Reflections: Spurs make two changes from last weekend, one at the back and one in midfield. Joe Rodon, who had a pretty decent game apart from the bit where he almost gifted Chelsea a goal and the other bit where he nearly gifted Chelsea a goal, sits this one out, because Toby Alderweireld – “Toby” to some – is fit again. Otherwise, Mourinho brings in Lo Cleso for Ndombele, who isn’t in the squad. You’d assume he’s injured, but there’s always the chance that he missed out Wayne Rooney when listing the young players to whom Mourinho handed league debuts, or similar.

Tottenham Hostspur (a deliberately inflexible 4-3-3): Lloris; Aurier, Alderweireld, Dier, Reguilon; Sissoko, Hojbjerg, Lo Celso; Bergwijn, Kane Son. Subs: Hart, Rodon, Davies, Winks, Moura, Bale, Vinicus.

Arsenal (a what can you do 4-3-3): Leno; Bellerin, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Xhaka, Partey, Saka; Willian, Lacazette, Aubameyang. Subs: Runarsson, Mustafi, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Ceballos, Willock, Nketiah.

Even if he doesn’t win another match, José Mourinho is an all-time great manager, coming form nowhere to impose himself on the game through force of talent, personality and will. When he took over at Porto – earned through years of toil – they were fifth in the league and just over two years later, they were Europa League and European champions; at Chelsea, he won consecutive titles and inspired a a team which lasted a generation; with Inter, he took an alright team to the treble; at Madrid, he finished above the greatest club side ever; and at Manchester United, he finished a distant second to Manchester City. Incredible.

But because football is a continuum there will always be new questions, and another one stands before Mourinho today: can he spoil the English game’s most reliably entertaining fixture? The portents are positive. Last weekend, he returned to Chelsea and deliberately restricted Tanguy Ndombele, Harry Kane and Heung-min Son – three of the funnest players in the country – to counters and scraps, in aid of a goalless draw that did little for either club. Expletive Nihilists 1-0 Expletive Crybabies.

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