Unai Emery played a very weakened team in Sunday’s defeat to Southampton, especially in defence as our injury problems get worse in every game, and we will probably have to rest some of our top players when we take on Tottenham on Wednesday. We were fantastic in the last North London derby when we came from behind to keep our unbeaten run going, and it is obvious that the Tottenham players are still smarting from the defeat at the Emirates and are looking to make amends in the Wednesday’s Caraboa Cup quarter-final.
Hugo Lloris, the Spurs keeper in that game, is definitely looking for revenge. “Maybe it’s the good thing that we lost the Premier League game a few weeks ago because it is more motivation for us,” Lloris said in the Independent. “There is no more bad feeling than when you get a defeat. You always try to analyse and make things that we will not repeat again. It is another opportunity and we will try our best to go through.
“Every game that you lose it hurts, but of course when you lead 2-1, it’s true that Arsenal is playing very well this season and it is a difficult team to beat but I think we have the quality to do it.
“It is important to take every competition seriously, whatever the competition is.
“Of course there is priority in the season but it is a League Cup game and if you go through there is a semi-final and a good chance.
“And then it is a derby so it is easier to prepare for because there always excitement and enjoyment to play that type of game.”
“We need to believe and we have a chance,” Lloris added. “We have a lot of respect for them but every game we try to win. It was the case when we played Barcelona away, it was the case last season when we played Madrid or Juventus away and every game you want to compete and win.
“There are different circumstances and you try to adapt, but with the same motivation and willingness to win.”
I think Spurs were very surprised at how Arsenal played their hearts out to beat our rivals, and whoever plays on Wednesday will be just as wound up to bounce back and beat Tottenham again. How sweet would it be to beat them again….
Sam P