Any Arsenal fan who has a friend or work colleague or just some person they come into contact with who is of the Tottenham supporting variety, will probably have had a tough day having to cope with a healthy smattering of Spurs smugness after our north London rivals produced a memorable result in beating the reigning Champions League winners Real Madrid.
Apart from having to listen to the spuds bang on about it, though, just how bad a thing is that result for Arsenal fans? It is a worry that Tottenham just did what no other team has managed to do in the UCL group stages for five years, although I would qualify the achievement by pointing out that Madrid were pretty poor.
Bang average could be the term used to describe the Spanish champions, in fact, who also lost their weekend La Liga game to Catalan minnows Girona at the weekend and are already a massive eight points behind Barcelona this season, so this is not the all-conquering Madrid of the last two seasons.
Having said that, Tottenham did play well with Harry Kane back in the side and as much as we may say they are too reliant on him, it does not matter unless he picks up a bigger injury. Arsenal have just clawed ourselves back to within a point of our rivals but after their European success this week I cannot see them dropping points against Crystal Palace this weekend, while we go to Man City.
And the first game back after the upcoming international break is the derby, which I feel we simply have to win at the Emirates if we are to stop this shift of power in north London becoming more than a one season wonder. How bad was that win for the spuds over Real Madrid? Only time will tell, but I for one am worried. Are you?
D.N.
Let me know when they’ve beaten them on their own territory……………….or when they’ve actually won a trophy!
It was a clear sign of their progression under Pochettino. Ultimately, managers at top clubs get judged on trophies, and although they need to win something, Poch’s time at Spurs would still be huge success if he were to leave tomorrow. Depressing to think that he’s ANOTHER manager we missed out on, because apparently there’s no one better than Wenger to manage Arsenal. And Poch works within a tight budget as well, for all those fans who keep saying it’s all about the money!
I always agree with everything you ever post on here. Were we parted at birth I sometimes wonder!
We were tripplets
I guess We we quadruplets!
Show me the trophies. In the same EPL and over the last 4 seasons – Wenger has won more trophies than any Manager. Yes….not EPL or CL trophy but I am sorry – I am working on facts before me. AW has played managed in the same league as Poch —as the last i checked Poch has won zero trophies. Kudos and fair play for beating Real Madrid. But Arsenal has beaten Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the last 8 years. Bottom line is….where is the trophy? If Wenger is gulty of having not won enough trophies and has actually won not less than four in the last 4 seasons…where is the morale and fairness in rating Poch over AW? Guys….enough of the beefing…give credits where it belongs.
Spurs won Real COMFORTABLY.
When we won Bayern 2-0 few seasons ago, we were seriously underwhelmed in that match, with the possesion going against us 80/20 and we had like 2-3 chances compared to Bayern’s +10.
What shift in power? They can’t pay the wages we can pay, can’t spend the transfer money we can. Can’t attract the commercial deals we can. Have not won a trophy in god knows how long. Don’t have the world wide appeal that Arsenal do, etc, etc.
Even when they move to New Shite Lane or whatever that glorified toilet bowl is called they still have to pay for it. They’re at least a decade behind us off the pitch.
They’ve had a better team for one season, ONE SEASON.
Power shift me Arse!
Good try in defending the indefensible and though you have some undisputed facts in your post, clearly the two clubs are moving in opposite directions. Most unbiased Gooners would admit Spurs were better than us in the Leicester title season , even though we pipped them by one point when they blew up at seasons end. They finished well ahead last season and are clearly way ahead of us this season too, though just one point separates us right now. How do you think we would have got on versus Real Madrid , if it was us playing last night? Ronaldo against Merts would be a nightmare. I always say being one eyed about where our club IS and IS NOT, HELPS US NOT AT ALL. Loyalty is laudable but loyalty to mediocrity and regressing under this stale regime , just refuses to face up to obvious problems. And at least admitting and recognising them is the vital first step to putting them right. Tribalism is fine, to a degree, but being wilfully blind to the truth holds our club back from making vital changes. If you are fair -and in their hearts most fans are – you will see this is true. UP TO YOU REALLY!
Has the situation gotten this bad that we are now posting Spurs articles on here?
Spurs played well and beat a WC team. No difference to what Girona did in my opinion, you know why? Its in a competition we are not even involved in so I wouldn’t care less.
