Tottenham: Thomas Frank's latest 'special operation' to exploit Gabriel absence at Arsenal | OneFootball

Spurs seek to take advantage of key man missing north London derby

Spurs will be looking to avoid losing a fourth consecutive match against Arsenal for the first time since the 1980s and Gabriel's expected absence will help their cause.

The centre-back limped off during the international break with a thigh injury and reports suggest he could be out until January.

Gabriel celebrates during Arsenal’s win at home against Tottenham last season

Bradley Collyer/PA Wire

Arsenal are not short of options in defence, with Mikel Arteta having Piero Hincapie, Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori to choose from as replacements, but Gabriel is a crucial figure and Spurs must take advantage of the enforced change in defence.

Spurs should have beaten Manchester United before the international break but conceded a 96th-minute equaliser to Matthijs de Ligt, who found space at the back post to head in from a corner.

It is exactly the kind of scenario in which Gabriel thrives. He scored the only goal at Spurs last season and already has two goals and three assists in the current campaign.

Arsenal's set-piece threat is one of their major weapons and Spurs' hopes of keeping them quiet from those situations are significantly boosted by Gabriel missing out.

Thomas Frank will also be plotting how to take advantage in attack. For all Arsenal have strength in depth, the breaking up of Gabriel's partnership with William Saliba will impact the defence.

The Spurs attackers can be expected to target whoever is alongside the Frenchman. Hincapie has played only 26 minutes in the Premier League this season, while Mosquera is only 21 and this would be his first taste of a north London derby.

Spurs are weakened themselves by Dominic Solanke still not available. Having him as a physical presence to test a reshuffled Arsenal defence would have been an obvious way for Spurs to capitalise on Gabriel's absence.

Richarlison is badly out of form and Mathys Tel’s strengths are not holding the ball up, so Frank will need to think of a different way to cause problems.

Richarlison is out of form but scored against Manchester United before the international break

AFP via Getty Images

He could be tempted to shift to a back three to give him two strikers up front, as he did in what he called a “special operation” against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup. That night it was Mohammed Kudus alongside Richarlison and it worked superbly for Spurs.

Having Kudus in a more central role and potentially rotating with Xavi Simons would ask questions of Arsenal's centre-back pairing.

Normally it is Gabriel pushing up and Saliba sweeping behind him, but a fluid Spurs front line could catch a more unfamiliar defensive relationship out.

One of Frank's key attributes is devising specific gameplans for these kind of fixtures. It worked away at Manchester City in August and Spurs were minutes away from beating PSG.

If Frank is to become the first Spurs boss since Harry Redknapp to win away at Arsenal in the Premier League, exploiting the loss of Gabriel will be pivotal.