiz and Tierney could answer all the few questions asked.
  My other pain point is that Arsenal should have won this tie with 2-3 goals even against 11 men, but after taking the lead the urgency disappeared (again) and we were somewhat lucky to keep the advantage till the final whistle. Nevertheless I would have accepted this result with no hesitation a week ago, so I’m not really complaining.

• I thought it was a penalty too, for the reasons you’ve adduced there, Madhu. Yes, Laca had made the fluffed contact with the ball but without being fouled, he may yet have reached the ball to make amends, but didn’t even get the chance because Sanchez took him out.
  Our game management after they went one man down was shocking, but it was a tense few minutes. We were ahead and now they go one man down; the nerves start to tingle knowing there is no excuse not to get 3 points at the time. So, even the big players started to fret and nearly froze with the weight of expectation.

  I am glad they all fought to succeed today, helping one another over the line. Other than the CBs, I must say I liked how hard Odegaard has worked today. Never seemed to tire as he harried the spurs defence no end. He was also very good on the ball and never hid.

  Happy for the win and how we dominated the spuds; if only the critics would quit making out like they are a great team when they are really not. Pepe looks to me like a player who does better if on from the start. I have only ever seen him come on as a sub to do well, and that was when he got those two goals in a Europa league encounter at the Emirates (can’t recall the game now). He came on ruffled a few feathers, but was largely ineffectual. Same with Willian but it wasn’t easy to come on and replace the performances of ESR and well, Saka (didn’t do enough that first half). I do hope his injury is not one to worry about.

  Well, cheers guys!

• Good comments.

  This was only the third time Mourinho lost to an Arsenal team. Arteta did it in his second year as a manager and he outsmarted the Portuguese prat for 80 minutes. Wow.

• @pbarany, the Pundits i mean how mean and anti-arsenal can they be? what’s wrong have Arsenal done to them. Can you guys enlighten me here, is there something historical here. How can they be so technically inept not to state the obvious which is that the ball is in play in the box and a player is fouled with a two legged sliding tackle. Also i heard embarrassing discourse by Michael Owen who goes on about how Gaza used to protect ball with his two hands and he was sorry to see that Lamella was given a card. I mean isn’t that embarrassing, that here is a player who is encouraging a player to extend his arm and crush a defenders throat. How can you call these people pundits, embarrassing to the core.
  On the lighter note, we are over 40 points and officially not in relegation fight 🙂

• Madhu, I totally agree. The penalty was caused by a potentially dangerous two-legged sliding tackle, Laca was probably aware of what was incoming and was potentially put off his shot by it too, although apart from the pen he didn’t have the best of days in the box. Lamella deserved his red card and imagine that many ManUre fans cheering that decision. He’s an evil little shite who goes around surreptitiously tapping ankles trying to get players to retaliate and get themselves sent off. He could have got a second yellow earlier and it was well deserved when it came.

• Madhu, this is something only someone born and raised in the UK could properly answer.
  I have a theory, but that is pure speculation. I think the – decade-long – anti-Arsenal bias stems from
  – Arsene Wenger often playing without a single English player in the team
  – and doing it so painfully elegant and effective
  I have no better explanation that this, but I can imagine could feel like a kick in the teeth for the country claiming to invent football and their superior identity on every football-related topic.

  However this is history. I don’t think many of the people I accuse of being biased would be aware of that. So – still in my theory – it is subconscious. But you can notice them by the constant double standards applied in commentaries, tweets, interviews, red cards, hell even in VAR interpretations.
  The only exception could be the live pundits, who are kind of forced to say stupid things, otherwise they risk of not being invited next time. Their success criteria is to be talked and tweeted about for days and weeks, so instead of saying something intelligent or true – and therefore potentially obvious – (of which only a fraction of the pundits capable of – but I am known of my bias/despise of this so-called profession) they rather go for the controversial – and therefore potentially idiotic – comments or “insights”.

  What is outrageous now is that a 3-4 years ago Chelsea had a virtually no-Englishman team; after Lampard and Terry but before Chilwell, James, Mount, Hudson-Odoi and Abraham. So they could have ended up like Arsenal (or even worse as they bought their players for record breaking price from Russian [dirty] oil money), but somehow Chelsea didn’t. Of which I have no better explanation that Arsenal did the unthinkable 12-13 years earlier – thus the first time is always more shocking – and that in the meantime bias became more and more uncool and anti-PC; so new biases are hard to develop, however existing biases (including but not limited to good old racism) are even harder to identify and get rid of.

• New post 🙂

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