Arsenal host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday in the highly anticipated north London derby.
Former Arsenal and Spurs boss George Graham sat down for an exclusive interview with the Times ahead of Sunday’s north London derby showdown, and shared how he believes Arsene Wenger’s summer signing Shkodran Mustafi could make the difference for the Gunners in the title race.
Arsenal currently sit second in the Premier League table, whilst their north London neighbours occupy fifth spot, with three points separating the two sides.
George Graham
Graham, who spent nine years in the Gunners hot-seat and three years at the helm at White Hart Lane, spoke exclusively to the Times, and highlighted the vast improvements made by Arsenal over the summer:
“I’m sure Arsene has been after a centre-half for a few years, but there aren’t many great ones about. Early days, but I like what I see of Mustafi – typical German defender, physically tough, mentally strong. Hopefully he is the one. He was excellent against Diego Costa. Hopefully, with the buys Arsene has made, they’ve got that toughness now and they can have a real go – not just in the Premier League but in Europe because what I would love, more than anything, is to see Arsenal win the Champions League.”
Arsenal’s Shkodran Mustafi with Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud
Sunday’s game is one of the most highly anticipated clashes between the two sides in a long time, with Mauricio Pohettino’s men in danger of falling six points behind their rivals if they lose.
Both Arsenal and Spurs are expected to mount a sustained title challenge this season, but despite the Lilywhites being the only remaining unbeaten side left in England’s top-flight, it has been Wenger’s men who have been the most impressive in recent weeks, after going 15 games unbeaten in all competitions.
The game kicks off on Sunday at 12:00.
Arsenal’s Shkodran Mustafi
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