Lets focus on matters we can handle, we will soon meet Spurs in the EPL and we can have 20 articles about it to discuss the outcome.
I fully understand your Spurs comparison frustration and share it. But it is inevitable that folk should compare our remoreless decline under an old and way past it manager , with Spurs on a lower budget, but with a young, dynamic and really professional manager, who coaches and improved players regularly , while ours does nothing of the kind. The totally opposite direction both clubs are heading in is t sadly real to ignore or not point out.
These things happen– we’ve beaten both Bayern and PSG recently (topping PSG in the group)
First goal was offside on the ball to Trippier and that changed the course of the game. I partly blame Zidane for starting that kid at right back and relying on him to create all of their chances. The same thing happened in the first leg– continuously giving him the ball on the right to pick out a target or go 1 v 1 on the outside with no end product… Crossing the ball was Madrid’s only idea and it was pathetic to see.
Call me salty, but for me a lazy, uninspired Madrid side lost the game rather than Spuds winning it (offside goal, horrendous deflection, easy counter)
We didn’t beat PSG. They absolutely battered us both games, and it was only Ospina, and poor finishing that cost them easy victories. The point is that Spurs look very good in big games, whereas Arsenal usually look poor in big games, even in victory (which is rare), and especially in Europe.
I would agree that Real were awful though, and even Girona beat them the other day.
Depressing to see the progress So*d have made while we are going in the opposite direction.
Why on earth do people think it’s only Wenger that can manage Arsenal? We need a new way of doing things. Quite a number of teams we were far ahead of have caught up and move ahead while we are now minor to our then contemporaries.
It seems that the owner and board think Wenger is th only manager around. There can be no UNcorrupt , rational reason for their constantly keeping a man who has made no serious challenge for top trophies since 2006 for CL nad since 2008 for EPL. Personally, I have just been marking time, waiting for Wenger to leave until I can realistically even dream of again competing at the very top level. I have attended almost double the amount of matches Wenger has managed for , going back almost 60 years. But I will give no more of my honestly earned money to this corruptly owned, disdainfully administered and scandalously badly managed club. Not until this cancerous regime is gone.
I do agree Wenger has lost his touch but with the current board we will keep moving backwards, as much as i hate to admit it Spurs are currently better than us. They have a solid defence and midfield, agreed they only have one striker but he is almost always present.
Tottenham will lose to Palace this weekend…
I don’t know about you but that will be really funny
I remember when similar questions were being asked about the rise of Chelsea…and then Man City. Naive arsenal fans suggested all the same things they are now, burying their collective heads in the sand as a rival caught us up and then passed us by.
Spurs may not have won a title but they play without fear, have a confident hungry manager, the backing of the board and fans.
They will again finish above us comfortably, arsenal as a club are in deep denial.
Fair point Adam. The question is will you exchange those 3 fa cups and community shields for playing without fear. As far as football is concern Spurs, not hating on them, has won nothing. Out playing and beat a team in decline is not an achievement. I have heard that here recently when we beat Everton.
I would swap the path that seems to be ahead for Spurs with the path, we seem to have in front of us at the moment, and I would swap managers and pay Spurs to do it.
Hey just remember although we are playing, it’s still spursday night!
If you get any stick ask them what they have won recently and when they last won the league. Most of them weren’t even born.
It shows how important Europa League is because making the Top 4 will be incredibly hard. City, United, Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea are all fighting for top 4. We finished 5th last season. Europa may be our best chance
Top 4 will be very difficult. Honestly at the moment Spurs are better than us.
GK we are the same LLORIS/CECH
Defense Spurs have stronger central defense but overall stronger
Vertonghen,
Alderweild,
Aurier
Rose
Walker
Davies
Spurs have stronger midfield and attack with
Dembele,
Wanyama,
Sissoko,
Lamela,
Son,
ALLI,
Ericksen,
Llorente
Kane
Spurs have more quality and are stronger. Again blame Wenger for not doing enough this summer.
Agree with your comments and general drift. But Cech is slipping alarmingly and is nowhere near same level as Lloris, who is among the elite keepers in whole world Maybe five years ago but not now. On regular reliable form based upon THIS season only, not previous reputation, I would not put one of our best starting eleven in a best combined team. Not even Kos, THIS season and not Sanchez either. Sad but I have to be realistic and not delude myself.
