Wenger insists Arsenal is no underdog in north London derby

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is confident his team can triumph against local rival Tottenham and dismissed the notion that his team is the underdog in the upcoming north London derby match at the Emirates.

Wenger has been at the Arsenal helm for 21 years and had trumped Spurs in the Premier League table for 20 consecutive seasons, before Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino finally turned the tables on the Gunners with a second-place finish last season, to Arsenal's fifth.

This season, Spurs sit third with Arsenal three spots below in sixth, separated by four points over 11 matches. But for Wenger, that disparity doesn't mean Tottenham is the clear favourite in Saturday's north London derby.

"No, not at all," Wenger said, according to Jeremy Wilson of the Telegraph, when asked if Arsenal is the underdog. "Tottenham are a good side, but we have the quality to win this game and that is what we want to show. One way to answer is on the pitch. We have no fear; we are focused on nullifying their strong points and expressing our strong points.

"It is a good opportunity to show we are the strongest. We'll see at the end of the season. The real motivation is to do as well as our potential. The target is not to compare to Tottenham."

Related: Pochettino hails 'very special' Wenger ahead of north London derby