Why Arsenal Should Start Flamini Against Spurs! by AT
Following a disappointing Capital One Cup defeat at the hands of Southampton, Arsenal welcome Spurs to the Emirates for the first North London derby of the season. Both sides have endured a rather mediocre start to the new campaign and will be looking to gain momentum from what is surely the biggest game of the season.
Speaking in terms of Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, apart from his defence, has a lot of tricky decisions to make in his team selection. But one position he won’t give much thought about is defensive midfield, Mikel Arteta is definitely the first choice at the moment. But in my opinion, I think Mathieu Flamini should get the nod for the clash against Spurs.
Okay, I’ll admit that the Frenchman is not the cleanest of players, nor is he as technically good as the Arsenal skipper, but he’s got something that is so crucial in a derby of this magnitude, total commitment. Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way undermining Arteta’s commitment, I’m just saying Flamini is more effective in that aspect of the game.
Physically, the former AC Milan man is more than capable of keeping up with the speed and intensity of the derby, an area in which I feel Arteta lacks. Also, Flamini has more pace and can keep up with anyone from the Spurs midfield or front line. Not to mention, Mathieu holds a proud record of never having lost a North London derby.
While he may not make the cleanest of tackles or even be the most sensible player on the pitch, you can rest assured that Mathieu Flamini will be ready to put his body on the line and do everything he can to make sure Arsenal come away victorious. Yes, it is a risk, but I firmly believe it’s a risk worth taking.