Why haven’t you included Partey in the shortlist? He’s better than Partey.

Another reason why Conte might not be successful in the long term is the way he handles the squad. When asked why Matt Doherty hasn't played yet this season Conte replied "I'm not an idiot, I don't want to lose" which is just a bizarre comment to make in my opinion, and certainly can't be good for squad morale. Artet has had some pretty public falling outs with players, but you won't hear him openly disparage player performances like that.

Even with someone like Pépé, who Arteta clearly doesn't rate, he would always talk about how it's his fault certain players aren't getting enough minutes and how Pépé is excellent in training, has a great attitude etc. With the thin squad Tottenham has, I just don't see the advantage in alienating squad players like that for no reason.

Not to drop anyone, shore up in case of injuries

Expecting an outbreak of the plague or something ?

That’s 4 competing for 2 spots

1. I can't see any team managing to stem the flow of chances much more than is already the case.
2. Given that they do have Son and Kane, what grounds are there for thinking the conversion rate will drop?

I don't see Ødegaard Vieira and Smith Rowe as competing for the same places as Xhaka, Partey, and Sambi. I haven't followed his form, but getting a combative CM like Guendouzi would surely be very handy to shore up the latter group.

It has worked in so far that he scraped 4th ahead of us when we were quite depleted at the end of the season. Is that style going to win titles - highly unlikely. Might it win a cup - possibly - but I think they'd need to be very lucky to do it with the tactics they have.

My prediction is more teams will work Spurs out this season. They have very little genuine creative players who can unpick a crowded defence. Also 1 mistake in their tactics rips everything up for them, if they fall behind to anyone decent they have to flip their tactics on their head - that has always seemed a bit strange to me. They've not started well in the CL, 1 point and no goals and their fans are getting restless at the boring football they're being served up each week. I also predict some Mourinho style fallings out and rants from Conte this season as he attempts to distance himself from any mistakes or poor results. Conte's contract is up in 8 months and I don't think he will extend.

Then where do Spurs go from there. Harry Kane will be 30 and have 1 year left on his deal this summer. Most of their reliable elite performers are 29 or over. They have lowered the age of the squad with some recent signings but not many of them have shown they're at top 4 level. I also wonder how the repayment of the stadium is going.....

This season is Conte's win or bust season, he can go all at it and if he fails he can walk away - probably in to the Juve job - and Spurs are left to pick up the pieces.

Of course I'm biased and I hope all of this happens but I think it will for them as well

Teams get worked out, and working out Conte's football is a lot easier than Klopp's or Pep's. Teams will be scared of the pace and the counter, last year teams didn't have many opportunities to work out Conte's Spurs as it was all quite new - the same could be said when Arteta played the lop sided back 5 to win the FA Cup. If you don't overwhelm teams with your own quality then I think you are easier to plan for.
Kane and Son may still hoover up the chances they get - albeit Son has already shown he's slipped hugely from the heights of last year - but I don't think they'll get as many clear cut chances as they're used to on those counter attacks.
Kane and Son were exceptional last year, can they keep that up again? the slightest drop off from either will affect Spurs far more than most of the other top teams if their best players are off it - never mind the possibility of injuries. If you're so reliant on 2 players and so reliant on the opposition to somewhat play to your strengths I just don't see it as being sustainable.

They may well get top 4 again this season - but where does it actually take them? They have to win things, they have to win them now to make the most of two players in their prime who lets be honest are miles above Spurs station.

I’m not sure winning the league should be the criteria for judging sustainability. Even winning a cup. I’d say a top four place is as good as any.

Rich, Kane had a very poor first half of last season.

You say they have to win things. Are you saying they do but we don’t? If so isn’t that using different criteria to measure success for alternative clubs at the same sort of level?

I would completely agree with you there Decaf.

The extension of the adidas kit deal has also increased the money Arsenal get from £60m a year to £75m a year. Deal runs until the end of the 2029/30 season.

I think from what I can find that is the equal highest manufacturer deal alongside Man U and adidas at £75m a season

Yes I think we have to win things now to have a successful season. We could finish runners up in the league and have no trophy and I'll feel like huge progress has been made and a big goal of getting back in the CL will have been achieved but I want us to win trophies - particularly the Europa League this season.
Spurs should be treated no differently, and winning trophies for them has to be what is deemed a success because they haven't won one for 13 odd years is it now.

