Adam Bate looks at the familiar pressures and problems facing Arsene Wenger and Andre Villas-Boas as they prepare for a crunch clash at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Friday 16 November 2012 17:53, UK
Arsene Wenger and Andre Villas-Boas have familiar worries ahead of the North London derby.
Asked in the summer if Arsenal could win the Premier League this season, Arsene Wenger was in optimistic mood. "We want to and we have a desire to," he told the club's official website. "We are up for it and what we want is to come out of the season and know we have given our best. I feel we did that last year, finishing third with the start we had. "The first target is to do as well as we can in every single game and see where we stand at the end of the season, but of course we want to fight for the championship. We are in a much stronger position now because last summer we lost (Samir) Nasri and (Cesc) Fabregas, and on top of that we lost (Abou) Diaby and (Jack) Wilshere. We lost four players at the start of last season and that is not the case this time." Wenger's opposite number at White Hart Lane was also talking up his side's chances of glory upon his appointment as Tottenham boss. "We go into four competitions next season and we go into them with the maximum ambition of trying to win them," Andre Villas-Boas told Spurs' official website. "I think taking this step is something very decisive, shows straight away our commitment towards winning titles and creates the right winning mentality towards the future to take the club forward." Eleven games into the new campaign and a little of that hope is beginning to dissipate as the reality of familiar problems hits home. On Saturday lunch-time the north London derby will be the battle between the seventh and eighth-place teams in the Premier League.Arsenal - PL 2012/13 | ||
Discipline | Ranking | |
Possession | 1st | |
Short passes | 1st | |
Shots conceded | 2nd | |
Spurs - PL 2012/13 | ||
Discipline | Ranking | |
Possession | 12th | |
Short passes | 12th | |
Counter-attack goals | 1st | |