· Brian Judson's Preview
· Last Year's Game - Arsenal 2 Spurs 1
· This week - last year
· What happened in the Premiership in Match 14 2001-2
· Our last victory against the Gooners
Last Six Premiership results:-
Arsenal
Leeds 1 4 Arsenal
Arsenal 3 1 Sunderland
Everton 2 1 Arsenal
Arsenal 1 2 Blackburn
Fulham 0 1 Arsenal
Arsenal 1 0 Newcastle
Spurs
Spurs 0 3 Middlesbrough
Blackburn 1 2 Spurs
Spurs 3 1 Bolton
Liverpool 2 1 Spurs
Spurs 0 0 Chelsea
S'dland 2 0 Spurs
Pos P W D L F-A GD Pts
2 Arsenal 13 9 2 2 28-13 15 29
8 Spurs 13 6 2 5 17-18 -1 20
Arsenal are third in the form table with 12 points in their last 6 games, whilst Spurs lie 12th with just 7 points. The "Gooners" have scored 4 goals in last 4 league games. Kanu scored 4 out of the 7 in the first two above fixtures. Wiltord is their top scorer in the league with 7. Henry has scored 6 league goals.
We return to Highbury only 7 months since our last visit, and with the prospect of a quick return at White Hart lane in four weeks' time.
The last time we beat Arsenal in any competition was on November 7th 1999 (3 years ago), when we won 2-1 with goals from Steffen Iversen and Tim Sherwood (read the report here), and we haven't beaten them at Highbury since 1993. Only 5 of the players that represented Spurs can possibly play for us this week, and realistically we can discount two of them (Sherwood and Clemence), with Iversen perhaps getting a bench seat, whilst Carr and Perry will probably play.
Famously of course, one of our team on that day is on the opposition books, but he is doubtful for this game, which messes up my 1-0 dream of Freund scoring his first goal through the legs of "the evil one". Seaman too, will be absent, so there goes a bit of baiting by the Spurs fans.
Arsenal had their worst spell in 19 years when they lost four games in succession, but only two of those were in the league. Hence, they are in second place, one point behind Liverpool, and comfortably through to the second phase of the Champions League.
Spurs desperately need Redknapp to return, along with their good form, which disappeared at Burnley and Sunderland. Etherington is still doubtful, but we need some pace down the left, but I fear that Poyet will get the nod again, whilst I would like Acimovic to start. Arsenal's defence has not been at its best lately, and despite our recent form, if Campbell and Seaman are missing, then a determined performance (of which we should be assured for this game!) could bear some fruit this time. I'll go for a 1-1 draw.
