Alexis Sanchez is more likely to score the first goal if Giroud is on the bench.
That’s my view on Arsenal’s team selection.
Form favours Arsenal hugely and they will be confident of winning this home match on Sunday,
Spurs are a pressing team who play with high full backs and score goals with speed and dynamic attacks.
Arsenal are a passing team who play with high full backs and love to stroke the ball into the net.
The Spurs style creates a lot of half-chances and rebounds.
The Arsenal style creates a lot of easy chances inside the box.
Spurs also win a lot of second balls and thrust forward from there. They are, in effect, a momentum team who outrun you and wear you down physically.
It’s : pass forward, race to support, get a pass, have a shot blocked, win it back, have another shot and score. That style creates scrambles where players are reaching and stretching, a bit off-balance.
When that fails, Spurs have no Plan B.
Tottenham’s pressing does not work as well as Liverpool’s. That’s because Klopp’s front five read the breaks better and are more skilful in the box. Coutinho is far better than Eriksen, Mane is better than Son, and Firmino is faster and sharper than Janssen.
Spurs don’t have an Adam Lallana, who is the most improved footballer in the Premier League.
Last season, when Spurs were flying, they had a big leader in Hugo Lloris, and a world class centreback in Toby Alderweireld, and the perfect centre forward for their demanding style of play.
The rugged Harry Kane is a natural gladiator who can defend from the front as well as score goals, and provide plenty of everything: make diagonal runs, keep making long sprints, provide flick-ons, and shoot hard from outside the box, as well as poach from six yards.
Kane held Spurs together with his bottle, perseverance and durability.
His competitiveness inspired the others. And his goals won games and gave the team confidence going into the next battle.
But Harry was burned out by the time he got to Euro 2016.
Half of this Tottenham team, the English half, have just suffered three major traumas.
Spurs led 2-1at Stamford Bridge and lost the plot and crashed out of the title race. Then their English boys went to Euro 2016 with Roy Hodgson and produced the most pitiful England performances we’ve ever seen in a tournament.
Then, in the Champions League, they lost to Monaco at Wembley, and this week they lost to Bayer Leverkusen, who had never won in seven previous European visits to England.
Mauricio Pochettino had a hellish summer and on Wednesday night at Wembley the manager was embarrassed as he watched his players make mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake all night long.
Yes, managers have to roll with the punches, keep a cool head, and lead the campaign.
But I felt for Pochettino as he stood there watching Spurs play like amateurs in front of 85,000 punters and millions of viewers round the world.
If Spurs were as forceful and powerful as they were last season, I don’t think Wenger would play Alex Iwobi, his new young star, in this derby. But this time I reckon he will.
Because Tottenham are in tatters right now. And I don’t say that spitefully.
As far as I’m concerned, their meltdown is a very sad business.