Arsenal vs. Tottenham: 5 Things We Learned from the North London Derby
Battling to a draw that did both teams no good, Arsenal’s title challenge took another dent as they let a lead slip for the second time in five days as Tottenham Hotspurs fought back from two goals down down to draw 3-3.
The match was closely contested and if the first half belonged to Arsenal then the second half was all Tottenham. Arsenal started brightly and Theo Walcott gave them the lead with a good finish in the fifth minute. Arsenal fans had barely celebrated that goal when Rafael van Der Vaart scored to equalize in the seventh minute.
Arsenal looked they would go into half time 3-1 up but Tom Huddlestone had different plans, scoring an absolute belter to give Tottenham hope at the end of the first half.
Then in the second half, Aaron Lennon earned his side a penalty when Wojciech Szczesny brought him down in the box after the English winger exploited space in the Arsenal defense. Van der Vaart scored from the resulting penalty and had it not been for some good goalkeeping from Szczesny, Arsenal might have conceded even more.
For Arsenal this means that they have slipped to third in the table behind London rivals Chelsea on goal difference. Arsenal are now six points behind Manchester United with five games to go. While Arsene Wenger still believes his side can do it, Arsenal will need nothing short of a miracle to win the title this season.
The draw leaves Tottenham in fifth position, two points behind, Manchester City and they face the prospect of playing in the Europa League next season, after a rollicking season in Europe’s premier club competition.
Here is a look at the five things we learned from this pulsating and exciting North London derby.
Gareth Bale Did Not Deserve the Player of the Year Award
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During this year’s PFA awards, Tottenham’s Gareth Bale won the Player of the Year award. There is no doubt that he has immense potential and can someday become one of the best wingers in the game.
This season we have seen him build from where he left off last season and has gone from being an unlucky charm to a real prospect for the future. His most notable performance this season came in the Champions League when he destroyed the world’s best right back, Maicon, at both the San Siro and White Hart Lane.
His form in the league has not been great and has been riddled with inconsistency. In my opinion, while Bale had a good year he didn’t deserve to win the Player of the Year award. The award should go to the most consistent player. Bale has got a mere seven goals and three assists this season which is well short of what the likes of Nasri, Nani and Adam have contributed.
Bale has had his bright spots but teams are now aware of his threat and usually close him down effectively.
The award should definitely have gone to either Nani or Nemanja Vidic, two players who have been great for Manchester United and I would have to go for the latter.
Vidic has been an absolute beast for United and is currently one of the best centre backs in world football, leading from the front for the Red Devils.
Against Arsenal on Wednesday, Bale was ineffective and failed to make an impact on the game before being substituted for Lennon, whose place earned Tottenham the equalizing penalty.
While Bale definitely had a good season, he was not the best player in the league and didn’t deserve to win the award.
Tottenham Are One of the Most Entertaining Sides in the League
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Arsenal are regarded as one of the world’s most entertaining sides with their free flowing game that is pleasing to the eye to the eye. But while Arsenal are exciting, no doubt, Tottenham hardly get their due credit in this aspect.
Tottenham have a poor set of strikes and with proper strikers this team could be a real force. But despite not having top class strikers, they produce to entertain, playing great attacking football and the North London derby was the perfect example. Tottenham have one of the best midfields in the league, featuring the likes of Luka Modric, Lennon, Van der Vaart, Bale and Lennon, and it is Tottenham’s midfield that has scored the majority of their goals.
Their games are often extremely entertaining and they have been involved in several great matches. The 3-3 draw with Wolves was a truly fascinating football with both teams playing some great entertaining football, as was Spurs' 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
Even when they play a 0-0 draw it is usually packed with chances and back and forth chances that let the neutrals enjoy the match. The game against West Ham might have been scoreless but it was an entertaining match nevertheless.
The North London derby was another brilliant match and is one of the matches of the seasons. Their game is usually very entertaining to watch and delights all those watching.
The North London Derby Is the Most Entertaining Derby in England
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In the aftermath of Arsenal once again throwing away a lead, the talk has been about Arsenal’s brittleness and so many have failed to appreciate what was actually a fantastic display from both teams.
