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Noel Whelan feels Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will be wary of the four-point advantage his team holds over Tottenham Hotspur when the two sides clash in the north London derby this week (May 12).
The Gunners will take on Spurs on Thursday in gameweek 36 of the Premier League. Arteta's men currently occupy the fourth spot with 66 points in 35 games. Antonio Conte's Tottenham are fifth with 62 points from 35 games.
Spurs need a win if they are to keep their hopes of bagging a top-four spot alive. However, if Arsenal manage to avoid defeat, they will be in a good position to finish in a Champions League spot in the league this season.
While talking to Football Insider's Ewan Kingsbury, Noel Whelan stated that Arteta will set up his team to avoid exposing his team to a defeat at any cost. He said:
“I think Arteta will be mindful of that four-point advantage. He’ll be extremely respectful of that front three Tottenham have. He’ll set up his Arsenal side with that in mind. Tottenham are a different animal under Conte, and they’ve shown that they can dismantle any team with that dangerous attack."
“I don’t think Arteta will to go there and throw everything at them, even if a win does secure the top-four finish. He’s going to have a real plan. He’ll have to utilize the strengths that he has going forward, as well – Martinelli and Saka in those wide areas."
Whelan went on to add:
“I think they’ll pick and choose their moments and try to play on the counter. They’ve certainly got the players to make the most of those opportunities when they come. Conte will be very wary of that danger, I’m sure.”
Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur fighting for two Champions League spots
League leaders Manchester City and title challengers Liverpool have sealed their place in next season's Champions League. However, Chelsea's recent drop in form has seen them fall into the race for a Champions League spot.
The Blues are currently third, having collected 67 points from 35 games, one point ahead of Arsenal. If Tottenham beat Arsenal and Chelsea are unable to collect three points against Leeds United on Wednesday, the last two CL spots could well be down to the results in the final gameweek.
