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  • 1 day ago
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on the North London Derby with Tottenham and the beauty of playing at home at the Emirates
Sobha Realty Training Centre, London, UK
Transcript
00:00I know you've spoken about the North London derby before,
00:02but you've managed the North London derby,
00:05you've played in some of the most ferocious derbies in world football.
00:09What makes this one so unique, so special for you?
00:13It is different.
00:14I mean, it's a big city, but it's a big rivalry.
00:19It's a part of London that we want to conquer.
00:22They want to do the same.
00:23There's been a lot of shifts as well over the years as well,
00:27who's been more dominant.
00:28And it's just beautiful, especially when we play at home,
00:31in front of our people.
00:32We know what it means to them and the energy that they're going to bring,
00:35the energy that the team is going to bring in every single action.
00:38And it's just a privilege to play those kind of games,
00:41so we cannot wait to get to Sunday.
00:44You mentioned the fans, and it obviously means so much to them,
00:48to both ends of the fans.
00:49But how big a challenge is it to separate what their needs are
00:55and you're trying to focus on what is just a game that you want to win
00:59and you must win to get three points?
01:01It's about bringing it into the table.
01:03That's the context of the game, and that's a superpower.
01:05You know, when you have everybody playing with that passion
01:08and with that emotion with the team every single ball,
01:11it makes a difference.
01:12And we've been very privileged the way that the fans have been with us
01:17at the Emirates and especially against our rivals.
01:20And on Sunday I'm sure that the team is going to behave
01:23and make them very proud.
01:25You mentioned the recent record, it has been very good from your perspective.
01:28Five wins and a draw in your last six North London derbies.
01:33Can you put your finger on why the record has been so good?
01:36Have you been able to separate the actual occasion with the actual game?
01:41Yeah, it's a game that emotionally requires something else.
01:46And you cannot be too hyped, but at the same time,
01:52that game demands that in every ball, in every action,
01:55you have to be at it a bit more than in any other game.
01:58And we have found a really good balance.
02:00Obviously we played well.
02:02Some days we have deserved to win,
02:04some days we've been a bit lucky as well to win.
02:06That's fair as well to say.
02:08So on Sunday we need a really, really good performance to beat them.
02:11We need a really good performance to beat them.
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