With Manchester United and City proving so dominant early on and Chelsea starting to evolve under Andre Villas-Boas, fighting for fourth may be as good as it gets this season for Arsenal and Tottenham. The north London rivals had an eventful summer, with Luka Modric, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri the subject of endless transfer speculation that undoubtedly disrupted both sides’ preparations for the start of the new campaign. While Spurs ultimately held on to their Croatian playmaker, Arsenal were forced to part with their star midfielders, as Barcelona and Man City respectively plucked them from the Gunners’ grasp.
As Harry Redknapp’s side recover from a couple of thrashings to both Manchester clubs, Arsenal have struggled for any real semblance of form and as WhoScored gets ready for their clash at White Hart Lane this coming Sunday, we wonder if the balance in power is starting to shift Tottenham’s way:
Team Stats
In terms of goals attempts, the teams are remarkably similar- Spurs just edge the Gunners by 20 to 19 and although both have found the net 9 times apiece, Harry Redknapp’s side have played one game less. Arsenal’s recent poor form and lack of cohesion following a batch of new signings is highlighted by a frustration and ill-discipline that has seen them pick up 12 yellow cards and 3 reds - Spurs have just 8 yellows in comparison, even though they’ve averaged 11 fouls per game to the Gunners’ 10. A look at the WhoScored rankings shows Spurs have averaged 6.94 per game so far this season –the third best tally- with Arsenal back in sixth place on 6.62.
Midfield Mettle
With Sandro coming back into the first-team last week, Harry Redknapp welcomed back another grafter in the centre of the park. The Brazilian was paired with Scott Parker, allowing Luka Modric to move wide right, and a look at the pair’s defensive stats suggest a real bite to the Spurs middle. Sandro has averaged 5 tackles and 1 interception, while Parker is on 4.7 tackles and 4 interceptions per game. Modric’s 1.8 tackles and interceptions could see him shift out wide more often, with the Sandro-Parker partnership offering Spurs plenty of snap in the crucial central area, allowing Modric to drift inside and weave his magic from a wider starting berth.
With Jack Wilshere sidelined till February due to an ankle injury, Arsenal have installed Mikel Arteta alongside Alex Song in the middle, with Aaron Ramsey further ahead. While Song has impressed with 3 tackles and 3 interceptions, Arteta is hardly renowned for his ball-winning ability and has averaged 2.3 tackles and 1 interception in comparison. Emmanuel Frimpong has also played his part when Song served a three-match suspension, making 2 tackles and 2.3 interceptions. Compared to Spurs, it’s a substantial drop in the ability to battle.
Key Creators/Dribblers
Emmanuel Adebayor, ironically, has been Spurs main creative force. The ex-Arsenal man has averaged 3 key passes and 1 successful dribble per game, while Gareth Bale and Luka Modric have thrown their weight with 2.4 and 2.3 respectively. Bale has also been top for dribbles (2.8) with Modric also impressing on 1.8. Rafael Van der Vaart has averaged 1.8 key passes, picking up 2 assists, and Parker’s introduction following his transfer from West Ham has seen him make 1.7 - compare this to Sandro, who made none in the game at Wigan.
Of Arsene Wenger’s main starters so far, Arteta has been the most impressive when it comes to creating goal-scoring opportunities, with 4 key passes per game. It’s a big drop down to the next regular starter, with Ramsey managing 2.2 and picking up 3 assists - the only player in the side to earn more than 1 assist so far this season. Both have made just 1 successful dribble per game, though. Gervinho has been the best for successful dribbles (2.7) by some distance and has also thrown in 2 key passes, as has Alex Song. Theo Walcott’s stats show just how disappointing he has been so far - just 0.8 key passes and 1.3 successful dribbles, compared to Andrei Arshavin’s 1.8 and 1.3 respectively.
Goal Threat
Once again, Spurs prove better when it comes to their dangermen in front of goal. Four players have averaged 4 or more shots per game, producing 7 goals between them. Van der Vaart leads the way on 4.5 shots and 1 goal, followed by Bale (4.2 shots per game, 1 goal), Adebayor (4 shots per game, 3 goals) and Jermain Defoe (4 shots per game, 2 goals). Modric has also helped with 1.8 shots and 1 goal.
Arsenal, on the other hand, have only one player who has managed more than 4 shots per game - Robin Van Persie. The Dutchman has averaged 5.2 shots and scored 3 goals but a look at their other main attackers shows the Gunners are clearly a little over-reliant on him finding the net. Theo Walcott and Andrei Arshavin both have 2.5 shots and 1 goal, while Gervinho has managed 2.3 shots and also found the net once.
