Tottenham fans are already singing the praises of their Australian manager, Ange Postecoglou. If he can guide Spurs to their first victory at the Emirates Stadium in nearly 13 years, they might as well start constructing a statue in his honor.

 

Postecoglou has performed a remarkable transformation at Tottenham. In just over three months, he has turned a team that struggled last season and lost their all-time leading goalscorer into an entertaining and credible force in the league. This achievement is no small feat, given the state of the club when he took over.

 

However, the upcoming clash with Arsenal represents the first major test of Postecoglou’s tactical prowess. He has shown a commitment to his style of play regardless of the opponent, and so far, it has paid off. Matches against Brentford, Bournemouth, and Burnley, as well as a game against a struggling Manchester United, did not present significant challenges.

Arsenal, on the other hand, will provide a different level of competition. While the new era at Tottenham should render past derby disappointments irrelevant, fans are still haunted by their winless streak at the Emirates since 2010. In 12 matches without a win, they’ve suffered eight losses, squandered two-goal leads, and endured 5-2 defeats twice.

 

However, this time, Spurs fans can be confident that their team won’t simply capitulate as they have in their recent Emirates defeats under different managers. Arsenal, too, will be eager to demonstrate how much they have progressed, even if they are not yet considered a genuine threat.

Both Mikel Arteta and Ange Postecoglou are unlikely to compromise on their approaches, setting the stage for what promises to be an exhilarating encounter.

 

On the flip side, the mood at Old Trafford has darkened once again following three consecutive defeats, making it four losses in total this season—their worst start since 1986/87. Even before the 4-3 loss to Bayern Munich, there was a growing sense of crisis surrounding Manchester United. If their away struggles persist at Burnley on Saturday night, the outlook could become extremely bleak.

Erik ten Hag, the United manager, has tried to explain the defeats to Arsenal, Brighton, and Bayern by citing injuries and absences as contributing factors. However, these excuses won’t hold water at Turf Moor, and the available players must step up quickly.

 

Currently, there is no unit in Ten Hag’s squad that is functioning effectively, especially not for sustained periods. The goalkeeper is facing intense scrutiny, the defense is porous, and the midfield is failing to provide adequate protection or service to a forward line that appears lacking in creativity and energy, with the exception of Rasmus Hojlund.

Given the tight turnaround between the Bayern Munich match and the Burnley clash, Ten Hag will need to prioritize and likely focus on reinforcing his depleted midfield. The fitness of Sofyan Amrabat is a question mark, but Casemiro is in dire need of support, particularly since it seems he left his form on a beach this summer.

 

While few expected Manchester United to secure a result against Bayern, the loss at Arsenal was almost excusable, and a defeat to Brighton can happen to any team. However, a loss to Burnley, a team yet to win a match this season, would be much more difficult to justify.