Now well into his eighth season as an Arsenal player, Aaron Ramsey knows there aren’t many more important fixtures on the Premier League calendar than the north London derby.
The Wales midfielder scored an instinctive flick as the Gunners secured a valuable point at White Hart Lane the last time the sides met, helping Arsenal finish above Tottenham for the 21st year in a row.
"Of course [finishing above them matters]," Ramsey said. "It has been many years since that happened and we didn’t want it to happen last season. It was important for us to finish above them and hopefully we can keep that the same way this season.
"They have been a tough challenge in the past couple of seasons. It is a derby game so we know what we are up against and what to expect. They are unbeaten in the league so far this season and it is going to be up to us to try and break them down. We are at home and I’m sure going into that game we will be full of confidence we can get a win."
Ramsey made his first start since returning from injury in Tuesday’s win against Ludogorets, and says he feels ready to play 90 minutes against Tottenham on Sunday.
"It was great for me to be out there. I’ve been out injured for a couple of months now and it was nice to be back out there starting again and getting 70 odd minutes. That will put me in good shape now going into the weekend and hopefully I can stay fit."
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