This Saturday will see the 180th North London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal at White Hart Lane. The reverse fixture at the Emirates in September finished 1-1.
The sides currently sit fifth and sixth in the Premier League table and with just two points separating them, the upcoming clash holds even more significance than usual in the fight for Champions League qualification.
Both teams go into the game on an excellent run of form. Tottenham are on an unbeaten run of 7 home league matches while Arsenal have enjoyed 5 wins from their last 5 games in all competitions.
As Alexis Sanchez has been ruled out of the game with a hamstring injury. Opta powered fantasy football game www.oulala.com have focused their attention to strikers Harry Kane and Olivier Giroud. With Kane’s dramatic rise this season and Giroud’s instant goal-scoring return from injury with 5 goals in his last 7 games, the comparison between the pair makes for some interesting reading.
With Giroud returning from an ankle injury and missing a large chunk of the season Kane has played 7 more games than the Frenchman (19 to 12). This has resulted in the Spurs striker completing a little shy of double the amount of minutes than Giroud has (1,261 to 684).
Despite less playing time it is Giroud that leads Kane with a superior strike-rate of 0.92 goals per 90 minutes to Kane’s 0.71. However, Kane has the better shot accuracy, 58% to Giroud’s 50%.
The Arsenal striker is the more creative of the pair with 1.45 chances created per 90 minutes to Kane’s 1. Of these chances it’s Kane’s team-mates that have been slightly more clinical with the Spurs man notching 0.14 assists per 90 minutes compared to Giroud’s 0.13.
Kane leads for successful dribbles (53.7% to 40%) but it is Giroud that has provoked more fouls per 90 minutes (2.1 to 1.8).
When it comes to passing it is the young Tottenham star that comes out on top with a pass completion of 77% to Giroud’s 68%.
With both forwards enjoying excellent recent goal-scoring form, the game is set up to be yet another classic between the two sides.
I would still prefer Welbeck over giroud. Welbeck gives better movement and players like Ozil and sanchez can benefit from welbeck playing up front.
No? Welbeck is nothing but a bag of waste, draining money from the club and us supporters. The sooner we get rid of him, the better. Unless he wants to reroll as a defensive winger, we have no use for this horse from Manchester.
Well there is a first – “arguments” both for and against Welbeck getting a thumbs down avalanche. I assume the truth of the matter is somewhere in between these extreme views. LOL.
Only with Arsenal fans. Haha gotta love em
There is still a chance Sanchez could play tomorrow, look on Sky Sports News, apparently he’s been desperate to be involved and they’re thinking of including him apparently.
Sanchez – never give up, never say die! It would be great to see him against the soft c*cks, but perhaps we should make sure he is 100% fit and healthy before he gets game time. These NLD are more punishing than the average BPL game, a lot is at stake and I think both teams will try every measure to win and that included crunching the opposition – another reason why we should be weary of playing Sanchez soon. Otherwise if the man insists, play him one half.
hope its not true and Wenger is just playing mind games. We’re good enough to beat spuds without Alexis, and no way we should risk losing him for Monaco matches. It’s just not worth it, but I admire Alexis’ dedication. What a professional, truly wants to be the best
Spurs should mind the gap!!!
– We have a better stadium
– Richer than them
– Larger fan base
– Better Manger
– Better squad
– More trophies
– Better league position
– Better academy
– Better playing style
– Richer tradition
– etc
We have a free scoring team, any of our player is a threat. Cut out Kane and Ericksen and will see what they can offer. OG’s main strength is not goals, but build up and setting up our team attacks. His pretty good at clearing during set pieces too. His finally scoring against “big” teams and seems to enjoying it. Hope he continues this run..
And yet, they are only 2p behind us. Every season, that is all that matters – and that is why we celebrate St.Totterinham’s day instead of bragging about the characteristics of our club.
How do you manage to get even a single thumbs up? What a complete wall of mancowstool
Might be easier and more productive to count the goals scored rather than ponce around with your unspecified chance/goal ratio. Chance conversion is a micky mouse stat – Suarez’s shot/chance conversion stats for last season are poor. Seen Bendtner sometime back in early 2014 as No.1 in a PL shot/conversion chart with Vydra, Chamakh, Cole (as in Carlton), Adebayor and Welbeck in the next 5. And we all know about Podolski and his legendary conversion stats but not sufficient to get him in to a mid-table Inter Europa league squad.
There is not a stat database in the world that has OG at 5%. 2nd season, depending on what database you look at it was anywhere between 14% and 19%. This season he is better still – nearer 25%. Stop making things up – I know you have said we are “idiots” on here but jeez, you lie like a toddler and think no-one will notice.
I prefer Wellbecks to both!!!! Same team last time, except Girod out for Wellbeck!!! Sanches, you have rest.
welbeck is not a goal scoring threat, doesnt shoot enough for a striker. Only thing he does well is pass. Giroud is way more important to the side and is in form right now. Its an easy decision to pick Giroud ahead of Welbeck, who still hasn’t reached his potential yet.
giroud is 28 – kane is 21
kane in my eyes an it pains me to say it, is better than giroud an better than welbeck.
he wont be at the spuds long before the vultures circle.
Agree muffdiver he looks good. But we have seen too many one/two season wonders of late. If Wenger had listened to this site we would probably have Ba and Michu as our strike options and so I will withhold judgement on Kane until at least end of this season.
Chuba signs new deal. Future looks good.
People who support Welbeck over Giroud are missing the key point that Welbeck misses more shots than Giroud. Giroud isn’t perfect. I still wish we could get a WC striker like Aguero and Costa. However, Giroud makes more of his chances than Welbeck. Giroud has scored over 40 goals since coming here. And he is our most in form striker
I’m not knocking Welbeck. He has played better for England than Rooney and he has scored goals for us. However, he needs a year or two of constant playing to improve. Who knows he may be a future Ian Wright
But at the moment Giroud is the man at front.
And yes Giroud is better than Kane in my honest opinion
People parading themselves aa AFC supporter shld learn how to accept and respect OG12 aa the only reliable cf we have and probably the best for our tactic and formation. Our team is not lik liverpool that rely solely on strikers for goal and this guy has really done his job well whenever he is call upon. Giroud vs Kane? Don’t even go there,they are not in the same class, OG12 is a senior player with lots of experiences while Kane is a prospect,though having good season so far but that isn’t enof to put him in same class as OG12, shoe has size. I just hope Kane is not one of the overhype english starlet that fail to live up to the hype. Tomorow NLD is a game between boys and men. Men will have the day. Up gunners
Kane better than Giroud, would yous go and fuking pull the other one. Giroud is a French first team international, let that sink in when you consider the talent France have in the striking department, Kane would not get anywhere near the French first team.. maybe future but a huge maybe. The kid has some very decent form over a six month period and yous think hes better than our Oli, give me a break. The two players are a different type/breed, it could be the type player that is your issue/preference. Giroud is a proven talent whereas the young one is promising and also hungry no more no less.. and no hungrier than the towering inferno that is Oli.
I find it amazing that some fans believed that story about Kane been wanted in La Royal Madrid… ooh la la the mighty Madrid want him isnt he special.. yeh he must be better than Giroud, Morons.
You know guys ; I’m not too concerned about Kane. Yes he has goals and Tottenham rely on him but I trust Bosscielny to do a job on him. The pair have kept the world’s best strikers in Aguero two weeks ago, Lewandowski, the SAS last season so I have faith we’ll win tomorrow. I hand Le Coq to erikson. #COYG