The Frenchman says he does not fear the in-form Spurs star and has called on the Gunners to maintain their good recent record in north London derbies with victory on Sunday
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has insisted his side are not scared of in-form Tottenham star Gareth Bale as the two sides prepare to go head to head in Sunday’s north London derby.
The Wales international has been in superb form this season, scoring 19 times, but the Frenchman does not fear the Spurs man although he concedes that the game at White Hart Lane is vital for both clubs’ hopes of finishing in the top four this season.When asked about Bale in his pre-match press conference Wenger told reporters: “There is no player that you are scared to meet.”
Wenger also underlined the importance of the match with the Gunners currently four points behind Spurs in the table.
“We cannot drop points. Every game is a must-win game. We will have the same approach [on Sunday],” he added.
“It will be important to stay calm and focused. The game on Sunday will have a psychological importance for the rest of the season. In the last 12 games, we’ve won nine. We’ve made 28 points out of 36.”
“It’s a derby and [will be] a very intense game as usual,” he continued.
“We have a good record in the last 15 or 16 years and we want to maintain that.”
Wenger also added that he was unsure whether Abou Diaby would be fit for the game and said he would make a late decision on whether to include the midfielder: “I will decide today if Diaby is in the squad for Sunday or not.”