Arsenal and sp*rs share a patch of North London but actually little else given a decade of results. Yet one by one the likes of Paul Robinson and Pascal Cygan Chimbonda popped up in the media this week to talk up their chances of beating the Arsenal. That's fine. The faces change over the years but the North London derby talk does not.That said, I found the robustness of the Tottenham banter this week to be more humorous than usual. Apparently a few *workmen at Emirates buried some sp*rs trinkets under the pitch. It was hilarious then that Arsene Wenger buried sp*rs on the pitch.
Once the banter died down, Emmanuel Adebayor went about quieting his critics (many of these Gooners lost for a scapegoat since Cygan took his horror show to Spain). This was most enjoyable but not really surprising. I've long hailed his attributes and believe that he's a better partner with both Van Persie and Henry than they are with each other. His performance against sp*rs was a masterpiece of leading the line. But again, this is only a surprise for those who don't understand football or limit their Arsenal match exposure to match reports in the Times.
What was actually surprising for me about yesterday was the performance of Gael Clichy in marking Aaron Lennon out of the match. Clichy also got forward and admirably offered Arsenal width as Rosicky drifted into Bergkampesque space just behind Van Persie and Adebayor.
Clichy also forced Lennon to move to the left (and into Eboue's pocket) in what was Clichy's best performance for the club. While I expected him to offer width and pace on the left of defence this season, I certainly didn't think that he had the ability to effortlessly deal with the pace and direct attacking of the young England star.
Clichy looks precisely the sort of player to replace what Ashley Cole offered the club at left back. This has been long expected from Clichy, but the fact that he's never had a long first team run at the club due to Cole and injury made him more a prospect than a certainty to replicate the Chelsea defender.
And he'll need to be on top form this week with first Porto away on Wednesday and then Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on another Super Sunday.
The Porto match is absolutely crucial for the club. We must progress in Europe to avoid the embarrassment of ending up in the Uefa Cup alongside the likes of sp*rs and their excrement coloured kit. There is a media fuelled sense that we've not been strong in Europe, but a disallowed Henry strike aside, Arsenal have been excellent in the CL this year (frighteningly strong if by year, you mean the whole of 2006) and lead our group. The bottom line is... Porto need a point. We need a point. I think common sense will prevail and Wednesday will be a yawn fest of tentative cagey football.
I am intrigued by the Chelsea match. They are very powerful and have not lost at home in the league in 40-something matches. In spite of the crisis talk, Arsenal have actually done quite well in the Big 4 table this year with victories against both United and Liverpool. I expect that Mourinho will set up quite narrow against us, so the battle will be on with Rosicky, Hleb and Cesc mixing with Lampard, Essien and Ballack. And like Chelsea, our width will come from the fullbacks. Without getting too excited by what I'm terming the Arsenal Christmas party at Stamford Bridge, we can win. And win well. Without Henry. Certainly our chances of catching Chelsea for the league this season will die if we can't beat them. The prospect of being only 7 points back of Chelsea with that lot still to come to our place is delicious.
If that happens... we're back in it.
btw... we drew Liverpool at Anfield in the FA Cup.
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