Arsene Wenger says his side must stay “calm and focused” in Sunday’s north London derby at Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal have conceded a number of early goals in key games this season - a habit the manager puts partly down to nerves.
Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud could all make their first appearances at White Hart Lane, and Wenger is confident the trio will be able to deal with the fervent atmosphere.
“They are aware of what we want to achieve and where we want to finish in the league, that does not need to be explained,” the manager said.
“They are all very experienced players and want to be in the Champions League, so they know what is at stake and will be completely focused on what they want to achieve.
“It will be important to be calm and focused. The nerves always play a part in these kind of games and for us it will be very important to just focus on what we want to do.”
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