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Tottenham v Arsenal: 5 Spurs lessons from the 1-1 draw

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 06: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his sides first goal with Danny Rose and Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on November 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 06: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his sides first goal with Danny Rose and Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on November 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
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ENFIELD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 4: Tottenham Hotspur Manager Mauricio Pochettino during a press conference at the clubs’ training ground on November 4, 2016 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
ENFIELD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 4: Tottenham Hotspur Manager Mauricio Pochettino during a press conference at the clubs’ training ground on November 4, 2016 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images) /

1. Pochettino outfoxed Wenger

The Spurs manager caused quite a few raised eyebrows when the club unveiled their starting XI. It’s safe to say that not many people expected to see Tottenham go with three at the back. It was a move that certainly caught Arsene Wenger off guard.

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The result was Arsenal looking very timid and disorganized for the opening half hour. The curve ball clearly through Wenger and his troops for a pretty significant stretch of time. Arsenal figured things out eventually, but their initial home field advantage had already been neutralized.

Pochettino might not have elected to make the tactical shift if he had more healthy players at his disposal. It’s entirely possible the switch to a 3-5-2 was just a pragmatic way to get his best 11 players on the pitch.

Whether it was strategic trickery or simply a pragmatic move, Pochettino deserves credit for having the stones to try something different. In the end, his tactical shift really helped Tottenham earn an important point against their hated North London neighbors.

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