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Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has warned his squad not to expect to face a weakened Arsenal team on Sunday.
The Gunners will definitely be without midfielder Declan Rice due to suspension, while summer recruit Mikel Merino is sidelined with a shoulder injury and captain Martin Odegaard is expected to miss out after he sustained an ankle issue on international duty with Norway.
However, Postecoglou bristled at the notion it 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.
“God, that’s a hell of a trap to fall into if you think they’re reliant on two players,” Postecoglou said. “Two important players, but we were missing key players last year as well and we still managed to give significant performances.
“A team like Arsenal have been very, very consistent over the last two years and can fill whatever gaps they have. They have the quality in their squad. The key for us is the focus on our performance.
“When we’ve played well, and we certainly have played well in the first three games, (if we’re) a little more clear-headed in both boxes, we’re a match for any team. That’s what we’ve got to think about at the weekend.
“If we go in there thinking they’re somehow weakened, we’re going to get punished. If we go into it thinking they’re going to be very strong, which I think they will be, then we’ve got to be at our best. We know at our best and playing the football that we can, we can match them.”
A key feature of Arsenal’s success during recent years under Mikel Arteta has been their set-piece prowess, which came to the fore in a 3-2 win at Tottenham in April.
Ben White notably tried to distract Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario during several corner kicks when he touched his gloves.
Postecoglou added: “That’s the dark arts, isn’t it?
“If he does, Vic can give them to him. I don’t know. They can deal with it. Rock, paper, scissors or whatever it takes. I’m not interested.
“We were 20-odd points behind the top two last year, so I think it’s more than one area. Whether it’s set pieces, our general game, our defensive work, our offensive work, our individual players, the quality of our squad, all of it needs to improve.
“Arsenal are definitely a threat at set-pieces, it’s something you have to be focused on, but we need to be focused on all of our game.
“It’s not just about shutting them down in one area, it’s about nullifying their strengths and accentuating ours to overcome them.”
