Two Minutes Sport: Arsenal v Tottenham!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Arsenal v Tottenham!

The Premier League is braced for Super Sunday with two of English football's most famous rivalries. When the big game between those two "Northern" teams has finished, two real football clubs will take each other on for the first time this season.

Arsenal and Tottenham have had mixed starts to the season. Arsenal started their season on a horror note with a shock 3-1 loss at home to Aston Villa but bounced back to win 3-1 at Fulham - in between two very good performances in the Champions League against Fenerbahce to seal their place in the lucrative group stages. It appears that Arsenal were never really a club in crisis but just one that was slow to start.

Arsene Wenger wants to spend but hasn't yet

However, Arsene Wenger definitely needs to sign more players to deepen his squad especially considering the injury to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the need to look after the fragile Jack Wilshere.

Spurs new signings

On the other hand, Tottenham have quite possibly one of their deepest squads in years. The imminent sale of Gareth Bale at a phenomenal price has provided the funds for Tottenham - already one of the most financially stable and wealthiest clubs in the Premier League - to spend large on quality players in the summer transfer window, e.g. Roberto Soldado, Paulinho, Etienne Capoue and Nacer Chadli.

Even with Wilian picking Chelsea, Tottenham's squad looks very promising and it's up to Andres Villas-Boas to massage the new signings into the rigours of Premier League football.

AVB has been shrewd but needs to deliver

Their start has been scratchy so far with two 1-0 wins courtesy of Soldado's skill from the spot but that is to be expected from a squad with so many new names and trying to play without their key talisman and PFA Player of the Season from last season. If AVB can get it right, Tottenham look set for a strong finish to the season - that has been their Achilles heel for the last couple of seasons and the reason why they've been in the Europa League rather than the Champions League.

Last season, Adebayor's red card titled the tie firmly in Arsenal's favour

The North London derby in recent times has naturally taken on plenty of significance given that Champions League football is at stake. Indeed, that issue has probably stoked the rivalry more with the team in red often the reason preventing the team in white from playing with the likes of Barcelona instead of Wisla Krakow.

A win this weekend could give Spurs a vital psychological boost in their quest to finish ahead of Arsenal for the first time in Premier League history - and that in all likelihood will mean Champions League football.

With both sides intent on playing attacking football, this probably will be the game of the round rather than the Liverpool v Manchester United game. So here's to Sunday.

And here's 5 of the best North London derbies from the league at Highbury/Emirates.

24 November 1996, Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham