Carragher in the Telegraph
This Sunday's North London derby is a reminder that the idea of a ‘big six’ in English football is outdated. We now have a big four. The worry for Woolwich and Tottenham Hotspur fans is how far they have fallen behind the title contenders and how long they will be on the outside looking in.
Although it is early in the season, the clubs’ meeting this weekend already feels massive for both managers, Mikel Arteta and Nuno Espirito Santo. It would be premature to suggest jobs are immediately on the line. What is at stake is something more important to their fans - hope and trust.
Nothing builds or erodes that like a derby win or defeat.
After the first few league games, no one is sure what this season has in store for Woolwich and Spurs; whether they are moving forwards or in danger of drifting even further away. After a terrible start,
Woolwich have some momentum. Another victory will change the mood at The Emirates
after the losses to Chelsea and Manchester City, restoring much-needed calm.
The reaction to their heavy defeats was due to their manner rather than the fact Woolwich were beaten. The bigger picture of the Arteta reign is not as bad as often portrayed.
It is worth emphasising that between Boxing Day and the end of last season, only the Manchester clubs collected more league points than Woolwich. Last season they had the third-best defensive record in the Premier League, but Arteta knows finishing 8th is not good enough for Woolwich.
He took over in difficult circumstances, inheriting an ageing and overpaid squad in 2019, so there was always going to be pain to endure before more consistent results and performances.
It is too soon to shrug off the excellence of Arteta’s early work when he delivered the FA Cup within a few months. It was not just that he won a major trophy. He defeated Manchester City and Chelsea at Wembley to do so.
This summer’s spending spree has given Arteta the chance to make significant strides with younger, more dynamic players, getting his own team on the pitch after a much-needed overhaul.
Arteta has been a bit unlucky so far given the circumstances
around the opening day defeat at Brentford - short of players due to Covid and unsure the game would go ahead until five hours before kick-off - and an unforgiving fixture list against the Champions League finalists. For me, the stakes are already as high for Nuno as Arteta, even though he is only a few months into the Spurs job.
Last week’s first-half display against Chelsea was like Tottenham under Mauricio Pochettino; exciting, pressing high and on the front foot. What happened in the second half undermined that excellence. Chelsea are a superior team and showed their class when provoked into a response, underlining how big the gap is between the top four and the rest.
Nuno needs to persist with a more progressive approach to win his new supporters’ over. The defensive style of his Wolverhampton Wanderers team will not be tolerated at Spurs. He will be seen as ‘Mourinho-lite’ and would be wise to remember the reaction to Jose’s negative tactics in last March’s North London derby. It was not quite the final straw, but he was sacked five weeks later.
Competing for the Premier League is off the table for Woolwich and Spurs for the next two or three years. Champions League qualification is a long shot this year. The same clubs have occupied those positions for the last two seasons and it would be a huge shock if they do not do so again.
The minimum for Woolwich and Spurs is an improvement on last year’s performance, a style in tune with what the fans expect, and the foundation for a further step forward in a year’s time. A clearer judgement on the progress of both managers can be made at the end of this season. There were many times as a player I knew within a matter of games there was no prospect of winning the league, so the target was points as well as positioning. Last season, Spurs collected 62 and Woolwich 61. Seventy is generally a guarantee of being in the race for the top four.
Arsene Wenger’s last top-four finish in 2016 led Woolwich into second with 71 points. In Wenger’s previous two years, Woolwich finished in the top four with 71 and 75 points, respectively.
That kind of tally will not be enough to qualify for the Champions League this season, but would represent an excellent return - independent of the final table. At this particular moment, Woolwich and Spurs cannot fairly be held to the same standard as Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United over the course of a 38-game season.
The North London clubs are in a battle with each other to see who will be ready first to break back into the top four. We may have a clearer idea on Sunday. Manchester City's slow start means nothing - but defeat to Chelsea would signal danger
Four months ago, Manchester City went into the Champions League final as strong favourites to beat Chelsea. The roles seem to be reversed ahead of their Premier League meeting, but City have been underestimated before at the start of the season and it is wise not to make the same mistake.
City have actually collected more points after their first five games this season (10) than a year ago (eight). They have a habit of clicking into gear and generating prolonged unbeaten runs, and Stamford Bridge has as many good as bad memories for them. Last season’s 3-1 win at Chelsea was the moment the title race turned in their favour. Watching that day, I remember thinking, ‘wow, City are back and they will take some stopping’.
Because of Chelsea’s results and Manchester United signing Ronaldo, City have gone a little under the radar, especially
with a couple of indifferent results and
the furore over crowd attendances. We’ve barely seen Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden yet this season, and although their squad is a striker down after the departure of Sergio Aguero there is no doubt they have the quality to defend their title.
The memories of their Champions League final defeat are still fresh, so this will be another early marker of how the season might go for both clubs.
Tactically, it is difficult to see how it will be much different to their last meeting, with Chelsea organised defensively and waiting for counter-attacks while City dominate the ball and hope to find more space than they did in Lisbon. Although Chelsea have had some good results against City, even in their defeats there has never much to separate Pep Guardiola's side.
With City heading to Anfield next weekend, they know there is a danger they will be playing catch-up should they let Chelsea continue their winning streak. That’s why I expect the champions to be at their best.
Chelsea’s first half with Liverpool was one of the highest-quality Premier League games we have seen in a while; the prospect of a modern classic ruined by an early red card. My hope for Sunday is that it remains 11-v-11 for 90 minutes. If so, expect a similar level of football between two world-class teams.
GlastonSpur , you recently claimed our fans were entitled. You also accused us of demanding instant success.