Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta has revealed that the Gunners will approach the game against Tottenham with the right mentality.
The Gunners go into Thursday’s North London Derby knowing a win will seal a return to Europe’s top club competition.
Arteta’s men have opened a four-point gap in fourth place ahead of Spurs, thanks to a nervy 2-1 win over Leeds on Sunday.
Arsenal are now on the cusp of ending a five-year wait for top-tier European football.
“We are going to go for that match with the same enthusiasm that we always do but knowing that this can be a defining moment.
“It can be another layer of motivation for us to really go for it. I can’t wait for the game.
“We have earned the right to play that game in that context. We started the season with nine or 10 players out and playing the best two teams in Europe,” Arteta said.
Arsenal Vs Tottenham Statistics
As of 26 September 2021, 190 games have been played between the two teams since their first game in the Football League in 1909, with 79 wins for Arsenal, 60 wins for Tottenham and 51 games drawn. When games played before both joined the Football League are included, 204 games have been played, with Arsenal winning 84, Tottenham 66, and 54 drawn.
Notable matches of the North London derby include the games in which Arsenal won the league at White Hart Lane in 1971 and their invincible campaign in 2004, Tottenham beating Arsenal 5–0 at home in 1983 and Arsenal winning by the same score away in 1978, and Tottenham beating Arsenal 3–1 at the semi-final of the 1990–91 FA Cup, which they went on to win. The highest-scoring game in the North London derby is the 5–4 win by Arsenal at White Hart Lane in November 2004.
