LONDON - Recent statistics do not make pleasant reading for an out-of-form Arsenal side as they prepare for Sunday's north London derby at table-topping Tottenham Hotspur.
This one will not feel like the usual red-blooded affair, even if the presence of 2,000 Tottenham fans will help whip up a little of the atmosphere sadly missing when the sides met in an empty Tottenham stadium in July, a match Spurs won 2-1. While on occasions Mourinho has let the handbrake off, such as thumping away wins against Southampton and Manchester United, Tottenham's rise has been built on focus, discipline and organisation and a tough-to-beat mentality.
It also rubbished suggestions that Spurs would be found wanting during a tough run of fixtures which also includes a trip to Liverpool in a fortnight. An FA Cup triumph for Arsenal endorsed the faith shown in Arteta, but things have since stagnated. His team have scored only 10 league goals and appear shapeless.