Chris Waddle has suggested how Thomas Frank’s side should play at the Emirates to give themselves the best chance of getting a decent result.
Strangely, this season, the Spurs have struggled at home but have been a formidable side away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Some pundits have opined that this is because Thomas Frank’s counter-attacking tactics work better away from home, while the home supporters demand that their side plays on the front foot.
Danny Murphy has thus suggested that playing the North London derby away from home suits Tottenham, and a Spurs legend has now suggested how the Lilywhites should approach this afternoon’s fixture.
Chris Waddle urges Tottenham to absorb early pressure
Waddle believes that Spurs will not want the start of the game to be frantic and urged them to avoid taking any risks in the early stages.
He suggested that Arsenal will be looking to impose themselves at the start of the game in front of their fans, and that Frank’s men need to keep their focus.
When asked what would be most important for Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium, Waddle said (via Football.London): “Concentration and focus are the main things. People want you to come out of the blocks quickly, and I think in Tottenham’s case, they first sometimes weigh up the opposition, and work out how they are set up.
“It might benefit them for now not to take risks early on, not pile forward and avoid getting picked off. A lot of teams will press and hurry early, and perhaps Spurs don’t match that right now. For Tottenham, they’ve got a lot of injuries and they’re missing creativity on the pitch. I can see that they’re set up well, and they press early.
“I know you have to start brightly and impose your authority on the game, especially early and at home. You need to put your opponents under pressure to get the crowd behind you. James Maddison is not there, [Mohammed] Kudus is injured, and Dominic Solanke is out. Those are the players who carry the ball and take risks, and they’re being cancelled out easily.”
Spurs’ principles of play will not change against Arsenal
We know that Frank is very wedded to his approach, and the tactics broadly remain the same whether his side is playing at home or away.
This approach has led to some impressive results for Tottenham away from home this season, including the 2-0 win at the Etihad.
We know that Arsenal themselves tend to be very measured in the way they attack, which is why some pundits expect the North London derby to be a cagey affair.
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