Mikel Arteta is no stranger to the north London derby but Sunday's will still be a unique occasion for him.
Our head coach is taking charge of his first game against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend - and will do so without our fans' support in our rival's new stadium.
"It's going to be a shame because it's such a beautiful stadium as well the one they have built," Arteta said. "Not to have the fans there is not going to be the same so it's going to be a strange derby.
"[Derbies] are all different, it depends a lot whether you win or lose, that's what makes it special. Obviously we have had some really nice ones playing them at the Emirates and beating them so I have some really good memories on that.
"It's such a special occasion. Rivalry in football, when you take it in a positive way, and that brings energy, that brings passion, that brings a city together. It's such a beautiful thing. We are privileged to have big teams in the city and it's a shame we don't have the fans to enjoy it with us."
Copyright 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
