Inside Posiciones de Tottenham Contra Arsenal FC (Learn How Managers Set Up Teams Against Rivals)

So I wanted to figure out how Tottenham really sets up against Arsenal, you know? Like why they sometimes beat their rivals and sometimes get smashed. Started by rewatching like five of their recent derbies with a notepad.

Getting My Hands Dirty

First I grabbed my laptop and pulled up full match replays. Not just highlights – whole games, because highlights lie. My missus thought I’d gone mad seeing me pause every two minutes scribbling stuff like “Son drops left when Kane drifts” or “Højbjerg always gets tight to Ødegaard”.

Noticed something funny while rewatching last season’s 2-0 loss. Made these notes:

• Right side collapse every time Saka ran at Emerson
• Midfield too flat – Partey just pinged balls over them constantly
• Kane isolated – no runners beyond him when he dropped

Trying Different Setups

Okay so I started imagining different approaches Tottenham could use. Drew like three different formations on pizza napkins during Saturday lunch:

• First tried back three with wingbacks to contain Saka
• Then midfield diamond to crowd Ødegaard’s space
• Finally thought about crazy high press to stop Arsenal building up

Went back to the footage and guess what? When Tottenham actually beat them 3-0, they basically did option two but made Son stay higher to stretch them. So simple but so effective!

The Realization Hit Me

Here’s the kicker – managers don’t invent new tactics for derbies. They just tweak what they’ve got to exploit tiny weaknesses. Like noticing Arsenal’s left centre-back always gets nervous under high balls? That’s why Kane kept drifting wide to whip crosses toward Kulusevski’s runs.

Best insight came from comparing two goals Tottenham conceded:

• Goal 1 – Saka beats Emerson 1v1 (bad matchup)
• Goal 2 – Martinelli tap-in because midfield didn’t track back

Showed me derbies are really about fixing two or three specific problems, not overhauling everything.

Why This Actually Matters

At the end of the day, how managers set up against rivals isn’t about genius tactics – it’s about knowing both teams’ flaws cold. Like how Arteta always tries to exploit weak fullbacks, which makes Tottenham’s wingback choice CRUCIAL. Watched every Conte vs Arteta match and could predict substitutions 20 minutes before they happened.

Would I actually manage better than Conte? Hell no. But rewatching games through this lens? Makes you appreciate why managers lose sleep before derbies. Every tweak risks unbalancing their whole system. Anyway, back to my pizza napkin tactics board…