The North London Derby: Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match Preview | Premier League 2022/23

The Premier League returns from the international break in perfect fashion with a blockbuster North London Derby at Saturday lunchtime, as Arsenal play host to Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium.

Both teams have started off the campaign superbly, with the Gunners sitting top of the league, picking up 18 points from a possible 21, while Spurs sit in third place a point behind.

The Gunners entered the international break in confident and assured fashion, picking up a comfortable and professional 3-0 victory over Brentford at the Gtech community stadium. Arsenal new boy Fabio Vieira scored the pick of the bunch, after William Saliba and Gabriel Jesus both scored fine headers for a dominant Gunners in the first half.

It was the perfect revenge for an Arsenal side looking a much better and more complete footballing side compared to the team which lost 2-0 on the opening day of the 2021/22 PL campaign.

Ending a four-game run without a clean sheet will have also been an encouragement for Mikel Arteta a his team continue to demonstrate a ruthless and confident streak which has been uncharacteristic of the Gunners in recent seasons, even if their only Big Six clash so far this season ended in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Credit to Arteta and his coaching staff in transforming the whole team through tremendous recruitment and coaching. Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and even the return of William Saliba from a year-long loan at Marseille have completely uplifted the whole Gunners camp.

Arteta’s men now look well equipped to maintain a strong assualt on a top four place, and the way the table is shaping up right now, maybe, just maybe this Arsenal side could challenge the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool for the Premier League title.

Their fierce rivals and Saturday’s opponents Tottenham could stake a claim for the gong on current form too.

Arsenal have won each of their last six Premier League games at the Emirates, though they have conceded at least a goal in all of those games, which will provide Antonio Conte’s goal-ridden side plenty of encouragement heading into Saturday’s engrossing contest.

After facing countless calls from fans and pundits to drop the goal-shy Son Heung-min to the bench, Antonio Conte’s bold decision paid dividends against Leicester City last time out, as the South Korea international ended his profligate streak in sumptuous style.

The South Korean was introduced in the 59th minute and it only took him 13 minutes to walk home at the end of the match with the match ball, registering a spell-binding hattrick, to complement strikes from Harry Kane, Eric Dier and Rodrigo Bentancur in a 6-2 triumph over the struggling Foxes.

Conte joked post-match that he may bench Son week in week out if he delivers similar super-sub performances in the future, as Tottenham remain strongly on the tails of both Arsenal and reigning champions Man City in third spot heading into this weekend’s round of fixtures.

Tottenham will be full of confidence heading into the North London Derby, however, their away form does not make for good reading. Only two of their last seven competitive matches away from home have ended in victory, and the Emirates is not their happiest hunting ground.

A 3-1 Arsenal triumph in this fixture last season means that Spurs have failed to win any of their last 11 North London derbies at the Emirates in the league, but they served their capital counterparts a slice of humble pie with a 3-0 win in May, denting the Gunners’ hope of finishing in the top four.

WHEN & WHERE?

Venue: Emirates Stadium.
Date: Saturday, October 1st.
Time: 12:30 p.m.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Anthony Taylor.
Assistant Referees: Gary Beswick, Lee Betts.
Fourth Official: Robert Jones.
VAR Official: Jarred Gillet.
Assistant VAR: Timothy Wood.

PREMIER LEAGUE FORM

Arsenal: WWWWLW

Tottenham Hotspur: DWWDWW

MATCH FACTS

Tottenham have won only two of their past 37 league fixtures away to Arsenal (D14, L21), with those victories coming in 1993 and 2010.
Only one of the 23 most recent top-flight meetings has been won by the away side – Arsenal’s 1-0 victory at White Hart Lane in March 2014.
Mikel Arteta is unbeaten in all seven of his North London derbies at the Emirates Stadium in league and cup, both as a player (W3, D2) and manager (two wins).

