Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta names the ‘big disadvantage’ with Jose Mourinho’s Spurs

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has spoken to Football London about the “big disadvantage” with Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur at present.

The Gunners will lock horns with Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Sunday, with both North London teams currently mid-table.

Arsenal are currently eighth in the standings, a point and a place above Tottenham, but despite the close proximity in the table, the mood amongst the two sets of fans is quite different.

While many Gunners fans are pleased with the direction in which Arteta is taking the team, there’s not quite so much positivity within the Spurs fanbase.

Tottenham went to Bournemouth in midweek and failed to muster a single shot on target against their opponents, who in turn were denied a late winner as Callum Wilson’s overhead kick was ruled out by the assistant referee.

Spurs’ performance was slated by many Spurs fans, and Mourinho also came under criticism from some quarters, but Arteta had nothing but praise for his counterpart, saying he’s still “world class” and is merely hampered by personnel-related issues.

“He has a very clear way of playing, of how he manages games,” the Spaniard told Football London. “Clean sheets are a big thing that he wants to do but his teams, don’t forget, always score a lot of goals.

“His teams have been really successful and they have been able to win titles because of that as well. In a long period they have a lot of injuries, he hasn’t had the chance to be consistent with his team. That’s a big disadvantage that they have.

“I know that he has done it. I know people who have worked with him, he always finds a way to be successful. I’m sure he will do it again.”

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Admittedly Mourinho may not have had the most impressive of seasons, and the display against the Cherries was not easy on the eye by any means, but not only has he had to attempt to figure out his best team mid-season, he’s also had to do it with some serious injury issues.

Prior to the suspension of football, Spurs had a crisis up front, with both Harry Kane and Son Heung-min sidelined through injury, while at present, there are three defenders out through injury or suspension.

Once the 2019-20 season is over and Mourinho gets the chance to properly bolster his ranks, move certain players on, and get a pre-season under his belt to figure things out, then hopefully Spurs will be a different proposition next term.