Arsene Wenger confident North London derby will bring out the best in Arsenal
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is confident that Saturday's north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur will bring out the best in his team.
Arsenal currently find themselves in third place in the English Premier League (EPL) standings with 51 points from 28 games, while their opponents are one place ahead with 54 points.
Wenger believes that the intensity of the occasion will motivate his side as they seek to keep pace in the Premier League title race.
"It will bring out the best in them and I'm confident that it will be very vocal. Of course, what matters is what goes on, on the pitch. We have players who have played everywhere in Europe, in very vocal places, and when you have the right performance we have always got the right result," Wenger was quoted as saying by club's official website on Friday.
"It is a big game and an important one. We prepare for every single game with the same intensity, the same focus and there are not a lot of special things to do. Maybe the impact and consequences on the table are more significant but the preparation is the same," the 66-year-old Frenchman said.
Tottenham's high-pressing game has been a key feature of their performances this season, but Wenger said his side showed they can do the same when they faced Barcelona last month.
"I think every game is different and we have to adapt to the problems we will face together as a team. We did that well for long periods against Barcelona and I think we were a bit unbalanced after Oxlade-Chamberlain got injured. What is most important is to find that balance in the team to give Tottenham problems," Wenger concluded.