North London derby
Jose Mourinho has the tactical tools to inflict further damage on Mikel Arteta's Arsenal
Tottenham's counter-attacking approach tore through Manchester City a fortnight ago, and it is perfectly suited to facing the struggling Gunners in Sunday's crunch derby
Tottenham and Arsenal are set to launch the hectic festive period of the Premier League season on Sunday as the two rivals headline the weekend's round of fixtures by contesting the 188th North London derby.
The fortunes of the two teams are very different at present, with Jose Mourinho's side positioned at the top of the table while the Gunners rank as low as 14th after winning fewer games than they have lost through the opening 10 matches.
Spurs will have a desire to inflict further damage on their neighbours and once analysing the tactical make-up of the clash that awaits, it is reasonable to suggest that Mikel Arteta's men will encounter problems.
The way in which Mourinho instructs his team to play - particularly against possession-based sides - is perfect for opponents such as Arsenal, with Arteta struggling to impose a penetrative passing game after just under 12 months in charge.
Mourinho's trusted forward duo of Kane and Son have been in stunning form this season
The Gunners appear committed to building from the back through the thirds of the pitch, but they aren't yet capable when it comes to translating those possessions into shots.
Arsenal are currently ranked 16th in the table for shots per 90 behind the likes of West Brom and Burnley, and they are averaging just one goal per game, which is bettered by Fulham, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace.
Arteta's players tend to make roughly 49.9 passes before attempting to score, which is the most in the division and is considerably more than the 39 passes per shot posted by Arsene Wenger's Arsenal in his final campaign.
Arteta is intent on holding onto the ball - but it may prove a costly tactic (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Who will come out on top as Arsenal travel to Spurs? Have your say here.
Spurs average 36.7 passes per shot and against possession-based sides, that figure drops even lower as Mourinho encourages his players to focus on executing a sharp counter-attacking game.
4-3-3 has become Mourinho's go-to shape since Dele Alli's removal from proceedings, with that formation almost morphing into a back six without possession once Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Moussa Sissoko drop back to protect channels from opening up, shown below.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Moussa Sissoko have allowed Spurs to soak pressure with a back six at times before countering
Spurs have showcased an intent to soak pressure using such an approach before breaking quickly into open spaces using the pace of Son Heung-min and Steven Bergwijn, who are often fed by a deep-lying version of Harry Kane.
As a consequence of Kane's remarkable passing ability combined with the direct nature of Son and Bergwijn running in behind, Spurs have been able to swiftly advance through the shape of their opponents before finding the back of net, shown below.
Spurs have been counter-attacking y allowing Harry Kane to feed Son Heung-min and Steven Bergwijn
They did exactly that against Manchester City recently and bagged two goals in the process, and against Chelsea, Mourinho's outfit failed to score but they did restrict the Blues from generating much in attack, with the contest ending 0-0.
Arteta's Arsenal are still evolving and the Spaniard would argue that it's too early to define his work, but his side are currently assuming the form of little more than a toothless possession-oriented team with idealistic principles that become impractical once applied on the field.
Anything can happen over the course of 90 minutes, but the likelihood is that Mourinho will be licking his lips ahead of the prospect of imposing a counter-attacking game plan against a team who want the ball, but haven't yet figured out how to use it.
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