Arsenal Vs Spurs: Unleash hell

Arsenal host Spurs on Sunday in the first North London Derby of the season. It is time for Unai Emery to ‘unleash hell’ with his terrifying attacking triumvirate, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe.

Sometimes, you have to be brave. To play offensive football, that bravery is pre-requisite. Every time a full-back bombs on and pushes down the line on an overlapping run, there is a certain gulp as vast space opens up behind. It takes guts to run forwards in football.

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However, if done with purpose, precision and awareness, it is the most successful way of playing. As the modern game is increasingly illustrating, controlling possession, pressing high up the pitch, and dominating matches through ever-increasing pressure and offensive game plans is the most effective way of consistently winning matches. And sometimes, there are very specific matches that call for a team to lay down their hesitancies, let everything go, and just unleash hell on the opposition. For better or worse.

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As Arsenal prepare for their first North London Derby of the season, Unai Emery has a major decision to make. In the summer, the Gunners broke their transfer record for the third time in two years for another attacking player, this time acquiring wide man Nicolas Pepe in a £72 million deal. Pepe will, eventually, join Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in one of the most potent — and most expensive — front threes in world football.

The spread of resources tell the story: Arsenal are entrusting a lot to their attacking triumvirate. But so far this season, Emery has been cautious to field all three at the same time. In fact, after three full matches, they have only all been on the pitch for a total of 35 minutes. Pepe and Lacazette have only made one start apiece. This tentative approach was illustrated perfectly last weekend, when Emery switched to a 4-4-2 and played Pepe and Aubameyang in a front two, worried that Liverpool’s explosive front three would rip his side to shreds had he played all three.

Perhaps Emery was right. Perhaps he wasn’t. There have been plenty of discussions on that all week long. But this weekend, when Arsenal come to face a Spurs team that lack the form, cohesiveness and fear-inducing personnel of Liverpool, Emery should be looking to unleash hell.

Fielding Pepe on the right flank, as he is most comfortable, cutting in on his vicious left foot, Aubameyang off the left, pushing onto the shoulder of the Spurs backline, and then with Lacazette through the middle, dropping into the pockets of space in between the Spurs defence and midfield makes Arsenal the most dangerous that they can be.

The 4-3-3 may alleviate a little midfield protection, but Spurs do not have the attacking weapons that Emery was so scared of when he faced Liverpool. Harry Kane is a threat, of course, as is Heung-Min Son, but they do not have the offensive speed and creativity to rip teams apart on the counter-attack.

Arsenal have the chance to make a real statement. They have a chance to unleash hell. Emery and his front three now just need to take it.