Sat 13 March 2021, 16:09
Tottenham HotspurWe’re counting down the hours to the latest instalment of the north London derby and ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash at the Emirates, we’ve turned to John Cross, Chief Football Writer at the Daily Mirror, for the lowdown on the Gunners.
Form
John: “If Arsenal had won at Burnley last week (drew 1-1), you’d say they were on a bit of a run, but the 1-1 draw at Turf Moor almost epitomised their form. They are so inconsistent... consistently inconsistent! The run after Christmas when they were under a little pressure was, without doubt, their most consistent, and a turning point of the season. But they’ve been so unpredictable and finding that winning formula has been quite difficult for them this season. I believe they are on the right path, but frail defensively and therefore very unpredictable, results wise.”
Style
John: “Mikel Arteta’s selection will be important. They’ve had spells as a back three, but I think it will be a back four on Sunday. The signing of Thomas Partey was big, and allowed them to play a four, that’s Arteta’s preferred option. There are still issues. He’s chopped and changed his centre-halves quite a lot, Bernd Leno has had a bit of an up and down season. I think Arteta would like to play a 4-2-3-1, that would be his preferred option. Emile Smith Rowe is really in a groove and he really seems to want to play Martin Odegaard. Bukayo Saka has been the key man, fantastic, their go-to man. It’s fair to say it’s not fully clicked yet, finding that winning formula and the confidence that would go with it.”
Key player
John: “As I mentioned, it’s Bukayo Saka. He’s been fantastic. I think he’s the best young player in the country. I don’t know what the age cut-off point would be for that, because Phil Foden (City) is 20 and he’s the most natural one you’d look at. Why I say Saka is slightly ahead is his sheer consistency level. He’s the man they go to every single week. He provides something different and always steps up in big games. I’ve never seen a player so good at that age when it comes to decision making. He’s so intelligent, so quick and clever with his decision making, years ahead. He always picks the right pass. He’s sensational.”
