The most important test: North London Derby

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The big one is HERE. Arsenal take on Spurs in the battle for bragging rights in North London. Unbeaten in 18, this is a huge test for Emery. For Spurs, this match is really about whether they have the minerals to be championship fighters. They’ve started to perk up of late and they certainly put in a boss performance against Chelsea.

Much is riding on this from an optics perspective for Arsenal. Lose and the pattern of top 6 struggles will continue for Emery as it did for Wenger. Lose, and United will start to look a lot more difficult. Lose, and the klaxon of progress will start to sound a little meek.

So what are we looking out for?

For me, similar to the Liverpool game. Give us a performance that shows the fans that we’ve progressed. I want to see a strategy that’s interesting, that shows we had an extra few days on the training ground… one that exposes their weaknesses, or does something smart to nullify their strengths.

If the Chelsea game is anything to go by, they’re going to try and swamp JorXhaka in midfield. He’s the key to our game moving forward, and not just that, he doesn’t always perform well under immense pressure. This game is really will be a barometer for his improvement this year. He needs a barnstormer. He needs have a blinder if we’re to succeed.

Additionally, it’s going to be interesting to see what sort of Mesut shows up. Emery dropped him last week and, in my opinion, accidentally called him a pussy in the press. I think the real reason he dropped him was about preservation and the simple reality that he struggles with fitness. Last time he was rested he flew out the traps. Sure, it was against Leicester, but let’s not pretend they’re not a physical side. If he can’t raise it tomorrow, it really will say something about his future with Arsenal.

We’re going to need a fresh-legged performance from Torreira. The signing of the last 10 years in my opinion. Petit had an interesting take on the Uraguyan.

“Arsenal have been too glamorous in the past few years, and not dirty enough, but with Torreira, the dirt is coming back into the team.

“He is not the most talented player, but he is like a dog on the pitch, he is a leader and sets an example.

“He doesn’t impress you physically, but you can feel his breath on your neck, and his foot in your calf because he is there all the time, and that is the kind of player you need in a team.”

He’s going to need to be at his dog like best today. The concern is that he’s doing the job of two because Xhaka doesn’t have the mobility or physicality in midfield. Ideally, we’d have two Torriera’s, but such is life.

I also think there’s some interesting choices to be made going forward. Will we make sacrifices with our formation and go with one up front and rely on swift counters? Does he continue to have the best of both with both our forwards? Will Iwobi get the nod? Will he give Mikhi another run-out?

The great thing is this: We have no idea what Emery is going to try. But you can bet your bottom dollar it’s not going to be a case of ‘express yourself and hope.’ I think his comments about the game were spot on.

“At the moment, Tottenham is better than us in the table and better than us last year but in history Arsenal is better at other moments than Tottenham,”

I’d rather the conversation be about Arsenal being better now, versus the insecure retort of ‘we have a better history.’ Spurs are in a better moment than us, of that there is no doubt, the power is with them. That can be easily overturned, and a good place to start is now.

This is where the money is made. This is what cements legend amongst fans. This is what we live for.

Have a great day, see you in the comments! x

P.S. Take a listen to our podcast before it becomes old.

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mysticleaves

Scum left their best defender on the bench. Poch lost this one

DaleDaGooner

Someone get at Dier

Dream10

So so so happy for Aubameyang and Ramsey. The two standouts.

Hector, Laca and Torreira very good as well

Goobergooner

Guns,

Bellerin should have been booked for intent on that slide tackle?

Jay

So spurs have the better players?We’ve got the better manager.

Leftsidesanch

The pundits and media were so disrespectful this week, this feels really sweet.

useroz

With 6 min might as well get one more

5. – 2 will make it early Xmas

Rambo Ramsey

Aubameyang has shown up Kane tonight. Move over, cvnt, I’m the best in the League now.

AJ

Come on Kola

Dissenter

For even benching Ozil…Emery has earned the key to islington

He assessed him, tried to work with him…and decided ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Dream10

Emery proving me wrong so far. Didn’t rate him. Well done

Leedsgunner

Credit where credit is due, Ramsey changed the tempo of the game. He is going to miss derbies like this isn’t he?

Kay

For all the talk that

1. Chelsea are important than us…

2. Game against aresenal is like anyother game…

Stuff it in ….

Tony

That’s what you call real mental strength

WengerEagle

Let’s now go to OT and smash these thundercunts midweek, all the momentum in the world to break the OT PL hoodoo.

Leftsidesanch

Actually forgot that we play them again in just over two weeks

Paulinho

This is what you call being the ‘protagonists’.

