For Mikel Arteta, one north London derby memory shines more than most.
The Spaniard was a mainstay of our midfield in February 2012 when Tottenham visited Emirates Stadium, and took a 2-0 lead by the 35th minute.
What followed was a sensational comeback as we eventually came out 5-2 winners - and Arteta can still remember it vividly to this day.
“I played in some magnificent [north London derbies] because we won some beautiful games against them,” our manager said.
“The most important one was probably at the Emirates when we made a huge comeback after going down.
“I remember the atmosphere that day was rocking, and just feeling that the fans were so happy was emotional.”
Arteta’s memories of our last derby, back in December, are not quite as happy as we dominated possession but ultimately lost 2-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“The last game, we started really well, we were dominant and the first time they went over the halfway line they scored,” he said. “That’s the quality, they are a well-organised team, a big threat in every counter-attack situation, great individuals skills and great organisation.
“You can see the team fights and believes absolutely in what the manager’s ideas are, so it will be a really tough game.”
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