Tottenham don’t need to overreact to Arsenal defeat
Tottenham learned some valuable lessons at Arsenal on Sunday, but there’s no reason for Mauricio Pochettino to make drastic changes.
Ignoring the tactics Arsenal used to win Sunday’s North London Derby would be a mistake for Tottenham. Overreacting to one win at home by the Gunners would be an even larger error by Mauricio Pochettino and company.
Predictably, Spurs fans on social media have lost their minds over the 4-2 defeat. Losing a 2-1 halftime lead certainly contributed to the feelings of panic. Fortunately, Pochettino and his coaching staff will view the loss with a lot more perspective.
They’ll understand that it’s very difficult to play three high-profile matches within the span of just eight days. Defeating both Chelsea and Inter Milan in quick succession was a major accomplishment for Spurs. Expecting to walk into the Emirates and make it three victories in a row was an ambitious expectation.
It was abundantly clear that Tottenham didn’t have as much energy as their North London rivals in this match. Unai Emery’s squad deserve a lot of credit for coming out and taking the match to Spurs. Pochettino’s side also deserves equal credit for taking Arsenal’s initial punch and taking momentum back from the Gunners.
Weak-minded managers might be tempted to question their tactics and team selection in the aftermath of such an ugly loss. In particular, some fans would like to see Pochettino apologize for selecting Juan Foyth over Toby Alderweireld. He won’t. The Argentine gaffer has supreme confidence in his choices heading into every match. He won’t apologizing for choosing to rotate his centre backs.
The biggest lesson Tottenham must take from the match is that they need to invest in their squad in January. The current crop of players at Pochettino’s disposal doesn’t have the talent and fitness required to play three stressful fixtures in slightly over a week. A few well placed purchases in the upcoming transfer window could help fix that in the future.
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The simple truth is that this North London Derby came at the wrong time for Tottenham. The reverse fixture at Wembley should present Pochettino and company with a much more legitimate chance to establish their dominance over the Gunners. Perhaps Arsenal would have struggled in this match if they were forced to play a Champions League opponent in the build up.