EPL Preview: The Rivalry That Wasn’t
There is a page on the Telegraph that may just be one of my favourite pages on the internet. Considering the vast array of pages on the internet, the ones dedicated to Natalie Portman in particular, this quite a monumental statement for me to make. This is that page. The greatest countdown in the history of countdowns for Tottenham fans and a sign of assurance of the times for Arsenal. No matter what happens, at least we finish above Spurs.
Allow me to be a historian for a second. A long time ago, on the island far far away (so far away that is no longer decisively a member of the Eurozone) a tiny little club called Arsenal decided to move grounds. In 1913, Arsenal moved to Highbury, which was about 4 miles away from White Hart Lane. In case you’re doing math, that’s 6 kilometers or 10 minutes on a brisk jog. Considering that territorial disputes are causes for many wars, gang and otherwise, this prompted Tottenham fans to throw some hands as the OGs of North London. Ever since then both fan bases live for the days when their team clowns the other in the most disrespectful way possibles, and players buy into this. Bones break, victories are forever:
Last year, Tottenham had a historic season. They were in the title contention, looking to not only unseat their long-time rival from above on the table, but also to possibly win the EPL crown (something Arsenal have not done as a top 4 club since 2004). They didn’t as much outplay almost every team in the League as they outran them. They were Michael Cera dusting Seth Rogen and Bill Hader in Superbad. They were Usain Bolt vs literally everyone else plus the laws of physics. That is until they weren’t. Towards the end, Spurs collapsed into rubble in front of Chelsea, losing not only title hope but slipping behind an Arsenal squad that once again underachieved.
Arsenal on the other hand stuck to the script. They started strong, flirted with the Championship finish, but in the end went home alone hollow and unsatisfied. The age old problem that happens to every Arsenal team is lack of depth, lack of players and lack of defending. When everyone is waving around wallets the size of GDPs of small countries and oil money has entered the fray, one of the richest clubs in England continues to operate as if it’s still the 90s, refusing to adjust for market inflation and bring in additional talents where needed. So what will happen in 2016?
Both clubs were moderately quiet in the transfer window, Tottenham bringing in Victor Wanyama to pour granite over the foundation of their already sturdy midfield. This will allow guys like Lamella, Dele Alli and Eriksen to push even further forward and support Kane (solo striker) from the back. Wanyama is the kind of physical player that is a perfect fit in front of an already solid back four. Speaking of Kane, the 17mil transfer for Vincent Janssen is the move to give some relief to their front man. With Tottenham playing in UCL this year, they will need to manage depth and find rest for their talisman as often as possible.
Speaking of depth, if Arsenal were a lake you could probably walk halfway across without getting wet above the knees. While the team does indeed pack an embarrassment of riches in certain positions, it remains paper thin across the backline and most notably up top. Giving up 30mil for Granit Xhaka is a solid move for an establish midfielder, but only when that’s what you need. With Per Mertesacker’s injury, Arsenal’s only defensive acquisition is Rob Holding, who while skilled may not necessarily be ready for the premiership. They’re fine on the wings, but between Paulista and Holding there may not be much stability in finding a partner for Laurent Koscielny.
Overall, Tottenham will look to build on their exceptional performance last year. Finally able to keep a manager long enough for a strategy to take, they will allow Pochettino to slide the new acquisitions directly into what he’s built. This is a team designed to and capable of outrunning everyone on the pitch, themselves included as the Chelsea fiasco demonstrated. While other big clubs are busy acquiring brand new arsenals (no pun intended) Tottenham are simply reloading. Being the most stable club at the top of the table can go a long way for them to get the season going strong. After all consistency is important.
Arsenal is the only other top club not under a massive overhaul and/or new management. They have a myriad of issues that consistently remain unaddressed season to season and unless transfer deadline bears any significant fruit, it is hard to see where they can muster the defence to fend of the newly weaponized top clubs. Their midfield is still possibly the most creative in the league on its best day with Mesut Ozil top #10 and grand sorcerer pulling the strings, but there just isn’t enough scoring power up front nor is there solidity at the back to withhold any significant assaults. This is a team stuck in amber that is the 90s and its glory years, not moving the needle enough forward to challenge amidst the sea of incoming talent. Still, will probably finish above Tottenham.
