Like every north London derby, there are a series of intriguing sub-plots ahead of Saturday’s game.
How will Alexandre Lacazette cope with his first experience of this match? How will we keep Harry Kane quiet? Will Jack Wilshere be drafted into the team? How dangerous is Serge Aurier?
This is what the boss had to say in his pre-match press conference:
on Lacazette and whether he will start his first big game for the club…
I have a big choice to make every time, big decisions to make up front. But he’s played many games, Alexandre Lacazette. He didn’t play away from home at City, I think that’s the only game he didn’t start [along with Liverpool]. I trust him completely.
on if Lacazette will start on Saturday…
The decision is not made yet but it’s a possibility because he’s available.
on if there’s plan to deal with Harry Kane…
To keep him quiet, yes.
on if Kane is player Arsenal fear most…
We have no fear, we are just focused on nullifying their strong points and expressing our strong points.
on what Jack Wilshere needs to do to get in the England squad…
To keep fit and work hard and it is what he does at the moment. It’s going well for him. At the moment he is on plan and slowly I think he will get into the [plans] of Southgate again and his creative aspects of his game, if he keeps fit, will be a big asset for him.
on whether he will start in the Premier League…
Yes, he is very close. Just a question for me is to decide to start him or not, but he is ready to play.
on Serge Aurier…
He’s a good player who has good power to go forward and is always dangerous. He played against us with PSG and overall I think he is a top-class right back.
on the BBC survey suggesting that young fans aren’t going to football…
I think nothing is better to share the experience of a stadium, inside a stadium and there are many ingredients now in the modern game that could incite people not to go so much. First of all the lifestyle is a bit different, they play less, they play more on computers, that is a bit more an individual experience than a collective experience, playing with your partners is collective, playing on the computer is more of an individual experience. After that you have the fact that the security in gathering people is a problem as well in the heads of many. After, can you afford as well to go to the stadiums? When you are young you that’s not always easy so there are many ingredients we need to take care of in the game.
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