Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou knows the blueprint to beat Arsenal after Spurs 'changes'
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Ange Postecoglou believes Wednesday's north London derby is "as big as they ever come" given Tottenham's underwhelming league position but the game feels even more significant for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal. The Gunners go into the match 14 points clear of their rivals but on the back of cup defeats to Newcastle and Manchester United, which have dramatically reduced their chances of silverware this season and threatened the harmony at the Emirates.
![[Arsenal's players look dejected after Alexander Isak scores for Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg]](https://static.standard.co.uk/2025/01/08/1/39/arsenal08012025a-jpg.jpeg?quality=75&auto=webp&width=960)
Arteta's struggled to convert chances into goals in the 2-0 home defeat to the Magpies in the Carabao Cup semi-final before they were similarly wasteful in losing on penalties in Sunday's FA Cup third-round against United. A third home reverse in a week would deal their title hopes a major blow and make this Arsenal's worst week since a 3-0 defeat to Spurs in May 2022, which helped their rivals to pip them to fourth place.
![[Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky during the FA Cup third round match against Tamworth]](https://static.standard.co.uk/2025/01/13/12/36/SEI235747411.jpeg?quality=75&auto=webp&width=960)
Postecoglou, though, is not convinced by the change in narrative around Arsenal's season and believes they remain one of the league's best sides. "A week, 10 days and all of sudden a team people were saying were flying are struggling," said the Spurs head coach on Tuesday. "I don't buy into that. I still think they're one of the top teams in the country ... it's going to take a massive effort from us to knock them over.".
Nonetheless, now might be a good time for depleted Spurs to face their rivals, with the feeling of a corner turned in the past 10 days or so. While Arsenal floundered against Newcastle, Spurs produced arguably their most controlled and mature performance under Postecoglou 24 hours later in their own Carabao Cup semi-final first leg to beat Liverpool at the other end of the Seven Sisters Road.
