Ahead of the North London derby, Arsene Wenger has warned their derby rivals Tottenham that they would struggle to compete at the top of the Barclays Premier League while building their new stadium. The Arsenal manager feels that Spurs must build a larger stadium in order to avoid falling behind Premier League’s leading clubs.
Tottenham have announced plans for a new 56,250 capacity ground next to White Hart Lane, but the project has been held up by complications and delays by a High Court challenge to a compulsory purchase order of land around their existing home.
Arsenal moved from Highbury to the Emirates in 2006 and the phase surrounding the relocation was difficult which Wenger rightly describes as “the most sensitive in the club’s history.” The Gunners ensured they remain in the Champions League despite the investment on the squad was severely restricted.
Wenger said as quoted by The Guardian:
“It is massively difficult to come through that period. When we were in a position where we had to be in the Champions League just financially, and you get into March or April and you are not in the top four, it is extremely difficult. The stress is terrible because you feel the future of the club is at stake and you have no margin for error. Every point you lose can be dramatic.”
Tottenham will have to move to a temporary ground for one season at least while the new stadium is being completed within 2018-19; therefore they will have to play their home games as far away as Milton Keynes or Brighton.
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