How Arsenal can win Mind Series tournament vs Tottenham

Arsenal can actually win something this season! Well, they could if there was actually something meaningful to win, that is. As for trophy-less Tottenham, who celebrated an Audi Cup win like it was prestigious silverware in hubristic fashion, they will be seeing it like that come Sunday.

With an astounding amount of work left to do in this transfer window before deadline day on August 31, the hunt for James Maddison is currently taking centre stage.

Throw in Thomas Partey’s desperately unfortunate injury, the pursuit of a backup goalkeeper and the desperation to sell as many players as possible in a short amount of time and actual football has taken something of a backseat.

Making the short journey up the Seven Sisters Road to take on Tottenham in their backyard is not something to ignored, though.

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How Arsenal can win Mind Series tournament vs Tottenham as Mikel Arteta faces Nuno Espirito Santo’s side on Sunday

It’s billed as friendly and is part of a three-game series with the proceeds going to mental health charity Mind and the three clubs’ respective foundations. It’s for a great cause. And while the context of the meeting has wonderful intentions, it’s still two fierce rivals facing one another.

Falling to a 2-1 loss at home to Chelsea in the opening game, which should have been 2-2 were it not for the linesman taking a nap when Joe Willock thundered an effort in off the crossbar, the Blues then squandered a 2-0 half-time lead when Nuno Espirto Santo’s side came to Stamford Bridge.

Wholesale changes from Thomas Tuchel after the break saw Chelsea lose all the domination they had in the first 45 minutes as goals from Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn secured a draw for the visitors.

To complete the mini-tournament Mikel Arteta will take his side four miles north on Sunday, trailing the series with a solitary point accrued from Granit Xhaka’s goal. Chelsea currently sit on eight points (three for a win, one for a draw and four for their goals scored) with Spurs on three.

So, as noted by Sam Inkersole, in order to lift silverware at Spurs’ ground, again, but also not really at all, Arsenal need to win scoring four or more goals.

Easy, right?

With Ben White the only arrival so far who was expected to be thrust straight into the first team starting lineup, that may now change following Partey’s injury with Albert Sambi Lokonga in with a genuine shout of being selected from the off against Brentford.

Therefore, the team that starts on Sunday has every chance of being the side to walk out onto the west London turf when the Premier League curtain-raiser takes place on August 13.