In the latest installment of his personal column, England's legendary goalscorer Alan Shearer provides an in-depth analysis of last weekend's North London Derby and gives his insight into the current state of a number of Premier League teams.
Arsenal defense solid, Tottenham offense weak
Shearer was full of praise for Arsenal's performance in the North London derby, especially their backline, which is considered the strongest in the Premier League. He bluntly pointed out that Tottenham simply didn't have enough strength to penetrate Arsenal's defense in this game, and the offense was lively but lacked quality. Shearer believes that Arsenal's win despite missing two core players, Rice and Odego, bodes well for manager Arteta. At the same time, he also criticized the performance of the Spurs forward line, especially Maddison, Sun and Werner, and believes they need to take more responsibility and improve their performance.
Solanke needs to break goal drought, Postecoglou should stick to style
For Tottenham's newest signing Solanke, Shearer says he understands his plight of being in a goal drought and encourages him to score his first goal as soon as possible to regain his confidence. He believes that once Solanke opens his scoring account, more goals will be expected. In addition, Shearer also supported Tottenham manager Postecoglou, saying that his tactical style is high-risk but also full of spectacle, and Tottenham should give him enough patience and support. Shearer emphasized that Postecoglou's confidence is part of his coaching style, and that Spurs must win at least one trophy to prove their strength if they want to make a breakthrough.
Barnes key as Newcastle United's future looks bright
Speaking about his old club Newcastle United, Shearer was optimistic about their recent progress. He made special mention of Harvey Barnes' brilliant goal and believes that the youngster's talent is unlimited. Shearer predicted that Eddie Howe may tweak his line-up to give Barnes a bigger role on the left if he can stay fit. Meanwhile, he also praised Newcastle boss Eddie Howe's substitution strategy, believing that the changes helped his team win the game.
Arteta vs. Ten Hagar, Arsenal are more Championship-ready
When comparing the coaching teams of Arsenal and Manchester United, Shearer believes Arteta's coaching at Arsenal has been more successful. He noted that Arsenal has only won one FA Cup, but the team has been improving and trying to catch up with Manchester City. In contrast, Manchester United have improved under Ten Hagar, but are still a long way from challenging City. Shearer believes that Arsenal need to be in the Champions League and competing for the title every season, while United are far from that level at the moment.
