The north London derby is more important than ever for Arsène Wenger, but not in the way you might expect. The Wenger Out contingent are currently becalmed, while the ascent of Spurs seems not to trouble him. No, the Frenchman says he wants to win this north London derby because of what he will learn about the development of his Arsenal side. In this most open of Premier League seasons, can they really be champions again?
Of course, it is early in the season, and of course Wenger would play down any threat from Mauricio Pochettino’s young side (asked if last season’s Spurs were the best he has seen in his 20 years at Arsenal, Wenger replied: “They were not in the Champions League”). Furthermore, Arsenal have looked in a good state heading into November before, only to look far less healthy come the end of it. But a sense has taken hold that Arsenal have successfully strengthened their squad over the summer, while those already on their books – most notably Theo Walcott and Mesut Özil – are assuming more responsibility. Now comes the time to prove it.
“We’re going into a period when we will be playing big games. And we want to win big games,” Wenger said. “I am convinced that we are better equipped [to deal with big games] but we also want to show it with our performances on the pitch. Also with the effectiveness of our performances on the pitch, and that means with points.
“This is more than the derby. We’re in a strong position in the league but we want to strengthen overall, as do Tottenham. It’s very tight at the top of the league and it’s a home game, so we are very focused on winning it. Be it Spurs or anyone else, we want to win our home games.”
In November last year Arsenal scraped together only two points in the league. The season before that they lost to Swansea and Manchester United in consecutive games and in 2013, well, they beat everyone bar United. But, November curse or not, Wenger is asking his players to prove that they can lose a reputation for being a team that are weak at the crucial moments. And that means not losing control in high-pressure fixtures like this one.
“It’s important that you prepare to be at your best,” Wenger said. “That you prepare for the intensity of the game, mentally as well as physically. You have to keep your discipline and composure despite the fact that it is a big game. Sometimes you can have games that are heated from the first to the last minute, sometimes there are just two or three moments in the game when it becomes absolutely heated. No matter when it happens, though, you have to master the situation. Don’t get carried away by this. Just keep focused on what you have to do.”
Wenger pointed to statistics to further his case. “If you look at the number of fouls we have made in the Premier League, I think we are the best. So we have just to keep doing what we’re doing well,” he said.
Arsenal, in fact, have conceded the second fewest fouls in the division, behind Manchester City. They are also second best in the disciplinary table, behind Bournemouth. As for goals conceded, they are fourth best. This time though, the leaders are Tottenham. Wenger will mind that particular gap, and take any narrowing of it on Sunday as a sign his side are moving in the right direction.
