North London derbies are fiercely competitive encounters. And when there is much more than pride and bragging rights on the line, like it will be on Saturday when Arsenal travel to White Hart Lane, things get even more intense. After a sluggish start both Arsenal and Tottenham have finally found their feet and are now fighting for a place in the Champions League next season.
Even though Arsenal haven’t lost to Spurs in their last four league encounters, the form that the home side have shown in the past month is such that it isn’t going to be an easy day in the office for the Gunners. The winner of the game will not only have local bragging rights, but will also be in pole position to challenge Manchester United and Southampton for the last two Champions League places. With that in mind, here are the three key battles that will decide the game on Saturday.
Harry Kane vs Arsenal’s centre backs
As hard as it might be to believe, the Gunners’ defence is in fine shape ahead of a tricky away tie against their North London rivals. The arrival of Gabriel Paulista from Villareal adds a bit more depth to a defence that hasn’t conceded a goal in their last three league games. But Arsene Wenger’s side will have a tough task on their hands as they come up against an in-form Harry Kane, in their bid to make it four against Spurs.
From being a squad player to being the first name on the team sheet, Kane has certainly come a long way this season. The Englishman is the club’s leading scorer and has shown a tremendous appetite for goals, one that doesn’t seem to be fading anytime soon. Although not blessed with frightening pace, the 21-year-old has shown, with his movement and ability to finish, that pace isn’t the only thing it takes to become a successful Premier League striker. With the form Harry Kane is in, Arsenal’s centre backs will need to be on their toes if they are going to be keep another clean sheet.
Christian Eriksen vs Santi Cazorla
In the middle of the park, it will be the battle of the two nimble-footed magicians. There is no doubt that Eriksen and Cazorla are the two most influential players of their respective teams at the moment. And it is they, who will be crucial, when it comes to dictating who is going to win this fiercely contested derby.
While the Dane has been scoring crucial goals for fun over the past few weeks, the Spaniard has showed that there is more to his game than merely going forward. While Eriksen will be given free rein to roam around and work his magic, it is very likely that Cazorla is asked to stay a little deeper, maintain his position and make it more difficult for the home side to create too many chances. Although both will be playing two very different roles on Saturday, they are still their respective side’s main creative outlet and whoever wins this battle, will set the tempo for the rest of the game.
Battle on the wings
With Alexis Sanchez still not fully fit, it is likely that Theo Walcott will continue to deputise on the right flank. Along with Hector Bellerin, who has proven to be one of the finds of the season so far, Arsenal’s right flank might just be their most productive attacking outlet. With the two fastest players in the Gunners side playing on the right side, Danny Rose will have to rely on some help from either his central midfielders or Eriksen, who will start as the left-sided attacking midfielder.
For Spurs as well, it is their right flank that might be their most potent threat going forward. With Kyle Walker and Erik Lamela, the home side have both the pace and the trickery to cause Arsenal all sorts of problems. With Mesut Ozil likely to play on the left flank, Nacho Monreal will certainly need some help from Francis Coquelin, if he doesn’t want to be overrun. Whichever side can make better use of their right flank, will have a huge advantage in the game.
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