Before I go on to look at teams there are a few things I want to say. I'm genuinely nervous about tomorrow and that doesn't happen often but I really am. Listening to the SSN panel I agree with them on nearly everything they're saying (for once). The pricks are firm favourites to win tomorrow for the first time since I can remember and I'm not surprised. We are going into this shot of confidence and about as defensively sound as Burton Albion. If we fail to get ourselves up, we could get embarrassed, so its down to Wenger to do his job and really get the team motivated.
Call me pessimistic but I can't see anything other than a Tottenham win tomorrow, now people will be quick to point out that they haven't had a blinding start and so on but the derby is different to every other game of the season. They know we're weak at the back and I think they'll really give it a go. It also seems impossible for Adebayor not to score, its written on the wall. If I was a bookie I'd have him odds on to score in the fear of losing a small fortune. That brings me nicely on to teams.
It seems that Song will have to start at the back as we're out of fit centre backs. Expect to see Sagna and Gibbs start on the sides. The midfield I think will be Ramsey, Arteta and most probably Frimpong to try and give us some power in the middle, that will bee a key area tomorrow. I look at their players in the middle and they don't have a big powerful midfielder to hold the ground and that could be where we will split. They'll play Modric, Parker and Sandro (I'd say) who are all relatively attacking, when we counter that's where they'll lack numbers. We have to play Gervinho and Walcott/Oxlade it will be Walcott but the point I'm making is Arshavin was absolutely shit midweek. He was lazy and didn't look bothered and in a derby all 11 players need to pull their weight and we all know he wont. RVP upfront as ever.
Danger men don't really need pointing out but I'll do it anyway: Adebayor, Modric, Bale and Van der Vaart are the main players to watch for. So are there any positives to look for in what we could do tomorrow? Of course there are. Firstly as I stated up there, this is the derby, its a totally different game to any other in the season. Players get themselves up for the derby its the game everyone wants to play in. If we get ourselves up we might pull something out the bag. Secondly, Tottenham are going in as favourites, that's a different type of pressure that they wont have experienced before in a derby, it may play to our advantage. Thirdly, as my old Grandad used to say "football's a funny old game, anything can happen".
The fixture tomorrow is the one we all look for at the release pre-season, but what we have to remember win, draw or loss (probably the later) it's worth the same as any other game.
COYG!
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Arsenal
