Tottenham’s North London Derby Day Let Down

Barclays Premier League

Posted by Rafa - November 2, 2009 Comments 0

Tottenham’s North London Derby Day Let Down

Anything RVP can do, Cesc can do better! (credit The Mail Online)

This past weekend saw the North London Derby take center stage as the main attraction. Without stepping on anyones toes, (yes, Liverpool losing to Fulham was major) Tottenham’s visit to the Emirates was a good test for these two squads and gave followers of the Premiership a good idea as to what me might expect for end of the season results. Harry has had his Spurs looking good, with only minor set backs against Stoke and Bolton, and having played three of the four top four, beating Liverpool and losing to Chelsea and Manchester United. Spurs had come away looking strong and playing some attractive football while dealing with some serious injuries.

Is this the season and Arsene and Arsenal take the title? (Credit PicApp.com)

Arsene Wenger had his Gunners looking sharp all season. Keeping the majority of the stars healthy this season, especially Cesc Fabregas and Robin Van Persie, and having Arshavin firing on all cylinders, Arsenal were looking like they were the team to threaten for the title this year. With Chelsea and Liverpool still ahead, Tottenham looked like a good test for this possible Premier League Title winning team, if not a warm up for the true Top Four tests.

Robin Van Persie looks strong and healty, scoring a brace against his North London rivals. (Credit PicApp.com)

It wasn’t much of a match until around the 42nd minute when RVP opened the scoring sheet with a clean strike that put Arsenal ahead of their North London rivals. Then, in what must have been a complete lapse in the minds of every Spurs Defenders and one fantastical individual effort by one Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal scored the very next minute to go up two-one. The second half saw Spurs throw bodies forward, but hardly threatening the Gunners defense with no real threat of speed on the wings with Lennon being out and no Modric to run the midfield. Crouch was placed up front alone and no Jermaine Defoe on the roster for Rednapp. There was no link between the midfield and the forward to be honest. Arsenal scored in the 60th minute as RVP got his brace. It has to be said that this match has to be more of a warm up for the streaking Gunners rather than a foreshadowing of the Spurs season. If Wegner and his Gunners really want to make a run at the title this season, they need to not only beat their North London rivals, but they will have to be ready to get results from the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool. This would be the perfect time for Arsenal to take advantage of a Liverpool side that seem to be slipping and hurting on all fronts (on the field, off the field, in the locker room, in the board room and even in the stands). Chelsea look like the team to beat at the moment as Carlo Ancelotti has Roman’s Mercenaries in top form.

Eduardo and Assou-Ekotto battle in the North London Derby

Harry Rednapp is a great coach and he will help Tottenham make a threat at breaking into the top four, but with Manchester City having the capabilities of knocking out one of the Top Four by simply throwing money at the problem, I highly doubt that this season will be the season that the Lilywhites break into the upper echelon of the Premiership. Tottenham will be sadly disappointed again after starting the season off so well, but I do think that this will be the building year that will actually lead to something positive next year.