Friday, September 30, 2022

A point to prove – The Economic Times

Arsenal and Tottenham will fight for far more than local bragging rights on Saturday as north London rivals aim to prove they are serious contenders for the Premier League title. In top-flight action after the international break, Arsenal top the table after an unexpectedly strong start, while unbeaten Tottenham are just one point behind third.

With Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United still recovering their balances after the turmoil of the season, a path has been opened for clubs in north London to enter the title race. If a title challenger was expected to emerge from either end of the Seven Sisters road, it was Tottenham who were the more likely candidate after finishing in the top-four from their bitter rivals and neighbors in dramatic fashion in the previous term.

Arsenal were in pole position to qualify for the Champions League when they went four points ahead of Tottenham, with only three games left. But Mikel Arteta’s side blew their chances in a disastrous 3–0 loss at Tottenham, followed by a devastating loss against Newcastle, ruining their hopes of returning to the Champions League for the first time since the 2016/17 season .

Toppling Arsenal, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy bowed to Antonio Conte’s demands, sanctioning a close spending spree that further boosted the feelgood factor around the club. With Conte refusing to rest his players on his honours, Tottenham have continued to progress into their second season under the demanding Italian. Conte showed his brutal side in Tottenham’s last game when he dropped Son Heung-min after an eight-match goalless run and a hat-trick from the South Korean after sending him in as a substitute in the 6-2 round of Leicester. rewarded with. ,

While Tottenham’s rise underscores Conte’s managerial prowess, it is arguably Arteta who has done the more impressive job in this tenure. Arsenal’s blast in the final week of last season could have been a hammer blow to Arteta’s gradual rebuilding of a club already stuck in mediocrity long before the end of Arsene Wenger’s reign.

The eccentric side of Arteta’s personality was showcased during the “All or Nothing” television documentary, which captured the Spaniard’s fight to steer the club through troubled waters the previous season. But Arteta’s quirks shouldn’t obscure the clever way he has fueled Arsenal with energy and enthusiasm by fostering a group of talented youngsters, while also ousting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after disciplinary problems .

Originally published at Pen 18

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