Arsenal wary of Spurs attack ahead of north London derby

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said his team will face a tough challenge to keep Tottenham Hotspur’s attack quiet in Sunday’s north London derby in the Premier League.
The strike force of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Gareth Bale has accounted for 34 of Spurs’ 46 league goals this season with Jose Mourinho’s side seventh in the table with 45 points after 27 games, seven ahead of Arsenal in 10th.

Arteta praised Mourinho’s side, saying their cross-town rivals are a well-organised team and pose a threat in counter-attacking situations.
“(It will be) very difficult because the level of quality, precision, understanding and chemistry they have between them makes them probably one of the most (special) teams in Europe,” Arteta said.

“They don’t need much. They are able to create their own chances, they are able to link as a team. So it’s really difficult to do that, but we’ll prepare the game well to try to stop them.”

Arsenal have not kept a clean sheet in their last nine games in all competitions and Arteta said they need to improve their defensive performances.
“The amount of chances we are conceding has been really low, but the amount of chances we have given to opponents has had a big impact in the goals that we have conceded,” Arteta said.

“It depends on us a bit which is a really positive thing. But we know that it’s something we need to eradicate to be more consistent with results.”
Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho meanwhile dismissed Arsenal as a threat ahead of the derby, saying he only looked up the table and not at clubs below them.

Spurs are seventh in the standings with 45 points, seven points ahead of 10th-placed Arsenal, who they beat 2-0 in the reverse fixture in December when Mourinho’s side were top of the league.

Spurs have since lost ground in the title race and though they have not won at Arsenal in the league since November 2010, Mourinho said he was treating the derby, usually a fiery affair, like any other game.

“I look up, I don’t look down. If Arsenal were seven points ahead of us, I would look to them. But because we have seven points more than them, I don’t look down,” Mourinho told reporters.

“At the same time though, we look always to the next match and if instead of Arsenal it was Aston Villa or Newcastle, the next matches we’re going to play, exactly the same feeling.

“It doesn’t matter who the opponent is, doesn’t matter if it’s a London derby. In fact it’s the third in a row in the Premier League. It’s a Premier League match, three points are there to fight for and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

After playing catch up for years, Spurs have managed to finish above Arsenal in the last four seasons but Mourinho refused to acknowledge there had been a power shift in north London.

“I don’t want to go in that direction. I’m very proud to be at Tottenham, I have the feeling every day that I work at a big club, but in spite of the rivalry between us and Arsenal I want to be respectful,” he added.

“Arsenal is a big club with a big history, a little bit like us they’re trying to build a better future. I have total respect for them.”