Specific Arsenal superiority over Tottenham pinpointed, as Conte urged to sign one star to catch up

A former striker thinks Tottenham are just a few signings away from catching Arsenal, though they need to focus on one position as Mikel Arteta really has the edge in that area currently.

Arsenal have flown out of the blocks this season, winning eight of their first nine Premier League games. They sit top of the table as things stand, one point ahead of title favourites Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola’s side have been brilliant, notching an incredible 33 goals in nine outings. This shows just how good Arsenal have been as the Gunners are ahead of them.

Many expect City to overtake Arsenal and storm their way to the Prem crown. Right now though, Arsenal look like they can put up a good fight. Arteta’s men are being tipped to finally get back in the top four after just missing out on Champions League qualification last term.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are in third place. They have won six out of nine matches and are three points behind City, and four behind Arsenal.

Antonio Conte has come in for some criticism this campaign due to the way he has got his team playing. However, Conte is getting the job done and Spurs have a better chance of finishing in the top four than Manchester United or Liverpool right now.

Gabby Agbonlahor, who played 391 games for Aston Villa, has given his verdict on the differences between Spurs and their north London rivals.

Agbonlahor initially tipped Spurs to improve their full-back options. He then picked out Martin Odegaard as the type of player Spurs need to reach the next level, as Arsenal have the advantage over them in the creativity department currently.

Spurs urged to pursue a player similar to Arsenal man

“They need a midfielder who can get on the ball and make things happen, a number 10 like Odegaard,” Agbonlahor said during an interview with Football Insider.

“That’s all they need. Going forward I feel like they’ve got enough options. They are the three positions [plus left-back and right-back] they need to work on. If they can get them in I feel they are going to be a lot better.

“You look at Arsenal, they’ve got Odegaard who just fits perfectly into that number 10 role, he gets on the ball and makes things happen.

“Arsenal’s defence is probably more secure as well. It is only a few positions for Spurs and they’d be right up there.”

Odegaard has made a big difference for Arsenal since joining from Real Madrid, initially on loan, in January 2021.

Martin Odegaard has become essential for Arsenal

He makes them tick, successfully linking the midfield with the attack. The Norwegian has formed a great relationship with fellow attackers Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus.

Odegaard showed his class against Liverpool on Sunday by setting up Martinelli for Arsenal’s opening goal. He received the ball on the edge of the box and sent a perfect pass into Martinelli’s stride, allowing the Brazilian winger to score. Arsenal went on to win the game 3-2.

While Spurs would benefit from having a player like Odegaard in their squad, this probably won’t happen while Conte is manager. The manager likes to play a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3, leaving no room for a playmaker such as Odegaard. Instead, he goes with two players, such as Son Heung-min and Richarlison, out wide and in support of striker Harry Kane.

So while it is easy to see where Agbonlahor is coming from, Spurs are unlikely to sign a player of Odegaard’s ilk right now.

Meanwhile, a major European club has ‘hotly debated’ the signing of Spurs talisman Harry Kane, according to a report.