Manchester United legend Gary Neville has advised Arsenal to be on their toes for the upcoming ‘North London Derby’ against Tottenham Hotspur. Neville believes the outcome of this game could have massive bearings on their hunt for the Premier League title.
Arsenal claimed a thumping 5-0 victory over London rivals Chelsea in their Premier League Matchday 34 meeting on Tuesday night (April 23). The victory allowed the Gunners to claim the top spot in the league standings. However, Manchester City, who are sitting a point behind in second, can dethrone them by winning their game in hand.
Gary Neville Says Arsenal Must Handle ‘Bloodbath’ At Tottenham
With City hot on their heels, Arsenal will go to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the famed ‘North London Derby’ on Sunday (April 28), and Neville believes a lot is riding on this English classic. Before discussing the clash with Spurs, he commended Arsenal for their performance against Chelsea.
He began by saying (via Sky Sports):
“Arsenal were very good against Chelsea. Excellent, in fact.
“I was really impressed with Chelsea against Manchester City at the weekend in the FA Cup semi-final. They were really good at Wembley and there was a lot to hang your hat on there and build on. Mauricio Pochettino came out and said, and he couldn’t say it any better, that when they are bad, they are rally bad, but also, Arsenal were really good. They won well and played in a dominant fashion against a poor and understrength Chelsea team, but Mikel Arteta’s side did their job.”
Turning his attention to the derby, Neville added:
“But now, Arsenal’s big moment of the season is this game on Sunday.
“This one has so much riding on it at the weekend. I was there a few years ago when there was a battle for the Champions League and Tottenham did Arsenal over. The Gunners didn’t handle it. However, it’s a very different Arsenal going there on Sunday. They are robust and resilient now, but this will be a test, just like Liverpool had at Everton.”
He concluded by saying:
“Arsenal cannot be shocked on Sunday. It’s going to potentially be like a bloodbath in the first 15 to 20 minutes. The Tottenham fans don’t want Arsenal to win the league. Tottenham will want a win, not just for stopping Arsenal, but for pride, winning a north London derby and getting as many points as they can.”
Arsenal and Spurs played out a 2-2 draw in the clash at the Emirates Stadium in September. However, in the previous derby at Tottenham, the Gunners came out on top, securing a 2-0 win.
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