In anticipation of the North London derby, Mikel Arteta has shared his thoughts on Tottenham’s ‘resurgence’ under their new manager, Ange Postecoglu.
His remarks are particularly noteworthy given both clubs’ impressive form in the Premier League, setting the stage for an enthralling clash this Sunday.
Arteta praises Tottenham’s new leadership
In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Mikel Arteta said, “It’s a new challenge, a new opportunity.
“Obviously, they have a new manager that has done really, really well and I think he’s changed the vibe and everything around the club.
“And they have a different style as well, so we need to adapt to that, be ourselves and produce the performance that we need to beat them.”
The Arsenal manager further acknowledged the high regard players who have worked with Postecoglu have for him.
“I really like him,” he said.
“I had players and I know players who had him and they always speak really, really highly of him. That’s not a coincidence, and you can tell straight away he is fitting in the right way.
“That’s the beauty of this league, we have top, top managers, top competition and every game is very difficult.”
Tottenham’s effective transition post-Harry Kane
The exit of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich has not hindered Tottenham’s performance, according to Arteta.
“They have many other qualities and many other players that they can create and make a difference in the game,” he noted.
Arteta further explained, “He’s a special player, everything was going through him. He was the one that glided everything together and they did it in many different ways from many different areas of the pitch. Now it’s a bit different.”
Arsenal’s tactical plan for the match
Arteta then elaborated on Arsenal‘s strategy for Sunday’s showdown.
“We just focus on the team that they have and especially what we have to do to play the best possible way to create problems for them.
“That’s what we’re going to try to do on Sunday, to create problems for them and that’s what we’re going to try to do on Sunday,” he stated.
With Tottenham’s change in management and the departure of their talisman, the stage is set for a gripping North London derby.
Arteta’s reflections on Tottenham’s new leadership and tactical adjustments add another layer to an already intriguing match-up.
Both teams are in prime form, making Sunday’s fixture an unmissable event.
In other news, Arsenal could welcome back Gabriel Martinelli for the match, while Ivan Perisic will miss out after rupturing his ACL.