Gabriel Jesus is unbeaten in all 50 Premier League matches in which he has scored, winning 47 of those fixtures.
Tottenham are unbeaten in 13 Premier League fixtures (W9, D4) and are one shy of equaling their longest undefeated streak in the division, set from August to December 2015 and equalled in 2017-18.
Son Heung-min has scored four goals in his last five league matches versus the Gunners after failing to score in any of his first nine top-flight fixtures against them.

TEAM NEWS & ANALYSIS

While Arsenal are sure to be without Mohamed Elneny (hamstring), Emile Smith Rowe (groin) and Cedric Soares (knock), there is optimism that Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Thomas Partey will all shake off their physical problems to be ready for the contest.

Takehiro Tomiyasu should be back from injury to feature after his release from the Japan squad due to ‘club circumstances’, while Martin Odegaard recovered from a knock to feature for Norway in the international break which will mean Vieira could return to the bench for the Gunners.

Emile Smith Rowe is set to be a long-term absentee for the Gunners after undergoing groin surgery, but there may be a place in the squad for Reiss Nelson as he aims to make his first competitive appearance of the year following a quadriceps injury.

It will be intriguing to see how Arteta approaches this contest, what will almost be a certainty for the Gunners is that they will indeed be looking to control proceedings with plenty of possession whilst trying to prod and probe Spurs’ narrow and resolute back line. However, they will certainly need to be incredibly wary of the Spurs trademark counter, especially if Heung-Min Son returns to the fold for Conte’s side.

Tottenham have concerns of their own on the injury front for Saturday’s derby, as number one goalkeeper Hugo Lloris withdrew from France duty with a thigh injury, and it is currently unclear if he will be fit to return this weekend.

Lloris’s issue was described as a small one, but Fraser Forster is on standby, and Conte will also hope to have Ben Davies (knee) and Lucas Moura (tendon) fit and available to feature if needed.

Ivan Perisic has also been given the all-clear after being forced off for Croatia in the international break due to a rough challenge from teammate Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, but Dejan Kulusevski has reportedly returned to North London with a hamstring problem.

The Sweden international is therefore a doubt for the contest, which could see Richarlison hold his spot in the attack in Conte’s go-to 3-4-3 formation, but there have been calls for Conte to switch to a reserved 3-5-2 and introduce Yves Bissouma from the off, especially to nullify the threat the Gunners pose in the final third. Adding an extra midfielder could aid Spurs in closing up shop and shutting down the space the likes of Odegaard, Jesus and Saka like to operate in.

KEY PLAYERS

HARRY KANE

Tottenham’s Mr Reliable. The deliverer and the savior for the Lilywhites. Kane has enjoyed a superb start to the season, already recording six Premier League goals to his name in seven games. Not only does he lead the way on the goal front, but he’s also a reliable and devastating chance creator. It will certainly be a huge test for the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel to keep the England international quiet on Saturday.

The 29-year-old certainly loves a North London derby too, recording 13 goals in 17 games against Arsenal and it won’t be a surprise to see him registering another this weekend.

GABRIEL JESUS

It’s funny how neutrals and Gunners fans are only now realizing how complete and effective Gabriel Jesus is, when he’s featuring regularly.

The Brazilian proved an influential figure for Manchester City, but was never considered the central star, which was understandable considering the plethora of attacking talents available to Guardiola.

Since his move to the Gunners this summer, the 25-year-old superstar has shown so many different and unique facets to his game in just seven games for Mikel Arteta making him an instant star at the Emirates and a real breath of fresh air the club have needed for a long while.

His energy, intensity, unexpected strength, link-play, tactical awareness, skill-set in an around the final third as well as the penalty area and his sharpness in the 6-yard-box means Jesus is quickly becoming the complete forward and the perfect one for Arsenal. Jesus grabbed his 4th goal of the season versus Brentford with a stunning header to add to his 3 assists, and he’ll certainly be hungry to grab his first north London derby goal.

Just note, when Jesus does score in the Premier League, he’s never been on the losing side.

