23/11/2025

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Frank’s chaos theory

Tottenham coach to banish ‘traitors’

in Arsenal team ahead of ‘madhouse’ London derby

Thomas Frank (centre), pictured alongside David Raya (top) and Christian Norgaard (bottom) during their time at Brentford. – REUTERSPIC/AFPPIC

TOTTENHAM BOSS Thomas Frank plans to get the better of the “two traitors” in the Arsenal squad in tomorrow’s North London derby, warning his team to prepare for a “madhouse” fixture. Spurs boast a poor recent record in the north London derby, and make the trip to the Emirates Stadium tomorrow in search of only their second win there since it opened 19 years ago. Nevertheless, it is a game which often provides drama and excitement in equal measure. Frank claimed a point at Arsenal last season with Brentford and his first ever Premier League fixture in 2021 ended with a memorable 2-0 triumph. But two members of his starting line up that night, David Raya and Christian Norgaard, are now in the Arsenal ranks. Reminded of that and the frenetic nature of this fixture, Frank smiled: “Two of them are now traitors and moved to the wrong club! “The interesting thing is that probably both Mikel and I would like a little bit

“It seems like everyone are very, very focused on them, which we should be. They’re a third of our goals. So why not be very good in that phase, and very good in high pressure. We need to be good in many phases.” Arteta meanwhile will have to make do without Gabriel Magalhaes, who may not play until after Christmas due to a thigh injury sustained during Brazil’s international friendly against Senegal. “We need to have another scan I think next Wednesday,” Arteta said. “We will have the timeline much more clearly than we have at the moment. “It’s clearly a blow because it’s our leader in our backline and to miss him is never a positive thing. “The good thing is we have some very good options and they need to stand up now and do the job.” Arteta was also coy on whether any of his attacking players, including Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke, could return for tomorrow’s match. – The Independent

with five in the Premier League after Frank hired Andreas Georgson as set piece coach this summer. Georgson worked with Frank at Brentford and Arsenal’s set-piece guru Nicolas Jover also started out under the Danish coach in west London. “Both of them are very curious, both want to learn and develop constantly by studying the game of set-pieces so in that way they are quite the same mindset in many ways,” Frank reflected. “So, in that they are quite similar. One is Swedish, the other French so a little bit different temper! “Mikel and I with our coaching staffs will have a battle – how can we get the upper hand? And it will be the same with Nicolas and Andreas. “I’m pretty sure the bits I’ve done at Brentford have inspired a lot of clubs to focus more on set-pieces and it is quite interesting that this year I go from Brentford to Tottenham, the spike in focus on set-pieces for all the teams, especially the long throws, is crazy.

more control, but it will probably be a madhouse and very, very enjoyable to watch for the outside people or fans. “I expect a difficult game of course, but a game that can go anywhere and anything can happen in games like that. “Everything also evens out a little bit more because it’s so competitive and the atmosphere in the stadium. “Definitely embrace controlled chaos or chaos we like to create if that makes sense, because chaos can also be good. It can be too disruptive, or too fixed and too stop-start, so we need a bit of chaos. “And chaos can be transitions, high pressure and set-piece second phases and all them areas are of course areas we would like to exploit if we can. “We will never go for a 0-0. It maybe will end 0-0 but we will always try to win. Always, always, always.” Set-pieces are expected to be decisive with Arsenal way out in front with 12 goals from corners and free-kicks in the division this season. Tottenham have also been productive

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