‘I can’t wait to play the game’-Mikel Arteta fires North London derby warning after Leeds win

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he can not wait to take on Tottenham in the North London derby afters his side beat Leeds 2-1 at the Emirates to go four points clear off their rivals.

Two goals in the first ten minutes of the game from their in-form striker Eddie Nketiah put the Gunners in the driving seat, and even though Diego Llorente scored early on in the second half for 1-man Leeds, the Gunners held on for all three points.

The Arsenal win means Tottenham who could only manage a point at Liverpool are now four points behind and will need to win the North London derby and hope for an Arsenal slip at some point to secure Champions League football.

The Gunners looked to be in trouble when they lost Kieran Tierney and midfielder Thomas Partey to injuries last month but they have had to go back to the drawing board and have secured impressive wins against Chelsea and Manchester United to get back on track.

With everything now pointing to Arsenal returning to Champions League football next season, Mikel Arteta remains focused and says they will give themselves the best chance of winning the derby by preparing very well for a game he can not wait to be part of.

The former Manchester City assistant manager said: “We will prepare and be ready for this match like we always do with all games with the same enthusiasm but knowing that this can be a defining moment.

“That is another level of motivation and another layer for us to go and I can’t wait to play the game.”

Arsenal have done well to turn this around after starting this season with three straight defeats without a shot on target, but they could seal Champions League football for next season if they beat Spurs at home.

They will also be boosted by the possible return of defender Ben White who has missed the last two games due to injury.