Arsenal are gearing up for the highly anticipated North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, and Mikel Arteta has issued a rallying cry to everyone – both on and off the pitch.
He’s urging fans to create an electric atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium, making it a night to remember and one of the most unforgettable experiences in the club’s history.
N5 has long been a nightmare destination for Tottenham Hotspur, with the north London rivals managing just one win in their last 31 Premier League visits. To make matters worse for Spurs, they haven’t tasted victory at the Emirates in their last 13 attempts.
A huge part of that dominance has been the passionate atmosphere generated by the Arsenal faithful, determined to protect that proud record and maintain bragging rights in north London.
With Arsenal aiming to complete a league double over Tottenham for the fifth time in the Premier League era, Mikel Arteta is calling for the fans to raise the bar even higher and take their support to unprecedented levels.
“It’s probably the nicest game of the season to watch because of the atmosphere, because of what it means to our people, what it means to us and everybody involved in the game. This is something that is in our hands,” he said in his pre-match press conference.
“Let’s create the best atmosphere that we have played at the Emirates, that’s our objective. That’s something that we control, the players, the staff, and everybody that turns up tomorrow. This is something that we can do, so let’s do it.”
A derby day under the lights at the Emirates promises to be a fresh and thrilling experience for many in the Arsenal squad, particularly the youngsters who have emerged this season and the new signings eager to make their mark in this fierce rivalry.
When questioned about whether he needed to emphasize the rivalry’s importance, Mikel Arteta explained that the atmosphere at the Sobha Realty Training Centre already reflects the squad’s understanding of this fixture’s magnitude. With Arsenal eager to bounce back after a tough week, the passion and history surrounding this clash are already well ingrained in everyone.
“We spoke with Ethan [Nwaneri] and Myles [Lewis-Skelly], as well as all players and a lot of the staff,” he added. “You can feel it straight away when you are in the building that the big one is coming up and that excitement is around the building. They can feel it and they know about it.”
“This is a more challenging period that we’ve had, especially as we’ve lost very important players in crucial moments, but things happen for a reason in this life. We have to adapt, and with everything that has happened, look how the team performed. OK, we didn’t win the other day, but if you have to go out of a competition, let’s go out like this when you have been infinitely better than the opposition.”
“On Wednesday we have another one. It’s probably the best time to play, because we know what that game means for all of us. So, let’s face it, the circumstances are where they are, let’s embrace them and let’s get the best out of that.”