Aggressive front-foot tactics from Emery.

Bamford10

BTW, except for the penalty, Harry Kane was completely invisible. He was not dangerous in the least. He may be technical and a very good scorer, but he is not world class. No way.

Un na naai

Dream10

I think Torriera, Bellerin and xakha have been really good
And holding

Rainman

19 in a row!
Can’t wait for the usual suspects to come out with bullshite like how lucky we are , xG and all.

Dissenter

Guns won’t be too pleased
That’s for sure 😊😊😊😊

AJ

Well done boys. Auba put in a good shift second half.

ADKB

Wow!!! I can’t remember when we last played with such passion. Best NLD for at least a decade. And what a passionate manager Unai is. Oh, it feels like Christmas already!!!

Cesc Appeal

Fucking yes.

What a fucking performance.

Imagine this team after some transfer windows with Emery.

Emery won that game with the changes he spotted the weakness and went for it.

Fucking have that.

Kay

Torriera and Holding were impressive today..

WengerEagle

Well fucking done boys, proud of each and every one of yas.

Emery had his tactics spot on.

Guns of Brixton

WHAT A GAME

Best of the season for sure Goals and drama galore!!!!

Unaaaai Emery!! Fantastic job!

#Ozilwho?

😂😂

Dissenter

Fans have refused to leave
We have our Arsenal back

DaleDaGooner

London gooner fair enough, the media and some of our own said they were better, hyped them up especially when they bettered Chavs, who are also hyped bunch

useroz

A new fucking chapter, not page

19 game unbeaten.

Make it 48…shall we!

Olumide

This feels great..

Cesc Appeal

The players were fucking gritty and nasty and pushed Spurs all over the pitch.

Cannot remember the last time Arsenal played like men.

This is slowly becoming Emery’s team and he’s had 1 transfer window.

Delighted for Torreira.

Marko

Deserved victory. Bar a 10 min period in the first half and the first 5 mins of the second we were the superior team and in control. There was a worry about losing our heads in the first but we were ballsy and tough all afternoon. Auba and Torreira stand outs for me and I thought the crowd and the atmosphere was about as good as it gets at the Emirates. Final word on Emery I thought he was unbelievable today we started well for once and it took guts to stay with a 3-4-3 and huge balls to say… Read more »

london gunner

Bamford

even the best strikers have quiet days at the office, ask Lewandowski

Stop trying to make a point and enjoy the win! Ya miserable bastard 🙂

Leftsidesanch

I almost feel too drained to watch the Merseyside derby. What a game that was.

WengerEagle

Good times ahead CA, agree genuinely excites us to see what he can do once he lays down his stamp on the team with some decent investment.

Bamford10

The irony is that we now do have a bit of mental strength. This due to Unai Emery. Good on you, Unai.

Kay

Ah…
Change of tactics…
Change in 2nd half…
Ze mental fucking strength…

Emirates rocking at last….

Paulinho

So much for Lucas Torreira never being ahead of the ball 😉

HighburyLegend

GoH, Pierre and Merson will now trying to explain you that YOU MUST NOT ENJOY THIS AFTERNOON TOO MUCH.
Fuck ’em… WE ARE THE ARSENAL!!!

jwl

And it’s Arsenal,
Arsenal FC,
we’re by far the greatest team,
the world has ever seen.

Dissenter

I sad it was the best NLD in 12 years and Dale came at me.

I stand by it…the best since the one in 2007

I know it’s subjective but damn

Dream10

Unai

The lot of them did well.

kc

Torreira is my motm. His work rate was phenomenal the entire match. The goal just capped it.

Cesc Appeal

‘some of our own said they were better’

They are better, but we were better.

That is why it is a great performance.

Emery inherited a shit side and this is what he’s doing already.

Bamford10

London

I’m enjoying the win. Believe me. But I also believe that I am correct re Kane. I’ll leave it there, though.

Great win.

Sanmi

We have a coach that reads game

DaleDaGooner

Aubamayang second goal was sweet

Nw9 gooner

What a win – tension over- now going to watch Liverpool beaten

mysticleaves

Just wishing we played Man city now. we would win at the Ems. Arsenal is back.

Can’t believe we are 8 points off the top. Wow!!!

Pierre

Beautiful to watch ….

Superb game of football.

Great atmosphere.

Dissenter

Xhaka is a good captain

Paulinho
What you say to that?

Cesc Appeal

WE

What a performance.

Every player had balls.

Bellerin was even giving it out.