KEY INDIVIDUAL BATTLES TO WATCH:

William Saliba v Harry Kane

Gabriel Martinelli v Cristian Romero

Bukayo Saka v Ryan Sessegnon

EXPECTED LINEUPS

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Tottenham: Ramsdale (GK); White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard; Saka, Martinelli, Jesus.

Tottenham predicted lineup vs Arsenal: Lloris (GK); Romero, Dier, Lenglet; Perisic, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Sessegnon; Richarlison, Kane, Son.

#ANTHONYSCOUTS SCORE PREDICTION:

Arsenal 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur

#AnthonyScouts 2022 – Fabio Vieira

It is incredibly rare in modern day football for a signing to take almost everyone by surprise, due to its behind the scenes works and secretive talks.

We had a similar case before last season when Aston Villa caught fans off guard with the secretive signing of Danny Ings – a deal which not only shocked supporters but playing staff too.

And in signing Fabio Vieira from Portuguese champions FC Porto, Arsenal and boss Mikel Arteta have pulled off their own major surprise too.

*(Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)*

After finishing fifth in the Premier League in 2021/22 losing out on a Champions League berth to fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Arteta is aiming to considerably bolster his squad as they chase a return to the European elite. They’ve already brought in Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City, goalkeeper Matt Turner from New England Revolution and Marquinhos from Sao Paulo.

After being linked with a number of high-profile players, however, Vieira’s arrival came out of the blue.

It has been reported that Arteta pushed hard for a deal to be done, with the Arsenal manager having been impressed with Vieira’s performances as Porto won the title in Portugal.

In fact, with the Spaniard looking to build a squad similar to the one Pep Guardiola possesses over at his old club Manchester City, Arsenal now have their very own Bernardo Silva. A player blessed with unerring technical attributes and a creative weaponry that made him one of the most devastating attacking midfielders in Portugal last term.

So what will Arsenal be getting with the 23-year-old?

Who is Fabio Vieira?

Born in Santa Maria da Feira in the Aveiro District, Vieira started out for the FC Porto juniors, playing nine matches as won the 2018–19 UEFA Youth League, and scored in their 3–1 win against Chelsea in the final in Nyon in April 2019.

Vieira went on to make his senior debut with Porto B in February 2019, coming on as a 57th-minute substitute for João Mário in a 1–0 away defeat to Arouca in the LigaPro. Six months later, he scored for the first time with a penalty in a 3–1 away victory over Farense.

Vieira made his first team bow in June 2020, featuring for 19 minutes in the 1–0 Primeira Liga home defeat of Marítimo. Again from the bench, he scored his first goal in the competition the following month in July to help the hosts beat Belenenses SAD 5–0 and went on to feature in eight games at the end of the season for the eventual champions.

He found more space within the first team during the 2021–22 campaign, more significantly in the second half of the campaign following Luis Diaz’ winter transfer to Liverpool in January becoming a crucial figure in attack for Sergio Conceição’s side, replacing the Colombian’s goals and creativity.

The 23-year-old impressed internationally too in the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship where he was named player of the tournament in the finals in Hungary and Slovenia, featuring in all six games and netting once for the runners-up.

He provided two hat-tricks of assists against Moreirense and Belenenses SAD during the 2021/22 campaign totalling 14 assists – second-best in the league – and six goals to help his side to a domestic double of the league and Taça de Portugal.

How did Vieira fare last season? What’s his style of play?

While the 21-year-old only played a bit-part role for the Portuguese champions last season, he became a far more prominent figure in the first team after Luis Diaz’ departure to Liverpool.

Previously hailed as a “rising star“, he already has 11 goals in 19 games for Portugal’s Under-21 side, with his manager there, Rui Jorge, hailing the Porto starlet as “a very technically advanced player’ with a ‘great future“.

With 27 league games under his belt this season, the Portuguese wizard astonishingly recorded six goals and delivered 14 assists, which is more contributions any other Porto player. He also ranked as Liga NOS’ second-best assist maker for the 2021/22 campaign.

