Mikel Arteta reveals tactical tweak after Tottenham derby that could win Arsenal the league
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has opened up about his tactical decisions against Tottenham in the North London derby.
For the third season in a row, Arteta outclassed Ange Postecoglu on his own turf, as the Gunners beat Spurs 1-0.
In his three meetings as a manager against Arsenal, Postecoglou is yet to get the better of Arteta, with the best result being a draw.
The Spaniard has built his squad into a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League, with the Gunners incredibly difficult to break down, as Tottenham found out.
Mikel Arteta explains Arsenal tactics after Tottenham win
Arteta was overjoyed to get the win over Spurs after travelling light to N17 due to Arsenal’s current list of absences.
Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori were the latest first team players to miss out, which altered the way the Gunners played against their rivals.
Speaking to the media after the game in the press conference, the manager admitted that despite not wanting to play defensively, he had little choice.
“I didn’t want to. I wanted to press much higher, lose the ball in much better conditions, higher up the pitch and do that.
“What I didn’t want to do with certain players that we had today missing is expose ourselves to a game that they are incredibly good at. So, I have to choose. And the reward, I think on the other side, was much bigger than acquiring certain risks today against this opponent.”
Arsenal allowed Spurs to play their game, with the hosts having 64% of possession and firing more than double the amount of shots on goal than the visitors, via Sofascore.
While it wasn’t the end-to-end North London derby that many hoped for, it was a victory that epitomised where the Gunners are at under Arteta.
Arteta’s flexibility can win Arsenal the Premier League
It’s been an incredibly long time since Arsenal could take the lead and allow the game to play out with little anxiety.
Now, that has become part of the Gunners’ success, with Arteta uncovering the art of defending with his current squad, flexing his side’s maturity which makes Arsenal so hard to beat.
A switch has been flicked in defence at the Emirates, as seen through the sudden shift in the goals that Arteta’s side concede.
| Arsenal Premier League away form in 2024 |
| 11 games played |
| 10 wins |
| 1 draw |
| 0 defeats |
| 3 goals conceded |
| 0 minutes trailing |
In the 2022/23 campaign, Arsenal conceded 43, which narrowed to just 29 last season, with only one goal conceded so far in the 2024/25 calendar.
A lot of attention has been paid to tightening up at the back away from home, with Arteta’s away record in 2024 something to behold, conceding only three goals in over nine months.
The realisation from Arteta that it is a sign of maturity rather than stubbornness to protect the goal in a fixture, rather than go toe-to-toe in attack, is a sign of progression that makes Arsenal elite.
As a result, the Gunners are in as good as a position than they have been in years to win the Premier League title, with the real test coming next in the league against Manchester City at the Etihad.