Spurs did not know what to do with that. They relied on the referee to even get a hold up the pitch.

Spurs are a much better side than us on paper and look at that. Imagine this after Emery has pulled up some more weeds from the squad as the commentator said.

He called everything spot on today, line up, dropping Ozil, the half time substitutions won the game.

Rainman

“…says the man who uses U instead of you.”
Goh
When texting or typing on a phone, abbreviations are allowed, especially in informal settings, how old are you, grandpa?

WengerEagle

Torreira was phenomenal, loved his runs ahead of the ball from the heart of CM, reminded me of Cesc in his younger days.

steve

Torreira will end up in Barca in a couple of seasons.

DaleDaGooner

I know it’s subjective but damn

Be real, I didn’t need to come at you, you know it is subjective. As much as Wenger wasn’t wanted, he did well against Spuds and given us some great derby games

Dissenter

Am I the only one who’s seeing our players show Cojones now all over the field.

They actually stand up for each other now.

Danish Gooner

Wow what a fanastic result and once again Unai won it from the bench Mikki was a total disgrace today and Iwobi have a long way to go before he is top notch.This team doesnt need ozil he is more of a liability and i hop he is shifted in the summer along with Mikki they are paid a kings ransome and looks so disintrested it is daylight robbery and they should be ashamed.Regarding being ashamed some of the so called fans at Le-grove are absolute turncoats,if you cant appreciate the team and the work Unai are doing then fuck… Read more »

TT

What an absolute cracker of a game! Best I have seen in years tbh. Loved the passion that the players showed and totally agree with the man of the match Torreira. I was never worried that we would lose the game when we went 2-1 down, such was the commitment of the players and don’t forget we have a manager now that will not let anyone hide. And we did not even play our highest payed player! Not many teams can do that and not many managers would have had the balls to leave him out, certainly not Wenger, thats… Read more »

Dissenter

I meant to write standing up for one another.

How do get rid of Ozil?

Cesc Appeal

Dissenter

Agreed.

The fight in this team is unbelievable.

They all played like they fucking hated Spurs.

Marko

Xhaka is a good captain

How so? I’d argue that Torreira is a good (non) captain.

Chris

That was fucking brilliant. High as a kite right now!

The intensity, determination and will not to let that lot cheat their way to victory was absolutely fucking outstanding.

It’s almost as if they saw a video of Son and Riley as they went off at half time. After the first few mins of the 2nd half we destroyed them.

Un na naai

Bamford
Give up on Kane
You lost this one ages ago

Paulinho

Dissenter – Certain posters a few weeks back said you’ll never see Torreira ahead of the ball. He’s far too disciplined for that apparently.

Just a slight reminder that you can pigeon hole him as a defensive spoiler as much as you like, but he’s more than that, and that should be embraced, not disparaged or discouraged.

MuddyGooner

This is what I wished for !

That’s my reply to those who were telling be to be careful what you wish for when I wanted Wenger out.

WengerEagle

Exactly CA, this is the Spurs team that battered Chelsea just last weekend and beat Inter Milan a few days ago.

First time in a long time that I’ve been convinced that we’ll go to OT and put it right up to those rat bastards full of conviction, can’t wait for the game.

Jay

Really hope this is the beginning of the end for ozil. We need to find a way to get him out the club. Whatever it takes.

Goona

Best performance for YEARS!

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

DG

Well said

Fantacastic result…

Well played

Likes papa at end telling son he dived…

Superb

Cesc Appeal

The mail report is as Arsenal whirlwind takes down 10 man Spurs.

Fuck off.

Vertonghen was sent off with 3 minutes left.

Did it not go how it was suppose to?

Be careful what you wish for and all that.

S Asoa

Torreira is man of the match. When things got desperate he took the game by the scruff of the neck. When Emery introduced Genduzi the pressure of aggression became too much for Tottipoops .It helped that Tottipoops were burner out towards the end after their Chelsea game. Ramsey introduced a new dimension. After realising his agent messed up, hope he realises +20k is a damn good to stay with a Club on way up.
Surprise ! Xhaka earned more fouls than fouls he caused.
Bellerin and Genduzi have to work on their passing

MuddyGooner

Glad we finally found a replacement for Vieira in the shape of Torreira !

Marko

Torreira will end up in Barca in a couple of seasons.

I hope it’ll be a long time before it happens but I do agree I see him dominating in a Barca shirt

Cesc Appeal

WE

If we play with even a bit of that intensity there we will rout them.

