Tottenham Hotspur are set to visit the Emirates Stadium at the weekend as the Lilywhites prepare for the highly anticipated North London derby. It is a high-stakes game, as the hosts look to get back from that draw against Sunderland to maintain their lead at the summit of the Premier League, while the visitors will be looking to prove their credentials in the top quarter of the table despite the Lilywhites having some underwhelming performances ahead of the international hiatus.
The Dane head coach Thomas Frank was under pressure at N17 recently, given how his side has lacked that attacking intent. And he would be desperate for his team to showcase some of those sequences against the Gunners this weekend.
But it wouldn’t be an easy game given how Arsenal have possibly been in the top percentile on all facets of the game in the ongoing campaign. This is where the former Brentford manager will have to find something to gain that upper hand in the NLD.
Going into the derby, there are few things that Tottenham will have to be wary of when facing this Arsenal side. And we will note down three of those in context below.
3 things that Thomas Frank needs to look over his shoulders for before this weekend’s North London Derby
Defending set pieces
There has already been a lot of media coverage around the Gunners and their capacities with dead-ball situations. We have seen how Mikel Arteta’s men have come through time and again when facing set-piece situations this season. And this is where Tottenham will need to be wary as well.
While their towering defender Gabriel Maghalaes is a doubt for this weekend’s derby, his potential absence doesn’t mean that Tottenham should lose focus on set pieces. They have sequences which are more than capable of getting the ball in back of the opponent’s keeper (as we have seen on countless occasions).
So the Dane head coach will need to ensure a sense of organisation at the back with their markers positioned in a way that makes things airtight during these situations. They will try to target Vicario (as they have done in all of the North London derbies of late), knowing that the Lilywhites goalkeeper is not as effective when pressured on set pieces. And this is where Frank needs to give him some protection.
Second Balls (that Rice and Zubimendi influence in the second phase)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is very demanding when it comes to winning duels. And this is where the second phase will be important for both sides.
We have seen this season how one of Arsenal’s midfielders tries to compete for the first ball, but then the other is right there to enforce the second ball. This is a key Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi dynamic that the Lilywhites will need to be wary of.
Both of the aforementioned midfielders are really good at positioning themselves to win those second balls. It doesn’t end here; they then quickly try to transition the possession into offensive opportunities for the Lilywhites.
And this is where Frank needs to position his midfielders to be tactically disciplined and yet aggressive when it comes to winning those loose balls. The Dane can try to position players to counter-press immediately (if Spurs lose those second balls) just to disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm.
We have seen how Arsenal have used these second balls to open dangerous channels this season. And Frank will need to tactically coach this going into this Sunday’s kickoff.
Contain Calafiori
Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori was a doubt to make it fit for the fixture in the past days, but he is expected to be available for Arteta’s picking this weekend. And given how he has been playing this season, the 23-year-old has been a menace in the defensive as well as offensive phases of the game. He has been quite relentless and difficult to contain, given his energy and chaos-like positioning.
The thing with Calafiori is that he is quite able to be everywhere on the pitch. You could see him defending wide areas to support attacks. This is what makes it difficult to contain him. Which is exactly why Thomas Frank must ensure that the free-role left back is closely marked and is not given space to exploit.