Hits and misses: Arsenal's biggest strength still a major Spurs weakness

Arsenal’s biggest strength remains a major Spurs weakness

It was probably fitting that the North London derby was decided by a set-piece. One of Arsenal’s biggest strengths remains a perplexing weakness for Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs.

Gabriel Magalhaes’s header, powered home from inside the Spurs six-yard box from Bukayo Saka’s inswinging delivery, was the 24th set-piece goal Arsenal have scored in the Premier League since the start of last season, the most by any side in the division.

From Spurs’ perspective, it was the 16th set-piece goal they have conceded in the same timeframe. Even more damning is that, since the turn of the year, Postecoglou’s side have conceded a staggering 13 times from corners – the second-highest total in the division.

The writing had been on the wall, with Arsenal causing repeated problems from corners at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, even before Cristian Romero went to sleep and Gabriel rose highest to send his close-range header crashing into the net.

Following on from their 3-2 win in April, three of Arsenal’s last four Premier League goals against Tottenham have been from corners. It is the same number of corner goals they scored in the previous 88 North London derbies, underlining the extent of the problem for Spurs – and the scale of Arsenal’s dead-ball threat.
Nick Wright

Patience not infinite for Ange at Spurs

Ange Postecoglou bemoaned Tottenham’s lack of resilience and failure to attend to “the details” after their 3-2 loss to Arsenal in the last meeting between the two sides in April. The latest defeat shows lessons were not learned.

While Arsenal again exhibited a wily, streetwise edge, adapting their approach without key personnel in the interests of winning, Spurs were beset by familiar problems: a failure to take their chances and an inability to effectively defend set-pieces.

Postecoglou insisted Spurs generally dealt well with Arsenal’s dead-ball deliveries in his post-match press conference. But the corner headed home by Gabriel was not the first from which they demonstrated defensive unease. Arteta’s comments to Sky Sports spoke volumes. “We knew we could hurt them on set-plays,” he said.

Postecoglou took responsibility afterwards, insisting the side’s set-piece frailty is his “burden to carry” and again arguing that their performances this season merit better results. But their total of four points after four games is their lowest since the 2015/16 campaign and the issues go back further.

Their outstanding start to last season, when they took 26 points from 10 Premier League games and the future under their new head coach brimmed with possibility, now feels like a distant memory.

Postecoglou may be right about their performances meriting more but there is no hiding from the reality. Spurs have only taken 44 points from their last 32 Premier League fixtures. He cannot rely on infinite patience from supporters.
Nick Wright

Schar has Newcastle rolling back the years

The last time Newcastle started a season with 10 points from their opening four games was back in 1995/96 when they first wore the navy and burgundy that brought them close to the title. In that team was a young Belgian defender who developed a reputation for scoring memorable goals.

Watching Newcastle’s come-from-behind victory at Molineux on Sunday, a centre-back with a similar thirst for adventure is keeping the current crop on the coat-tails of the usual early pacesetters Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

“It’s like watching Philippe Albert all those years ago,” Jamie Carragher said of Fabian Schar after a penetrating run into the box moments after his exquisite equaliser breathed life into the Magpies.

Newcastle were known then as ‘The Entertainers’ but here – as against Southampton and Tottenham – they found a way to win with their Swiss stalwart returning to the side.

Schar had been sold too easily by Joao Gomes’ dummy which drew sighs in the press box for Mario Lemina’s opener, but he atoned for that lapse to make crucial contributions in both boxes.

Since his Premier League debut in August 2018, he has now scored more goals from outside the box than any centre-back in the competition with four to his name.

Back in the groove following a three-match ban for headbutting Ben Brereton Diaz on the opening day, Schar is fast becoming as iconic as Albert among the Toon Army.

They hadn’t not won at Wolves in their previous six Premier League attempts and they struggled on the road last season, but this latest battling display shows they can mount another sustained push for Europe.
Ben Grounds

Testing times for O’Neil at Wolves

“I am sure we will overachieve what many people will expect of us this season,” Gary O’Neil told Sky Sports after their defeat to Newcastle. But he understands that the questions over Wolves’ run of form will continue until they secure that first victory.

It is a four matches without a win to start the Premier League season and just one in 14 if the back end of the last campaign is included. He needs to change the momentum and that will require a little more luck than his team had at Molineux on Sunday.

Two goals from distance in the second half turned it around for Newcastle, one of them deflected. How O’Neil, who has seen his Wolves side score only one Premier League goal from outside the box in total since taking over a year ago, could do with that.

But there are issues to address too. Finding the right balance looks tricky. Rayan Ait-Nouri was pressed back into action at left-back, Mario Lemina started on the right wing, while Matheus Cunha floated around. It is not obvious how he fits the parts together.

With the next two home games against Manchester City and Liverpool sandwiched between trips to Aston Villa, Brentford and Brighton, the fixture list is daunting. If Wolves stick together, they have the quality to climb the table eventually. But these are testing times.
Adam Bate