Arsenal and Tottenham have one of the fiercest rivalries in football, and their fans won’t enjoy seeing each other eye to eye in most cases.
However, their current managers may not have the same hatred for each other, even if they are not exactly friends.
Arsenal was the leading north London side for so many years, but the balance of power has begun to shift recently with Spurs reaching the Champions League final last season while Arsenal hasn’t competed in Europe’s elite competition for some years now.
Ahead of their north London derby on Sunday, Arsenal is a point and a place above their neighbours on the league table.
The Lilywhites have struggled recently and they couldn’t get a shot on target in their last game against Bournemouth, who are struggling close to the foot of the league table.
Jose Mourinho’s managerial pedigree has been questioned in recent seasons with the “special one” also getting fired at Manchester United in his last job.
But Mikel Arteta is very clear in how he sees the Portuguese boss, and he gave an emphatic reply when asked if he thought the former Porto boss is still a top manager.
Asked if Mourinho was still world-class, he replied as quoted by the Independent: “Absolutely. [Spurs] have had some ups and downs, but overall you can clearly see what he wants to bring to the club.
“He manages the energy, the momentum and established a really strong culture in strong football clubs that does it.
“He makes sure that he wins, and he has won in every single club that he has been.
“Obviously the situation, the timing when he arrived, is different than starting a new project right from the summer, but I am sure he will be successful. He has always been. He always finds the right way to do it and, it will take him a bit of time, but I am sure he will do it.”
Looking good as a coach and sounding like a diplomat 👍