Ultimately top 4 is only such a goal and driver for the big 6 for 2 reasons, 1) to compete in the biggest competition and have a chance of winning it 2) to earn huge money from that competition to enable greater squad strengthening with a goal to winning something. Ultimately it all comes down to tangible success being winning something.

I suppose to bring it back to the original point of whether what Spurs are doing is sustainable you have to agree how long we're measuring it for and whether 'sustainable' means standing still (ie: continually getting 4th place for them), or whether using that terms in football sense it means pushing on and winning something.

I guess we’re using the word a little differently. For me sustain means continuing what you’ve been doing. As you point out, it’s been a fair while since Tottenham have actually won anything. So for me getting into next year’s Champions League would count as sustainability for them. Winning something would represent improvement for them more than sustaining themselves.

As an Arsenal fan I would agree we should be aiming to win trophies. Although we have won something more recently than them (2020), that’s why I’m looking to win something rather than get back into the Champions League. I think Hazuki made a good point recently. Although I think we’re a bit light up front with only Jesus and Nketiah and our back up keeper looking a bit dodgy, I think our team and squad is easily good enough to get in the top four.

Finishing fourth would possibly leave me feeling a little underwhelmed. I was possibly alone in thinking our squad was good enough last season to get in the top four, so I certainly think we are this season. Hence I’m looking to win something as well as getting a top four place. That’s improvement I’m hoping for.

£75m is a good deal now. But if we’re still going to be getting £75m in 2029/30. £75m is unlikely to look such a good amount in seven years.

Apparently according to his personal opinion, Bodo-Glimt manager Knudsen, has Arsenal sussed out. He watched carefully the Zurich and Spurs matches, feels he now knows how to handle the Arsenal set up.
Well, nothing new here. Would expect most coaches/managers have some knowledge of their opponents strategies prior to any comp they have against them. Would expect same from Arteta.

Arteta has been doing his homework with a bit of help from Øde.

https://metro.co.uk/2022/10/05/mikel-ar ... -17510640/

Our original adidas deal ran until 2024 so we’ve negotiated that one up a season and a half early.
Currently City earn £65m a season, Liverpool and Chelsea £60m and Spurs £30m from their kit deal.

Sure I get all that. But by it being such a long term deal, in seven years time with football inflation how much is £75m going to be worth? Nothing remotely like what it’s worth now I reckon.

Is tonight a sell out ?

Tickets are still on sale on Arsenal.com so I assume not.

That reminds me of this. https://www.commit.works/everyone-has-a ... the-mouth/

Cheer up, Bernard. We might be mid-table in the Championship in 2029, chuckling heartily to ourselves about how we managed to get 75 million a year out of them.

I would hope the balance of probabilities are more likely to support my view than yours.

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba ... 30669.html

So we have the option of extending Saka and Saliba by extra 12 months and Martinelli by 2 years.

I too was worried that there was damage between Saliba and the club and Arteta would have to take some of the blame for that but great to see they have a good relationship.

Can only bode well for the future.

So glad the club is learning and structuring their deals and contracts to give themselves these year/2 year option. If used properly they are invaluable.
In reality Arsenal would trigger all 3 of those options if it came to it but I think deals will be thrashed out before. Saka and Saliba therefore have over 2.5 years left on their deal and Martinelli has 3.5 years left on his deal.

Somebody to get sucker punched tonight.

Kyle Walker may miss the World Cup with the injury picked up in the last game. Ben White should be in the squad anyway but the injury to Walker a player who can play RB and RCB in a 3 should really push White in to the squad.

Shame in a way as the fewer games played in the World Cup by Arsenal players, the better things are in my view. Risk of injury from playing and the possibility of tiredness in the second half of the season contribute to my opinion.

Turner; Tomiyasu, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Vieira, Sambi, Xhaka; Marquinhos, Eddie, Martinelli

I trust MA....but I cannot understand why Soares and Nelson are on the bench and three players who will play against Liverpool are playing tonight.

Actually, just read on Sky that they are no mugs and put 6 past Roma last year....I'll defer to MA and keep my trap shut.

He wants to get the group won. Hopefully this 11 will get it done comfortably. Don't know much about the opposition but we did get beaten at home by Ostersunds the other year, so we don't want to underestimate this lot.

Disappointing finish there by Vieira, that should have been testing the keeper at least.

Both have come back from injuries recently so perhaps not quite up to full fitness

Fox in the box.

1-0 Nketiah! That was a very good counter attack

Great goal

Eddie!!!