A left-footed attacking midfielder who does most of his work in central positions, though he also likes to drift into the right inside channel – just like his compatriot Bernardo Silva. Vieira’s main focus is in the creation of chances for his teammates, and he particularly stands out in that regard due to his wonderful left foot, vision, deftness and accuracy of pass and a tremendous knack for some astonishing defence-splitting passes, as evidenced in the image below.

Vieira is an incredibly intelligent footballer, but more precisely an intelligent and meticulous investigator of space, regularly scanning the pitch ahead of him to pick out pockets of space that he can exploit to hurt opposition defences. His constant positions in between the lines, in the half-space or centrally means he is an expert at operating in tight and congested areas. This is down to wonderful close control, spatial awareness and speed of thought when forming attacking moves or directly creating chances.

His constant scanning ahead helps him spot gaps in the opposition’s back line at an early stage; as he receives, he is aware of pitch ahead, carrying an image in his head of what he wants to target, and executes it to such sublime precision with an incisive pass, as shown above.

He also breaks the last line with passes over the opposition centre-backs. When he turns on the ball having received between the lines or between opposition midfielders, a centre-forward will set off on a direct run in behind. His type of through balls are constant, but differing in style, sometimes on the floor all in the air, and he is incredibly adept at them.

Vieira also has the ability to create chances from set-pieces, particularly when delivering outswinging balls from the left. He can also provide quality balls after receiving a short pass from a set-piece, delivering from a different angle which upsets and unnerves opposition defences.

To further highlight how much of a dangerous attacking figure he is, no other player at Porto has managed to equal the number of crosses that Vieira (95) has made throughout this campaign.

He was also listed in the top 10 for shots per 90 minutes in the Portuguese league last term, highlighting his courageousness in getting shots away.

His overall performances earned him a season rating of 7.45 from SofaScore, making him the fifth-best ranked player in the Porto squad.

This all shows why the midfielder has been likened to Mesut Ozil by football talent scout Jacek Kulig on Twitter, who also said that the player has a “left foot made of gold.” He’s also been stylistically compared by journalist Sam Tighe to Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva, who also held the same measured attacking approach before

Blessed with wonderful skill, technical excellence, a sumptuous left foot and the unique ability to operate consummately in the half-space and in between the lines, the Portuguese maestro could well offer much variation and flexibility to Arteta’s weaponry next term due to his versatility: capable of playing on the right-wing, at no.10, even as a false-nine or in an advanced central midfield role.

The 23-year-old maestro is also an adept ball-carrier especially when drifting wider from central areas. One of his most striking attributes is his ability to drive forward with the ball while targeting a specific defender to commit. He locks on to his target, knowing they will have to engage him at some point, while keeping an eye on teammates ahead of him who he can look to slip in behind the opposition.

As the opponent tries to engage with a tackle, Vieira times his release superbly well to supply a teammate through on goal. Last campaign saw him register a whopping 14 big chances created, along with his 14 assists whilst also averaging 1.3 key passes per game showcasing his majestic abilities in the final third.

With outlets such as Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka all capable of running in behind opposition defences, Vieira would well enjoy a field day when threading sumptuous through balls to play them through on goal.

Although he doesn’t dribble and attack opponents 1v1 as much as a winger, his ability to receive and drive forward helps progress play when passing options are initially limited. He times his bursts and decelerations to lose his opponent, before then looking for a penetrative pass.

Taking into account how Arsenal have racked up the eight-best goal-creating actions (82) in the Premier League this season, possessing the qualities of the £13.5m-rated playmaker could certainly propel Arteta’s gameplan at the Emirates.

Such an incredible influence and abilities in the attack means the Gunners could be one of the most exciting teams to watch next season, especially because of the wonderful blend of attacking qualities in the Spaniard’s brilliantly constructed squad.

Tag: Fabio Vieira