So much goes on in the build-up to the derby that it almost overshadows the match itself.
Twice a season, a week-long circus comes to town and a sort of frenzy takes over – a heady cocktail of excitement, drama, tension and anxiety.
The first installment of the 2024/25 season has been no different.
Against a back-drop of Declan Rice’s suspension, we also had injuries to Ricardo Calafiori, Gabriel Jesus, and Martin Odegaard to digest. We had the announcement of Jarred Gillet as the match referee to rage over and the new contract for Mikel Arteta to celebrate. It’s been a frantic few weeks.
Today, however, the circus packs up and, at the end of it all is a game of football; the final performance.
Our last two visits up the Seven Sisters Road have been hugely gratifying, as much for the haul of points as for the gnashing of teeth coming from Spurs fans. How we’d all love that to continue today.
But it promises to be an altogether more challenging prospect this time around, with a host of injuries and unavailability that means Mikel’s team selection could play a huge role in determining the outcome of the match.
Without his first-choice midfield to choose from, the manager is going to have to find a way to plug gaps and stay competitive, which will be no mean feat. Defensively, this side has what it takes to stand up to the derby’s physical test but the challenge for the manager will be in finding a way to maximize our offensive potential
Mikel likes control; of the ball, of the tempo and of territory. With Mikel Merino, Rice and Odegaard likely out, however, that becomes more difficult. Does that mean a change of shape? a change of tactical approach? Perhaps a radical change of personnel?
We won’t know for certain until the whistle blows but my guess is the manager will try to play the way he would normally do but with the personnel shuffled around. We will likely see Kai Havertz drop into midfield alongside Thomas Partey while either Leandro Trossard or Raheem Sterling takes up post as a false nine.
It seems the most in keeping with what we know about how the manager operates and it also, at least to me, makes sense in terms of the players involved. Sterling/Trossard are well able to operate in the false nine role while Havertz, for better or worse, has at least played at LCM previously.
There remains a slim possibility that the manager will truly surprise us by pulling an Ethan Nwaneri out of the hat. It would be an impossibly bold move and a gamble for the player himself, especially in a high-intensity atmosphere, but in such furnaces legends are forged. We all know how talented Ethan is and the fact others have moved on while he has remained at the club speaks volumes about his status in this squad but a full debut in a north London derby?
Three wins on-the-spin at Spurs is going to be a huge ask and the list of players we have unavailable is going to make it even tougher still. Whatever else is going on amid the frenzy, however, we retain a solid base, a team well used to defending stoutly and which thrives under pressure. If we can find a way to build from there, we will be in with a chance today but I feel like the team selection will be pivotal.
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