Dimitar Berbatov claims he has been left “swearing” by former side Tottenham despite predicting them to extend their unbeaten start in the North London Derby.
The latest chapter in the clash takes place at the Emirates Stadium this weekend and represents a great opportunity for both sides to continue their positive starts. Arsenal have been quick off the mark this season, with four wins out of five games to their name so far.
Berbatov’s former employers Spurs have enjoyed a great start to life under Ange Postecoglou by also racking up four wins. It hasn’t all been so straight forward for Tottenham, though.
They staged a miraculous comeback against Sheffield United to win in stoppage time after goals from Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski. Having been put through the mire by his former side, a seething Berbatov delivered a foul-mouthed assessment on Spurs' last-gasp win over the Blades.
Speaking to Betfair, he said: “When I watched the Sheffield United game against Spurs, I was swearing. I was thinking 'what the f*** man, how is it possible that we're playing so well yet we're going to lose to Sheffield United?' And then in injury time Spurs score two late goals and the fans went crazy. As much as it's heart stopping, the Spurs fans live for moments like this.”
Mikel Arteta's dream Arsenal line up as last-gasp January transfers are securedSpurs could now make it five wins in a row should they overcome Arsenal for the first time at the Emirates since 2018. Berbatov claims his former side will present a stern test but can only see the game ending level.
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The Bulgarian added: “I'm pretty sure Ange Postecoglu will be getting the team up for it. He's brought that brave football to Spurs, they attack until the last minute. Ange will know Arsenal are there for the taking and I'm sure they will want the game to come quickly because they're flying right now.
“I could easily say Spurs will win because of my connections and everything, but we can't discount Arsenal. The Everton win was a smart one, it might have been a boring 1-0, but they can play football too. Getting the three points is exactly what you need from time to time, even if you don't play the way you want to play.
“I like the way [Mikel] Arteta is getting his team to play football. With this game being at the Emirates, I can see this one being a draw.”
Tottenham lost both games against their fierce rivals last term as the Gunners pushed for the Premier League title. Arsenal won 3-1 at the Emirates before following that up with a 2-0 success at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.