Spurs have the edge

[1]

The crystal ball is back ladies and gents as Super Sunday is upon us. And your favourite fortuneteller is here to preview the hotly debated, North London Derby. It has not happened in many a year that we have reached the end of February and found Arsenal on fourth. What’s more uncommon is finding Tottenham on third the very same year. But such have been the twists and turns in a league more exciting than the latest Hollywood summer blockbuster that throws up more surprises than YouTube does cute kitten videos.

On October 2, 2011, Arsenal were condemned to the fourth loss of their new Premier League season thanks to a spectacular late strike by Kyle Walker that propelled him to the squad of the England national team. Then England manager, Fabio Capello watched Walker burst through the right and unleash an unstoppable drive from 25 yards past the diving Wojciech Szczesny.

Every Englishman’s favourite to replace Capello, Harry Redknapp will hope that his right back can produce performances similar to that as he contends with the threat of a Gunners attack spearheaded by the irrepressible van Persie. Nothing new can be said about the ridiculous form of Arsenal’s Dutch talisman, but who the Gunners will need to step up and fast is the extremely talented Andrei Arshavin.

Once loved by Gunners all around the world for his touch of class, dribbling abilities and four goals against Liverpool in one game, he has of late been more like a fork in a soup deli — useless. Some Arsenal fans feel the same about the manager in who they trust. Arsene Wenger v/s Harry Redknapp is the sub-plot in the bigger picture. And this is underlined by the style of play both teams approach the game with.

The Professor, Arsene Wenger has impressed upon his teams a free-flowing one-touch style of play which has impressed one and all since the turn of the century. But the Spurs aren’t exactly circus elephants playing football either. They have excited all neutrals playing some of the most exciting football seen in the Champions League back in 2009-10. All under the tutelage of their ginger manager.

The last time Spurs finished above Arsenal was the same year as they did the double over their greatest rivals, way back in 1992/93. And 18 wins in 74 games (all competitions) at the Emirates will be a stat they will want to change. I see them as favourites to add to the Wenger-boys’ misery.