THE LOWDOWN
Arsenal finish 2023 with a North London Derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday lunchtime. After going level on points with Chelsea at the top of the table by beating Emma Hayes’ side last Sunday, the Gunners will be keen to retain their current impressive form which has seen them win seven in a row in the WSL.
The teams played one another on Wednesday night in the Conti Cup and drew 3-3 at Meadow Park with Arsenal winning 4-3 on penalties and going above Spurs in the group stage table. This will be a very different game on Saturday. Spurs only made three changes to their starting line-up compared to their most recent league game on Wednesday evening, while Jonas Eidevall made 10.
Sabs saves 🧤 pic.twitter.com/2Uih3zHOBg
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) December 13, 2023
Arsenal understandably looked slightly disjointed on Wednesday and despite defending all three Tottenham goals poorly, there is a feeling they were punished by pretty much every Tottenham attack. Arsenal and their fans will expect a great deal more fluency and control on Saturday.
Spurs will be buoyed on by a home crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, however, Arsenal, as ever, sold their away allocation easily and quickly. It remains to be seen what the actual crowd will be but it’s doubtful that an Arsenal team very seasoned in playing big occasions in big stadiums will be too perturbed either way.
TEAM NEWS
Lina Hurtig is likely to miss out on this game as she continues to nurse the injury she picked up on international duty recently. Kim Little will undergo a late fitness check on a small knock picked up in the Chelsea game. Leah Williamson, Laura Wienroither and Teyah Goldie continue their recoveries from ACL injuries.
Available squad
GOALKEEPERS: 1.Zinsberger, 14.D’Angelo, 40.Williams.
DEFENDERS: 3.Wubben-Moy, 5.Beattie, 7.Catley, 15.McCabe, 16.Maritz, 27.Codina, 28.Ilestedt
MIDFIELDERS: 10.Little, 11.Miedema, 12.Maanum, 13.Walti, 21.Pelova, 22.Kuhl, 32.Cooney-Cross, 53.Lia
FORWARDS; 9.Mead, 19.Foord, 23.Russo, 24.Lacasse, 25.Blackstenius
A WORD FROM THE BOSS
‘We prep the same way for every game, the next game is always the most important game and this is our next game and it is the most important game. That means 100% of our focus and preparation goes into this game. We are very motivated and determined to play as high level as possible before a well deserved Christmas break.
‘You can see that Robert (Vilahamn- the Spurs manager) is definitely come in and changed the way they have been playing. They have been very good with that process and have a very clear identity in how they want to play and they have been sticking with that in good and bad times. He’s definitely been very clear on the direction he wants to go in and that is always helpful when you try to develop something, that you are strong willed and you are able to live your values in good and bad times.’
LAST TIME OUT
The teams met on Wednesday evening and drew 3-3 with Stina Blackstenius, Frida Maanum and an own goal on the scoresheet for Arsenal, who won 4-3 on penalties. The last time the teams met was in March when the Gunners ran out 5-1 winners at Brisbane Road with goals from Stina Blackstenius, Kim Little, Frida Maanum and a brace from Caitlin Foord.
THE OPPOSITION
Wednesday night’s strong team selection and 3-3 draw with Arsenal represented a stopping of the rot for a Tottenham side who had recently lost 7-0 to Manchester City and 4-0 to Manchester United. In Martha Thomas and Beth England- the latter was spared on Wednesday having undergone hip surgery in the autumn- Spurs have the genuine firepower they have lacked for so long.
Against Manchester United they played a high pressing 442 which caused United some issues in the first half. Thomas and England do not just carry goal threat but they press centre-halves very well. They will look to disrupt Wubben-Moy and Ilestedt in possession with Angharad James and Ria Percival locking things down behind them in midfield.
“We are going to go for it, of course. We are also going to be brave… That’s what the fans want to see.”
🗣️ Robert Vilahamn speaks ahead of the North London Derby. pic.twitter.com/8udKBsMnbu
— Tottenham Hotspur Women (@SpursWomen) December 14, 2023
Swedish coach Robert Vilahamn left Swedish champions Hacken in the summer to take up the Spurs job and he has tried to move Spurs from being a deep block team to one that engages and tries to win the ball higher up the pitch. They are committed to playing out from the back, no team in the WSL has touched the ball inside their own defensive third more than Tottenham this season.
PLAYER TO WATCH
As well as touching the ball in their own defensive third more than any other team in the WSL, only Liverpool have touched it more in their own penalty area. Tottenham like to play out patiently, suck opponents onto them and then hit the wide players, Bizet and Naz, with big switches of play to expose teams on the counter.
We know that Arsenal like to press and in Russo, Maanum and Mead Arsenal have the players for that job. Mead in particular will press Shalina Zadorsky, who is likely to play at left-back for Spurs and look to force turnovers. Brighton are also very committed to playing out from the back and Eidevall utilised Russo in a deeper role behind Blackstenius on that occasion.
But in recent weeks, he has liked the tandem approach between Maanum and Mead pressing in that right half space, particularly against defenders who are right footed and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw that approach adopted once again on Saturday. When Arsenal require intensity in the press, Beth Mead is the player they need the most.
PREDICTED LINE-UP
Subs: 5.Beattie, 11.Miedema, 14.D’Angelo, 16.Maritz, 22.Kuhl, 24.Lacasse, 25.Blackstenius, 27.Codina, 32.Cooney-Cross
HOW TO CATCH THE GAME
The game takes place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at 12noon on Saturday and will be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK.
COMING UP
We will have match reaction from Jonas Eidevall on the site shortly after full-time. There will be an Arsenal Women Arsecast out before Christmas and we will have articles over the winter break too. Don’t forget to subscribe to our Arsenal Women weekly newsletter on Substack too.
For once Mr S, I think your predicted line-up might become reality.
Excited! I am looking forward to this one keenly. Comparing last Wednesday’s performance to the Chelsea performance was like going back a month in the team’s development and seeing how far the regular starters have come. Using a mince pie metaphor, batch one of the players are baked and ready – batch two is smelling delicious but still needs a few more minutes in the oven. Having to come back like that, admittedly because of our own defensive frailty, will have done them more good than an easy win. I hope Kim Little is passed fit, the experience she and… Read more »
‘Tis the season for mince pies and let’s hope that the opposition simply crumble under our bite like really short, buttery pastry!