Arsenal vs Tottenham: 3 weaknesses to exploit

The days leading up to the North London Derby are going to drag. Fortunately there was some midweek Carabao Cup action to whet the appetite for Arsenal fans, but nothing compares to facing Tottenham.

It’s a fixture that simultaneously gets the blood pumping, and also freezes it cold. There is no better feeling than beating Spurs just as there are few feelings worse than losing to Spurs. Especially on home soil. Dread and excitement in equal measure.

With three wins on the bounce after seeing off AFC Wimbledon and three most welcome clean sheets on top of that, Arsenal should be in good spirits for the visit of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

After the Manchester City defeat it was the first time in top-flight history that Tottenham sat top of the Premier League table with Arsenal rooted to the very bottom. The first time ever. That was a dark few days.

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Arsenal vs Tottenham: 3 weaknesses of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side ahead of the North London Derby in the Premier League

Since then Arsenal have won their two league games without conceding while Spurs have lost their two league games without scoring and conceding six. A lot can change in football very quickly.

All of which sets the tone for what will be an invigorating fixture. For pure excitement, drama and goals there is quite possibly no better game in the English top-flight. Manchester City vs Manchester United? Drab. Liverpool vs Everton? One-sided.

So as the gap between the two sides currently sitting seventh and 13th in the table respectively narrows, a win for either side could have huge impact in almost every facet for the rest of the campaign.

Mikel Arteta and co best not let that happen, then? And a good place to start with on the quest for three derby points is Tottenham’s weaknesses. There are three standout ones, some which can be taken advantage of.

1. Jose Mourinho Has Left Them Unfit

Jose Mourinho? What does he have to do with this? Quite a lot, in fact.

The former Spurs boss has something of a track record with this. In a career laden with trophies at clubs where it almost always ends badly, much of his lasting legacy is leaving behind an unfit group of players.

It took Manchester United many months to solve and when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came in one of his primary aims was to get the team back up to reasonable fitness.

While it’s been five months since Mourinho got the sack in the wrong part of north London, Santo hasn’t been in the job too long and there are clear fitness issues within his crop of players that are yet to be fully amended.

Despite winning their opening three Premier League games they were relatively fortunate in all of them as late spells of pressure arrived partly in due to to the aforementioned lack of fitness. Against Chelsea they tired last time out and then in midweek Wolves were in the ascendancy from the minute they scored their first goal on 38 minutes.

There is almost always drama in these encounters and with a Tottenham side not at the fitness levels Santo would like there is undoubted scope for some late action.

They will tire.

Continued…