The start to the Thomas Frank era at Tottenham Hotspur is still far too young to fully assess, but the next month and a half should start to bring some clarity. On one end is a respectable position in the Premier League (5th) and Champions League (10th) tables, while the other perspective paints a picture of boring football that is starting to impact the results.
For Arsenal, the vibes are only positive. After finishing second-best three seasons and a row, it feels like this must be the year if Mikel
Arteta is ever going to get over the hump. Should someone get in the way of that achievement — yet again, lol — it is not going to be Spurs. But maybe, as in the 2023/24 trip to the Emirates, Tottenham can at least provide some help for the cause.
Match Details
Date: Sunday, November 23
Time: 11:30 am ET, 4:30 pm UK
Location: Emirates Stadium, London
TV: Peacock (US), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)
Table: Arsenal (1st, 26 pts), Spurs (t-5th, 18 pts)
Spurs are winless in the last six North London Derbies, not having won since the 3-0 conquest in May 2022 that help them jump Arsenal into fourth place. Since then it has been five losses, including single-goal defeats in each of the fixtures last season, and that aforementioned 2-2 draw in September 2023. While no title race comes down to a match from the previous fall, Arsenal did end two points back of City that season; maybe history will repeat itself if Tottenham can get a result this weekend.
Three Big Questions
Whose injuries matter more? While Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have been shockingly healthy, Frank has been hurt significantly by the extended absences of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, unsuccessfully attempting to find anything resembling their creativity on the ball. However, Tottenham is not the only side missing key pieces, with Gabriel picking up a knock on international duty and names like Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Odegaard all of questionable fitness.
Arsenal has more depth, and Arteta is not exactly transparent with injuries, but even if a couple regulars are unable to play a full 90, Spurs will take it. It does feel good that the visitors will have their first-choice backline available, especially if the Arsenal attack is limited. But even if Mohammed Kudus returns, with Dominic Solanke, Randal Kolo Muani, and Lucas Bergvall still likely sidelined, Tottenham is going to have a tough time on the other end, having to potentially resort to third-choices at multiple positions.
Are set pieces too obvious of a storyline? While Arsenal sits atop the table, these rivals have scored a similar number of goals. The difference is in defense, where Tottenham’s (very reasonable) 10 goals allowed is still double that of Arsenal’s five. These numbers are probably hiding the truth, though, as Spurs are actually terrible in xGD (-4.2), 17th in the league, and are vastly outperforming their xG.
Meanwhile, Arsenal continues to feast on set pieces, having scored from 10 of them already this season. Frank has improved set-piece defending in a big way, with the defense only allowing two such goals thus far, but the equalizer from United right before the break is sure to linger in every supporter’s mind. Each Arsenal free kick is going to be high stress, and allowing the home side to score in its desired fashion would be beyond frustrating.
How much will the transfer window be felt? The key to an upset will be moments of individual brilliance that allow the Tottenham attack to cut through a very disciplined backline. It would be great to have Morgan Gibbs-White — or Eberechi Eze — but alas, Frank must hope that options like Kudus and Xavi Simons can do enough to free up a shot for their buddies or take on the burden themselves.
Unfortunately, aside from set pieces, this feels like the big narrative. Arsenal strengthened across the board when it arguably did not even need to, bringing in players like Eze, Martin Zubimendi, and Cristhian Mosquera, who provide critical depth that Spurs lack. Meanwhile, Frank is continuing to throw darts with his front four, hoping to find the lucky combination that finally unlocks the attack. If there ever was a time for the newcomers to justify the transfer strategy, this would be it.
