Tottenham v Arsenal: North London derby now a test of Gunners’ ‘bottle’
Does the fear of losing or drawing open the pressure valve on players who know that this season is their best chance to win the title and that they will now struggle to close out wins?
It is a very pressurized environment. There is no room for excuses this season. It may happen now or it may never happen.
Arteta always cuts an uneasy figure on the sidelines. He recently urged Arsenal fans to “jump on the fun boat” but he doesn’t appear to be having fun at the moment, even though he is leading a top-flight team and insists “the present is good”.
He said he would “keep calm, keep my eyes open, keep my ears open and understand what the players need to do their best.”
Arteta added: “We have to live in the present. What we have done in the past is great but we have to live in the present and the present is beautiful.”
“We’re exactly where we want to be in every competition. We need to win this like we’ve done over the last seven or eight months.”
Getting into this position, which is a healthy position, is another factor in the equation. Are physical demands starting to take a toll on players?
Martin Zubimendi, who has come to the fore since his move from Real Sociedad in the summer, is a case in point.
He saw more action in the Premier League than any other Arsenal player, playing in all 27 matches with 26 starts, playing 2,270 minutes in his first season in England’s top flight.
Eberechi Eze, despite the fanfare that greeted his 11th-hour £60m stolen-from-Spurs arrival from Crystal Palace in August, was almost a bystander by comparison.
Eze, who scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 win against Spurs in November, featured in all 15 of Arsenal’s league matches but only made four kick-offs and played 360 minutes.
But wider questions surround Arsenal’s temperament to withstand the pressure that suddenly comes upon them; which is an ominous reminder of previous failures.
Arsenal are still in an excellent position in all competitions; Positions they can apply for immediately in August. And their cause could be helped by the return of key duo Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz.
If the Gunners win at Spurs the doubts will diminish but one thing is beyond doubt.
This North London derby is now a completely different proposition to the one it was two weeks ago.
