Derby Day Gamethread

[coremiller]

7:45 Spurs vs. Arsenal
10:00 Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid
12:30 Liverpool v. Everton
2:45 Juventus v. AC Milan (ok, not a derby, but still an important fixture even if Milan are in a down period)
 
Now that's a proper Saturday.

 

[Luis Taint]

Fuck the Spurs

 

[Tangled Up In Red]

COYS!

 

[coremiller]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3ZVfk1B-xo

 

[SoxFanInPdx]

C'mon you Reds! Down the Toffee's.

 

[mikeford]

 
FOYS

 

[blueguitar322]

Arsenal starting the same 11 as Villa except Welbeck in for Walcott on the right.
 
Giroud | Ozil, Cazorla, Ramsey, Welbeck | Coquelin | Monreal, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Bellerin | Ospina

 

[Luis Taint]

Let's do this

 

[coremiller]

Owen Hargreaves has a very strange accent.

 

[blueguitar322]

OZIL!!!!  Beautiful move

 

[blueguitar322]

Welbeck's speed was killer, then two perfect passes

 

[JimBoSox9]

A fit Ozil makes me weep for joy.

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Over some pancakes this morning, my non quite 2 year old looked up from his plate and said "watch Owls?"

He's now giving the wanker sign to Wenger.

Edit: that finish was gorgeous

 

[coremiller]

Arsenal are playing an unusual shape where they are pressing high when the ball is in the opposition half, but as soon as Spurs cross the halfway line they are dropping very deep.  They are leaving Rose wide open on the left.  it's a damn shame that Rose can't play a proper final ball because he's had at least three great chances to do so in the first 15 minutes.

 

[blueguitar322]

Spurs having tons of success working against Bellerin and Mertesacker on the right.  Kane drifting into that space constantly.

 

[coremiller]

Welbeck is pressing Vertonghen rather than staying wide, and Arsenal don't have a real right sided midfielder behind him, so there is nobody on that side to track Rose.

 

[blueguitar322]

SO many giveaways in the last 40 yards in front of the Arsenal goal

 

[blueguitar322]

Yeah to my eyes it looks like Kane is drifting to his left, sometimes wide enough to where Mertesacker stays put and Bellerin picks him up.  And then Spurs either get the 2v1 or 3v2 overload on that side, or Kane returns centrally, pulling Bellerin with him and leaving tons of space for Rose.

 

[coremiller]

It's not a back line thing, it's a midfield thing.  Rose's runs are coming from deep, too deep for Bellerin to pick him up, but no one in the midfield is tracking him.

 

[coremiller]

What's interesting about it is that it's so persistent that it's clearly an intentional tactic.  Wenger would rather clog up the middle of the pitch and is daring Rose to beat them.  He can't do it so far.

 

[blueguitar322]

I think Welbeck is doing a good job tracking back most of the time.  It's the overloads that are causing the problem.  I disagree that it's an intentional tactic by Wenger, the chances that Spurs have created are too good to give up voluntarily.  Absolutely Arsenal are trying to stay compact but I don't think they're doing the Belichickian "make your worst player beat you" thing.

 

[fletcherpost]

Pretty soft yellow for Wellbeck.

 

[blueguitar322]

Yeah I don't see that as a yellow.  Can't complain too much about the officiating, though, which is nice for a change.  That's really the only call that was questionable.  I would have loved for Arsenal to get a penalty kick on the handball, but it clearly wasn't intentional.

 

[coremiller]

This is a very frustrating match.  Spurs are completely outplaying Arsenal in midfield (when was the last time that happened) but their final ball has been terrible.  Mason and Bentaleb in particular have been excellent.  Possession is 64-36, shots 10-2, corners 6-0.  But most of their shots have been from 20 yards at tough angles.  Arsenal have one decent attacking move in this match and in typical Spurs fashion they totally botched the defending in about 18 different ways, plus they got unlucky with Giroud mishitting his shot straight to Ozil (who may or may not have been offside).  A terrible goal to concede.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Meh. Spurs have had much more energy and looked the better side but hopefully that turns around. We did a better job tracking runs on our right after 20 minutes or so.

I can sort of see why Wenger chose Welbeck given the tactics but he's clear missing a little sharpness after his long layoff.

 

[blueguitar322]

Not crazy about Welbeck's positional discipline but he's putting in a shift.  Same number of tackles and more interceptions than Ozil, Ramsey and Cazorla combined.

 

[DJnVa]

This is a very frustrating match.  Spurs are completely outplaying Arsenal in midfield (when was the last time that happened) but their final ball has been terrible.  Mason and Bentaleb in particular have been excellent.  Possession is 64-36, shots 10-2, corners 6-0.  But most of their shots have been from 20 yards at tough angles. 

 
Spurs average shot distance is 3rd longest in league, and they allow shots from the closest range in league.
 
Not a good combo.
 
That leads me to shout this over and over:
 

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Not crazy about Welbeck's positional discipline but he's putting in a shift.  Same number of tackles and more interceptions than Ozil, Ramsey and Cazorla combined.

Definitely putting in a shift, a little rusty on the ball though.

 

[coremiller]

Not crazy about Welbeck's positional discipline but he's putting in a shift.  Same number of tackles and more interceptions than Ozil, Ramsey and Cazorla combined.

 
One of those cases where the data is misleading.  He's had lots to do defensively because there are open guys in his zone all the time.  If he'd been better positionally, he wouldn't have had to make so many interventions.
 
I'm surprised Arsenal have been so passive and conservative.  It's one thing to play that way away to the defending champions, who have guys like Aguero and Silva who will kill you if given half an inch of space.  But Spurs aren't nearly that good.

 

[DJnVa]

If Arsenal is not careful they're going to be finishing this match off with 10 men.

 

[blueguitar322]

Surprised it came on a corner, but not surprised the equalizer came.

 

[coremiller]

HARRY KANE!!!

 

[DJnVa]

Here I am....rock you like a HARRYKANE
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxdmw4tJJ1Y

 

[Zomp]

Jesus that sequence...

 

[fletcherpost]

Great goal. Kane popping up in the right place at the right time. Loved the celebration.

 

[DJnVa]

Jesus---that next minute was like playing against a 9 man team. 

 

[eddiew112]

This is one derby that never lets you down, fantastic game as per usual.

 

[coremiller]

The game needed that goal.  Sets up very nicely for the last half hour.
 
Ospina has made some good saves but his lack of quality on the ball has been a problem for Arsenal.  Spurs have forced at least three turnovers by pressuring him.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Two very good chances now as Arsenal come to life a bit.

 

[fletcherpost]

Spurs need to score again and blow the roof off Whiteheart Lane.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Flamini?

 

[blueguitar322]

Rosicky in for Cazorla, who hasn't done anything today

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Rosicky in for Cazorla, who hasn't done anything today

 
That was odd.  It looked like Flamini got up first, then Wenger decided, "No, I can't go full Mourinho" and decided for Rozza instead.

 

[blueguitar322]

At times this feels like a hockey game where the defense can't get out of their own zone for a shift change

 

[coremiller]

This is right in Eriksen's range ...

 

[DJnVa]

Perfect set up here...

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Dangerous area for a free kick

 

[DJnVa]

Alright...let's get one here. Don't be satisfied with the draw.

 

[coremiller]

It's getting a little sloppy on both sides now.

 

[eddiew112]

OHHHH YOU BEAUTYYYYYYYYYYY