Arsenal star Bukayo Saka makes Tottenham North London Derby feelings clear in Man City message

Bukayo Saka has delivered a clear verdict on Arsenal vs Tottenham and the Premier League title race. The Gunners head to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon for a huge North London Derby with just a few weeks remaining of the 2023/24 season.

A difficult few days arrived earlier in April for Arsenal with defeats to Aston Villa and Bayern Munich, however they head into the clash following two clean sheets and seven goals scored against Wolves and Chelsea, Tottenham, meanwhile, have not played since their heavy defeat to Newcastle back on Saturday, April 13 with the Gunners having been in action four times since then.

"We knew that [ahead of the game]," Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said when asked about the vastly different schedules. "They're not the only team to do that because of the circumstances and the schedule a few teams have to go a while without the game. It can go either way. I don't know.

"What I can tell you is the boys are going to be fully ready on Sunday to go to play against a great opponent, that is going to make things very difficult for us and we are going to have to be very good to beat them." The reverse fixture at Emirates Stadium earlier in the season ended level but the Gunners know three points is a must this time round.

Liverpool's draw against West Ham on Saturday, three days on from losing to Everton, all but ended their title hopes with a straight battle between Arsenal and Manchester City now looking likely. Just one point separates the two teams in the standings however Pep Guardiola's side have one extra game to play.

Therefore, Arsenal require the reigning champions to slip up while also being perfect for results themselves and that may explain Saka's honest North London Derby verdict. Speaking to The Times, he said: “I know what it means to myself, to my family and friends, to our fans, to beat Tottenham [but] on the weekend, it’s about more than beating Tottenham. There’s a Premier League title race that we are in."

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It may seem as though Saka is overlooking Sunday's clash, however if anything it is a clear sign of where Arsenal are as a team. Even though Spurs have six games to play, with European football in their sights, this is arguably their biggest game remaining.

Whereas for Arteta and his players, three more cup finals are on the horizon and, with the experience gained from last season, know how crucial it is to not drop points during the business end of the season.