The scoreline indicates that the match was an all out attacking display with both teams desperate for all three points.
This season we have seen plenty of boring derbies, particularly in Manchester. Teams have often seemed weary in such matches but the North London derby has always managed to entertain.
In the last six league meetings between the two sides, there has been a total of 25 goals being scored, 13 for Arsenal and 12 for Tottenham.
On Wednesday night there was one more derby going on, the El Clasico with Real Madrid and Barcelona slugging it out in the Copa del Ray. The match was a cagey affair with the final score 1-0 in favor of Real Madrid.
The match between Arsenal and Spurs was nothing like the El Clasico and it was an absolutely entertaining affair. Even earlier the season the match between the two was a classic with Spurs fighting from two goals down to win 3-2. This time around Spurs fought back from two goals down but could manage only a draw.
Both these teams prefer to attack with little regard for their defense. This is one reason that the two teams produce thrilling affair packed with goals and plenty of excitement for supporters and neutrals.
The Answer to Arsenal's Goalkeeping Conundrum Lies Within the Squad Itself
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Ever since the departure of Jens Lehmann, Arsenal have lacked a solid goalkeeper and that has always been their weak point. Until this season that is. The rise of Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny took many Arsenal fans by surprise and, despite the one error from both players, the notable gaffes have only come from Manuel Almunia, which is hardly surprising.
Injuries to Lukasz Fabianski and Manuel Almunia meant that inexperienced Szczesny was handed the reins of being Arsenal’s first choice goalkeeper.
Despite being just 20 which is extremely young for a goalkeeper, Szczesny has hardly put a foot wrong other than the mix up with Koscielny in the Carling Cup final.
Many have felt that he is too young to become Arsenal’s No. 1 but if you look at his performances this season, he has been brilliant.
Against Tottenham despite conceding a penalty he was largely solid throughout and had it not been for his saves against Modric and Van der Vaart, Arsenal would have possibly lost.
He is a solid keeper and his confidence is there for everyone to see. He is an extremely passionate player and he has all the makings of an Arsenal great.
Many have felt that Wenger should dip into the transfer marker to sign a keeper but with Szczesny's emergence, he should look to bolster the squad elsewhere.
One major drawback of his game is his distribution which was poor in his debut against Manchester United and hasn’t improved a great deal over the season. But with him working hard on the issue, he can rectify it.
The Pressure Is Getting to Arsene Wenger
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With Arsenal facing the possibility of going a sixth season without silverware, Arsene Wenger has been the centre of intense criticism from even a section of the fans.
Many of the fans want him to abandon his youth policy and sign proven, experienced players and there has been some calls for him to either spend or be sacked. Arsenal and Wenger have been the centre of severe media criticism, which is why I believe he is justifying his players so much.
It is fair to say that Wenger has never faced such pressure to win a trophy and it is becoming increasingly evident. He is seeing his team repeatedly throw away leads and he is unable to change his team’s recent run of poor results.
Maybe it is this desperation to win trophies that has prompted him to play players even when they are not fully fit and risk players like Nasri and Fabregas.
Wenger has achieved a lot with Arsenal and he has performed admirably with a small budget but many consider six years a gap too long and are demanding a trophy.
He has looked frustrated in recent weeks and his anger is understandable. I’m sure that he more than anyone wants to win a trophy but he has failed to do so.
Arsene Wenger had earned a reputation of being a very composed person but recent weeks have indicated otherwise. He is no longer cool and composed on the touchline and he is obviously very tense. Even when Arsenal took the lead against Liverpool, he failed to show the emotion you expect from him.
Wenger has to ensure that the pressure does not affect the team and he has to rally the troops for the remaining fixtures.
Conclusion
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After a few timid and cagey affairs, Arsenal fans should be proud of their team despite letting a two-goal lead slip again. The first half was everything we want to see from them as they played beautiful football, created chances and attacked brilliantly.
They showed commitment to win and an urge to win the title but they backed down a notch in the second half which was duly exploited by Tottenham. Let’s not forget that Tottenham was the fresher side as they did not play in midweek.
Arsenal should just play fantastic football and hope that Manchester United slip up which is still possible.
Let’s hope for a miracle.
