Arsenal host Tottenham Hotspur this weekend in a tantalising North London derby, and Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on his opposite number, Ange Postecoglou ahead of the game.
Ordinarily, the results of these hotly-contested matches come down to who is at home. Naturally, the hostile atmosphere can be daunting for the travelling teams in such a fierce fixture.
In recent years, there has been an ever-shifting power balance between the London rivals. In the 2021/22 campaign, Spurs had the upper hand, beating Arsenal to a top-four finish.
Last season, it was all about the Gunners. Arsenal were impressive all year and could have won the Premier League title were it not for Manchester City’s impeccable form towards the end of the season.
Things feel a little different again this year already. New manager Ange Postecoglou has imbued Tottenham with fantastic momentum thanks to his management style and attacking football.
The two clubs are unbeaten so far in the league this season, and the upcoming game will be an intriguing examination of both sides.
(Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Arteta thinks Postecoglou is a top manager
In his press conference (via Football Daily) ahead of the game on Sunday, Mikel Arteta had plenty of nice things to say about Postecoglou.
He said: “They have a new manager who has done really, really well. He has changed the vibe and everything around the club. And a different style [of play] as well, so we have to adapt to that. But we will be ourselves and deliver the performance we need to beat them.
“I really like him. I have players I know that speak very highly of him. It is no coincidence. You can tell right away that he is fitting in. That’s the beauty of this league, we have top, top managers.”
🗣️ “I really like him. I know players that speak very highly of him. You can tell he’s fitting in the right way. That’s the beauty of this league that we have. Top, top managers.”
Mikel Arteta on Ange Postecoglou. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/tjJh82P5N4
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 22, 2023
Spurs Web Opinion
It’s quite a surprise to hear Mikel Arteta say nice things about someone. It doesn’t happen often, but that’s the thing with Ange Postecoglou; he is almost impossible to dislike. Make no mistake though, Postecoglou will not be feeling nice on Sunday, and neither will Arteta, I’m sure.
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