by Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has warned his side not to expect to face a weakened Arsenal side on Sunday.
The Gunners will likely be without midfielder Declan Rice through suspension, while summer signing Mikel Merino is sidelined with a shoulder injury and captain Martin Odegaard is expected to miss out after suffering an ankle problem during international duty with Norway.
However, Postecoglou was irritated that this could be a good opportunity for Spurs to face their north London rivals, who have finished second in each of the last two Premier League seasons.
“My God, it’s a hell of a trap to fall into if you think they have two players,” Postecoglou said. “Two important players, but we were missing key players last year too and we still managed to put in significant performances.
“A team like Arsenal have been very, very consistent over the last two years and can fill the gaps they have. They have quality in their squad. The key for us is to focus on our performances.
“When you’ve played well, and that’s certainly been the case in the first three games, if you’re a little more lucid in both areas, you can compete with any team. That’s what you have to think about this weekend.”
“If we think they are weak, we will be punished. If we think they are going to be very strong, which they will be, then we will have to be at our best. We know we can match them by playing the football we can.”
One of the key elements of Arsenal’s success in recent years under Mikel Arteta has been their set-piece prowess, which was evident in a 3-2 win at Tottenham in April.
Ben White notably attempted to distract Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario during several corners when he touched his gloves.
Postecoglou added: “It’s black magic, isn’t it?
“If he does, Vic can give them to him. I don’t know. They can handle it. Rock, paper, scissors or whatever. I’m not interested.
“We were about 20 points behind the top two last year, so I think it’s a problem in a number of areas. Whether it’s set pieces, our game in general, our defensive work, our offensive work, our individual players, the quality of our team, everything has to be improved.
“Arsenal are definitely a threat from set pieces, that’s something to focus on, but we have to focus on our whole game.
“It’s not just about locking them into one area, but about cancelling out their strengths and accentuating ours to overcome them.”