Spurs wont win the champs league because of that result,We beat real at the bernabau when they had a much better squad and did not win the tournament.this win means absolutely nothing
Dont care wat spuds do in a competition we r not in am more worried our once beautiful club which is now a shambles with a 17th century manager no up to speed. That shud be our worry….
It has been very clear for a few years, that Spurs are progressing very steadily. They have been developing according to a clear plan, but with a budget an wages way below Arsenal’s. It just shows, that good leadership combined with a good and ambitious manager can get you far.
Unfortunately, we lack both at the moment.
But of course, we can point to history and say we are better, as we have won more. Just like Liverpool could during their downfall.
Very true, unfortunately.
Welllll, Madrid may have been and had TWO off days, but they are still considerably better than Bayern…….jus’ sayin’…..keep up the whining….Wenger In!
Two seasons ago when we just pipped spurs to second place in the PL, I commented on here that spurs had had a better season than us because they had challenged for top spot longer than us. They collapsed when winning the PL was out of reach but top three was guaranteed. I was slated on here.
Since then spurs have progressed, we have gone back, compared to other teams. See if I get slated this time.
It could be a bitter sweet victory for them. Madrid are not looking good this season, 8 points behind Barca. When the going gets tough they usually sack their manager (even Zidane) and look for a new one. I guess there is only one name being mentioned in the boardroom right now!
I hope the name is Wenger ??
No matter how poor Real were last night, Tottenham were very good, do you think Arsenal would have beat them 3-1?
The only consolation I can see at the moment is the the likes of Kane, Erikson, Alli and Poch put themselves firmly in the shop window, and the likes of Real, Barca, Bayern and PSG would have taken note of how well they’re playing. I can see big bids coming in for them in the near future along with offers of double or triple their current salaries.
If these offers do come in Spurs can’t or won’t match them, so hopefully it will lead to the breakup of the squad, especially Poch’ as if the decline at Real continues under Zidane they’ll go all out for him.
In the mean time, buckle up, it’s going to be a rough ride for us.
Now I know how spud’s fans have felt for the last 20 years
Show me the trophies. In the same EPL and over the last 4 seasons – Wenger has won more trophies than any Manager. Yes….not EPL or CL trophy but I am sorry – I am working on facts before me. AW has played managed in the same league as Poch —as the last i checked Poch has won zero trophies. Kudos and fair play for beating Real Madrid. But Arsenal has beaten Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the last 8 years. Bottom line is….where is the trophy? If Wenger is gulty of having not won enough trophies and has actually won not less than four in the last 4 seasons…where is the morale and fairness in rating Poch over AW? Guys….enough of the beefing…give credits where it belongs.
Madrid simply aren’t as hungry as they were. They won the top European trophy two years running, usually when a team wins that once they then find it more difficult to get themselves top shape and up for games the following campaign. A hungry Madrid would rip that Tot team to shreds, as they’ve proven the previous years. Who knows, this is prob a good wake up call for them, Ive seen stuff like this many times before but some people like to sensationalize a giant killing/blip.
Tottenham beat Madrid, not Arsenal.
Must we use every opportunity to bash Arsenal?
how does that concern Arsene/Arsenal.
will real Madrid,Bayern,PSG, or juve want to bid for any of our players no, but the likes of kann ,alli,Erickson, alderwield,dembele these are all 100 million players that’s progress I think non of our players is worth 40 million now,arsenal is full of average players
Spurs is playing better than Arsenal. The same Madrid team would have beaten Arsenal because Arsenal have fear factor. The other reason being that, we play with a lot of slow players. There is no counter attacks anymore. Slow players are Ozil, Giroud, and Ramsey. As long as these three players are still in the starting line up, then forget about Arsenal improving its position in relation to Spurs. We leave Walcott on the bench, so that Ozil and Ramsey can play in his position. Spurs will beat us this season, again
Don’t worry about Spurs. Get on with managing Arsenal properly and consistently for more than just a the occasional 2-3 match run of form for a change. Do something bold and confident in the January transfer window. Stop with the madness of letting players go into final year without constract. Stop making ridiculous starting 11 decision like Elneny at center back. Etc etc. What the Spurs happen to be doing is by far secondary to all of this.