Cesc Appeal

No problem, 4 years time and they can pay £120 Million

Dream10

Wenger Eagle

Still don’t think Emery will have serious money to spend. We need a Guendouzi, Maitland Niles, Nketiah and Smith Rowe to become real players

Goona

The first derby in years where the players looked like the were playing for shirt, and they hated the spuds….COYG!!!

Tony

Made up with that performance, still
Much to do and holes to fill, but the signs are very much there for the future.

Take a bow Emery: what a brilliant tacticianal architect you are.

Un na naai

Just a beautiful day to be a gooner
So great to see passion and intensity in our side again. Great game from every lad except iwobi and Mkhitaryan
Aubameyang looks far better with Lacazette next to him. They compliment each other quite well I think
Torriera was just amazing. Been crying out for him. Thank god we have him now. There is nobody else I’d rather have. Love the fella.
Holding is becoming a really calms nd assured centre half.
Stroller got it wrong with him. He’s quality. These young English players just need their chance. Great signing for £2m

Jay

Bench ozil till he leaves, his ego and twitter profile won’t be able to take it.

useroz

Yep. Played like men. Those ‘mad dogs’ Mouri wanted in his MF.

Torreira could easily a 50m player, NOW.

Guendouzi. 30m and clubs will bite our hands off.

Says all what buying well gives you!

Get some in the Jan TW and we are set for top 4.

Marko

Can’t see a way back for Ozil now. Even the stats show what’s obvious we are better without him.

Globalgunner

19,19,nnnnnnnineteen, 19

Jay

Torreira is a future captain, no doubt.

Guns of Hackney

Sell Özil, Iwobi, Ramsay and Mikki. These players are not needed.

TitsMcGee

Arsenal aren’t a joke anymore and that’s priceless.

There will be losses this season but that’s okay. We were 37 points behind last season and in one summer Emery has turned us into a tougher side. Night and day really.

Here’s to a manager that actually prepares for his opponent and has an actual plan.

Jay

And mustafi guns.

ddkingz

We are the GOD of 2nd half. …

Jeff

I haven’t enjoyed a match like that in a long long time. Slowly but surely the new manager is exerting his authority. But what about the substitutions at half time. Absolutely brilliant. And may I join the furore over Torreira. What a wonderful little player he’s turning out to be. And also to Auba and our keeper Leno who was outstanding in that game. Overall, very happy. If there was one slight negativity it has to be levelled at Bellerin for some of his wayward passing but other than that – total ecstacy.

Un na naai

Asoa

Bellerin made some beautiful forward passes today
Yes he had that one cross field give away but I think his passing has massively improved

Cesc Appeal

Interesting to see if Emery goes with the Aubameyang, Ramsey, Lacazette attack. Almost looked like:

Aubameyang—————————Lacazette
———————–Ramsey————————-
———————————————————–
——–Guendouzi————Torreria————-
————————Xhaka—————————

Which I am going to take some credit now, that is almost exactly what I said we should play albeit with different personnel.

Almost like Aubameyang was a LW/ST, Lacazette a RW/ST and Ramsey a CF/CAM.

Spurs had no answer.

Wenker-wanger

What a comeback!… Thinks the arsenal we’ve waited ten years for! Loved it..the best feeling I’ve had about arsenal since the last premier !eague trophy!
Spurs were a cheating diving side and it was good to see them getting the same diving back at them.
Get this: spurs have peaked now and they couldn’t beat a regenerated arsenal team that is short of quality. It’s all good from now on. Emery has surely won over those remaining Wenger lovers that have refused to acknowledge his management skill.

Leedsgunner

Instead of piling on the hate on Özil, I’m really really hopeful this result will kick him out of his self inflicted complacency.

Hopefully this will fire him up no end to produce the goods versus United.

Goona

@tits…..exactly…..the team now have grown their balls back since AW fucked off!….the ground was rocking today

Marko

Also shout out to Rob Holding who continues to hold his own and deservedly keep his place and is playing to a good level all the more impressive considering how much he’s been playing recently. Played 70 minutes in Ukraine on Thursday and 90 today. Fair play lad

mysticleaves

Ramsey was quite decisive. The NLD made him forget he was on the way out.

raptora

Absolutely all the credit has to go to Unai Emery and his people. Fantastic manager. I love him already.

Guns of Hackney

Jay

Yes Mustafi and probably Xhaka.

I think the Torrier and guedenzi buys prove that if you look in the right places, players can be found.

If we can free up £600/700k in wages and get a few million, we can do some damage.

I just don’t see any club wanting Özil. He’s proven himself a very unreliable and troubled person.

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