Alexis Sanchez: Spurs Are In Our Shadow – NLD Preview

Arsenal vs Tottenham – North London Derby Match Preview – Premier League – 27.09.14

Okay, so maybe Sanchez didn’t say those words but you know what? I imagine he could. He has been at the club for five minutes and already he is giving the impression he knows what it means to play in a North London Derby.

Speaking to Arsenal.com Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain said Alexis was desperate to train when he should have been resting and was told to take it easy. Ox said he looks up for it and seems to know what a big match it is and this can only be a good thing for Arsenal.

The manager is likely to name a similar starting line-up to the one that started against Villa as he feels the result against Southampton doesn’t count in terms of form so he expects the team to be playing off the back of a win.

Even if we were playing off the back of a series of losses the team shouldn’t need pumping up for this game – it’s the first North London Derby of the season, it’s on our home patch and the team know what is expected of them.

Wenger has only lost 6 North London Derbies and with another weekend of potential good results for Arsenal, the team will want to make sure that lost number still reads 6 come 7.15pm. Arsenal are favourites among the bookmakers this weekend so hopefully Wenger will be celebrating a league win over a 10th different Spurs manager.

Team News

Calum Chambers, Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck are poised to make their derby debuts with the former two the only members of the Southampton loss likely to start.

Arsenal have Per Mertesacker and Kieran Gibbs fit and Diaby could feature as a late sub after completing 60 minutes in the week.

Arsenal from; Szczesny, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Chambers, Bellerin, Diaby, Flamini, Arteta, Ramsey, Wilshere, Özil, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexis, Cazorla, Welbeck and Campbell.

Predicted Line-up

Szczesny, Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Arteta, Ramsey, Özil, Cazorla, Welbeck, Sanchez

I expect to see substitute appearances from Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wilshere and possibly Diaby.

Match Quote

“…today Alexis really wanted to train and people had to tell him to take it easy…and I think he knew we had a massive game coming up this weekend and, as a new boy, it’s good that he does know that.” – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Last 3 Meetings

• Sp*rs 0 – 1 Arsenal – Premier League 16.03.14
• Arsenal 2 – 0 Sp*rs – FA Cup 04.01.14
• Arsenal 1 – 0 Sp*rs – Premier League 01.09.13

Form Guide

Arsenal Last 5
LWLDD

Tottenham Last 5
WLDDL

Spurs aren’t in the best of form, neither are Arsenal despite being unbeaten in the league, however form goes out of the window in these games and often so does the gulf in class. Another tense NLD is on the horizon.

Opposition watch

Tottenham have had an inconsistent start to with a four-match winning streak followed by four games without a win before winning 3-1 in the Capital One Cup in midweek in a run that saw a 3-0 humbling by Liverpool and a surprise 1-0 home defeat by West Brom last weekend. I was surprised to find out that this is their worst start since Juande Ramos was in charge in 2008/09.

Arsenal are unbeaten in the league and haven’t lost a league game at the Emirates since August last year however Pochettino’s side are unbeaten on their travels in all competitions and as the 12th permanent Tottenham boss Wenger will face in his 18 year reign at Arsenal said to the official Spuds website, www.potatoesgrowbestintheshade.com, this will be a game of emotion rather than tactics or physicality.

Spurs have some interesting players however the one to watch today will probably be Adebayor. He always seems to lift his game against Arsenal and with Eriksen behind him he might find a few tempting balls to run onto played in front of him.

Factfile

• Adebayor has scored more goals in the NLD, for both sides, than any other player
• Sp*rs failed to score against Arsenal in three matches last season
• It has been 5 years since Spurs kept a clean sheet in the league against Arsenal
• Arteta and Pochettino played together for a season at PSG

Prediction

North London Derbies are notoriously hard to call but I’m going for a 3-1 to Arsenal, Alexis with the opener, Welbeck with a brace and Adebayor with a late consolation.

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