Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has admitted the true test of Arsenal will come now they hold the tag of “favourites” to win the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta’s side missed the chance to go 10 points clear when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Newcastle last week.
Arsenal’s gap over Manchester City remains a healthy five points but ahead of Sunday’s north London derby, the Spurs manager insisted now is when the pressure will ramp up.
“When you are at the top of the league the perception of your opponents change totally,” he said.
“You are in that moment the best team in the league. For this reason, everybody wants to try to beat you.
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“In the last 10 years it was always the same, between (Manchester) City, Chelsea and Liverpool, maybe Leicester, but now Arsenal have a great opportunity.
“They are working for many years in a project. They are doing very well. They sent away a lot of players, and bring in many players and they spend money to do it. I think they are doing very well.
“Now they have to show they can stay there until the end of the season because I’m sure Manchester City doesn’t agree and will feel the real possibility to win again.”
Arteta asked about Arsenal’s ‘reputation’
The fiery atmosphere of a north London derby trip to Tottenham may not be the best time for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to call on his players to show they can handle the pressure of being Premier League leaders as he looks to defend the reputation of the club.
Arsenal have been hit with their second Football Association charge of the season for failure to control their players after they surrounded official David Coote during the FA Cup third-round win at Oxford on Monday night.
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Arteta, too, has seen his own behaviour called into question of late, the manner of his touchline demeanour being highlighted as an example that he is struggling with the job of managing a side now favourites among many to win the title.
He bullishly defended himself last weekend against claims his antics could negatively impact his players and – ahead of the short hop to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – he suggested if he was not upsetting some people, he was not doing the job right.
Asked if he cared about his reputation, Arteta was clear that it is the way his employers, his club, his players are judged that matters more.
“I care a lot about the reputation of the club especially. Mine I can’t control,” he said.
“I am who I am. I try to do my best to defend the players, to defend the club and that comes down with certain people who will not like it then, for sure, if everybody would like it, it wouldn’t be very good, I don’t think.
“It’s not that I don’t care, but I care a lot more – especially when I’m doing my job – when I’m at home, I care about what wife’s thinks, stuff you don’t see.
“But when I’m in the public eye, I think about what I can do best for the club, how can I defend the players and this is my role as well.”
Ten Hag’s Man Utd ‘message’
Erik ten Hag has refused to be dragged into pre-derby mind games with Pep Guardiola and claims he does not care what his Manchester City rival is plotting.
The City manager jokingly claimed he had “ridiculous” tactical plans in mind ahead of the Old Trafford clash at Saturday lunchtime.
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But Ten Hag, whose side was beaten 6-3 in humbling fashion in the first meeting between the clubs this season, has refused to engage in the pre-match verbal exchanges.
“I don’t care about what he is thinking!” said Ten Hag. “But he’s done this sort of thing more often and we are prepared for that, for different things.
“We have our principles, our rules for football.”
Rio Ferdinand: How to stop Haaland
Premier League defences have struggled to come up with a plan to prevent Erling Haaland from wreaking havoc, with the Norwegian scoring a ludicrous 21 times in only 16 games.
Closing down City’s array of playmakers is the best way of keeping Haaland quiet, according to Ferdinand, who also believes United’s defenders should emulate Everton’s Ben Godfrey by trying to antagonise the striker. Within the laws of the game, of course.
“What he’s doing at the moment is remarkable really, breaking records. You definitely would be focusing on him and making sure you try and stop him but I think as important is [cutting off] the supply line. He’s very different from an Mbappe who can get the ball on the halfway line and it could be a goal because he can beat three, four, five men – Haaland’s game isn’t about that. His game is about being on the end of opportunities, being provided by others.
“I watched that game and saw Ben Godfrey, who I know well, actually all over him trying to get under his skin, pushing him, shoving him and kicking him. Within the laws of the game that’s a good ploy because you could see Erling Haaland enjoys that but you’re affecting his concentration as well. Listen, he scored a goal but he wasn’t as impactful as he has been in previous games.”
Read the full interview with Rio Ferdinand here
United have lost just one of their 18 games since the first derby meeting in October.
After that collapse at the Etihad, Ten Hag accused his players of lacking bravery and that quality is something he admits they will need to show against the reigning Premier League champions.
“The message is be brave but more important is what the message means,” he said.
“It’s a way of playing – in possession you give each other options, take the right decisions, go forward where possible, be on the front foot, be aggressive. That’s what ‘brave’ means.
“And as a team, act with togetherness, have the same ideas in every situation … that’s what bravery means.
“The first game was a lesson but we took that lesson and from that point we have made huge progress. We have to continue the progress and the process.”
Klopp: Quadruple bid has taken its toll
Jurgen Klopp believes that Liverpool’s unprecedented quadruple bid last season has taken a toll on his players, physically and mentally.
An inconsistent first half to the current campaign has left the Merseyside club seven points adrift of the top four and in danger of missing out on Champions League qualification.
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Jurgen Klopp was NOT happy with this question
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) January 13, 2023#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/FNOrUO9m6n
“It must have,” he said. “We can say that now. Could anybody know how the last season of 64 games could influence this season? I don’t think anybody could know. There was no book written about it, there was no data about it, there was nothing about it because nobody played that many games before and been in so many finals. We were really flying high.
“But we are not here just for the sensational moments and great finals. There are tough times you have to get through as well and you learn from it and you go again for everything – and that will definitely happen again.”
Lampard ‘staying positive’ at Everton
Frank Lampard is not naive enough to take too much re-assurance from the vote of confidence he received from Everton owner Farhad Moshiri this week.
Lampard is not doubting the sincerity of Moshiri’s remarks but knows that his job depends on results – starting with Saturday’s relegation “six-pointer” against fellow strugglers Southampton at Goodison Park.
Asked if Moshiri’s public backing has eased the pressure, Lampard – who was sacked by Chelsea a few weeks after they had been top of the table – replied bluntly: “No. I’m not making light of the statement at all but I’ve been in this game a long time.
“I left Chelsea having beaten Luton in the FA Cup and while preparing for the next game. It’s the job. I don’t get carried away when it’s the other way around. I don’t win a game or two and expect a new contract.
“I said last week that I didn’t need reassurances and what I meant was public reassurances because I think they can be taken either way, if there is one or there isn’t one.
“At the start of the season a lot of people said I was the favourite to be sacked first. I know – as do all managers – that we are only one, two or three games away from the pressure building so to try and hang on to words of re-assurance is the wrong way to go about it.
“I understand things have to improve and we have to get results – it’s Everton Football Club. But I’m pretty good at staying positive.”
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