Relief for Gooners as battling Spurs are denied derby win

After the depressing loss to West Brom last Sunday, most Spurs’ fans would have taken a point at the Emirates beforehand while Arsenal would have fancied their chances of winning. However, at the end of ninety attritional minutes, during which six Spurs players received yellow cards as they defended resolutely, many gooners left the Emirates just relieved to have denied Spurs a morale boosting victory and bragging rights.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino sprang a surprise by handing Ryan Mason a premier league debut in such an important game. Mason had impressed as a substitute in the Capital One cup victory against Nottingham Forest, however starting against Arsenal is whole different ball game. Pochettino clearly sees something in the lad and is not afraid to play youngsters. Ironically, but perhaps understandably, Eric Dier, who has played well was dropped in favour of the slightly unpopular Kyle Naughton. Along with Harry Kane, Andros Townsend and Nabil Bentaleb, that’s four players that have progressed from the youth team to the first team squad in the last two years. Not bad at all.

Arsenal tend to dominate possession at the Emirates so it was no surprise that they had the majority of possession in this match. However, the Spurs back line defended well. Hugo Lloris made some really good saves at crucial times and Danny Rose tried manfully to contain Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Younes Kaboul put in a real captain’s shift, blocking everything Arsenal threw at him. It was the kind of performance that reminded you of what a brilliant defender Kaboul potentially is. If only he can play like this every weekend, Spurs would have a great centre back on their hands. Etienne Capoue covered as much ground as anyone on the pitch, offering a useful shield to the back four while Ryan mason brought some energy and direct running to Spurs midfield before tiring late on.

The attacking three of Lamela, Eriksson and Chadli all joined in helping Spurs maintain a solid defensive shape which often left Adebayor isolated upfront. I have given Nacer Chadli a lot of stick in the past; mainly because I believe he is capable of so much more than he has shown. He did not have his finest game today, but he showed a willingness to get into attacking positions when Spurs were counter attacking and he took his goal really well. With four goals already this season, he is certainly improving but he has so much more in his locker. Eriksson was once again subdued. He has not hit the heights of last season and it’s hard to tell if he is just struggling for form or struggling to find his way in Pochettino’s new system. Lamela on the other hand continues to show great promise. He covered more ground than any other player, he was always showing for the ball and although not everything he tries comes off, he never stops trying to create. He created Chadli’s goal with a superb pass into his path. Unfortunately, his hashed clearance contributed to Arsenal’s equaliser. He is getting better though and that is promising for Spurs.

All in all, Pochettino, looking very dapper in his club suit will be satisfied with his team’s performance. Spurs lost three times against Arsenal last season and are not yet firing on all cylinders this term. One of the measures of success this season will be Pochettino’s record against the top four rivals and it did not start well having lost already at home to Liverpool. So to get a point with a tactically astute performance would have satisfied him as he continues to impose his playing philosophy on this team. His opposite number, Arsene Wenger looked rather less dapper, was desperate not to lose this derby and his relief at the goal which salvaged a point was obvious. However, Wenger has outlasted eleven different Spurs managers. If Pochettino outlasts the Arsenal manager, it is highly likely he would have been a success at Spurs.

Next up for Poch after a midweek Europa league clash with Besiktas, a date with his former club, Southampton who despite a more chaotic transfer window than Spurs, have made a better start and are playing quite well as they sit second in the premiership. White Hart Lane would also get a good look at Morgan Schneiderlin, a player Poch tried hard to sign during the transfer window, but is now playing out of his skin. Should be an interesting reunion

  

Happy Baggies scalp toothless Spurs

It’s been a strange September at Spurs. We had an uninspiring end to the transfer window that was noteworthy only for the surprise but ultimately reasonable sale of popular midfielder Sandro and the unheralded arrivals of Federico Fazio and Benjamin Stambouli. Spurs also had to deal with rumours of a buyout which were quickly denied and the sobering thought that they will have to spend a whole season playing ‘home’ games away from home while White Hart Lane is being rebuilt.

But to paraphrase a former American president, ‘it’s the football stupid’ and Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s methods are taking far longer than Spurs would like to come through. Since trashing QPR in August, Spurs have played three league matches without winning any of them. Beaten again at home by Liverpool, Spurs played well enough at Sunderland but paid the price for not being clinical enough in front of goal and now this, at home to bottom club West Brom.

Yesterday’s match at White Hart Lane was so uninspiring, most fans could not even be bothered to boo at the final whistle, at least those that stayed still the end. While rivals Liverpool could rightly claim fatigue after an exhausting Champions league game in midweek (didn’t seem to stop arsenal though), most of the team that started against West Brom were rested for the Midweek Europa game against Partizan Belgrade. Nothing could excuse the lethargy on display against a side without a win in the premiership this season.

The line-up was probably the best available to Pochettino and most fans rightly expected an attack of Lamela, Eriksson, Chadli and Adebayor to test West Brom far more than it did. It has to be said that Christian Eriksson never really got going yesterday as he had one of his least effective games. Eric Lamela clearly looks a different player this season and although he lost possession a number of times, he produced sublime moments of skill which the crowd appreciated, he was always showing for the ball and crucially, he continually showed ahead of right back Eric Dier creating an attacking outlet on the right. Nacer Chadli on the other hand?

I have criticised Chadli a few times in the past and games like this make him an easy target. He arrived in England as the top assist maker in the Dutch league and is built like a power sprinter, the sort of player who should be brushing most of the average full backs aside. He just has not delivered. I lost count of the number of occasions when left back Danny Rose had the ball and acres of space in front of him with Chadli nowhere to be seen, having drifted uninvited to the centre. It would not be so bad if he was making things happen from the center, but he was equally ineffective. If he had made himself available of the left side in the way that Lamela and Dier often combined on the right. Spurs attacking play would have had more variation and may have forced the Baggies on the back foot.

Spurs fans wondered out loud why Pochettino did not change things at half time. The truth is that with Andros Townsend injured, he had no options on the left. This is why he will continue to be linked with Jay Rodriguez. In the circumstances, he had to change the formation to a four- four- two and go with an extra striker. The trouble with that change is the two substitutes, Paulinho and Roberto Soldado are playing with zero confidence and frustrated Spurs fans hoped rather than expected that they could make a difference. It was one hope too many as they failed to lift Spurs out of their lethargy. An insipid draw would have been frustrating enough, except that Vlad Chirices, who had an iffy game in defence, gave away a needless corner from which James Morrison scored to make a frustrating day downright irritating.

What made the day even worse was way was that the premiership stars aligned nicely in the battle to Champions league qualification. Chelsea and Manchester City will contest the league while the gooners will feed of the scraps and limp into third. Fourth place is up for grabs though and with Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton all losing winnable games, the opportunity to pick up precious points was wasted today and that will hurt.

What this match showed is how unbalanced this squad has become. Pochettino in truth is not under massive pressure to qualify for the Champions league this season, as he sets about building this team up. He has a reasonable defence to work with as Fazio looked decent on his debut against Partizan in midweek and Stambouli looks like he could bring some much needed energy to the midfield. The left side of Spurs attack is the Achilles heel and the movement of Adebayor and Soldado needs to improve. Not enough chances are being created right now. In a weekend when Leicester city put five goals past Manchester United, Spurs did not even manage five shots on target against West Brom. That is not good enough and will have to change fast.