English Premier League kicks off with thrilling action: Weekend 1 overview
With new players, coaches and newly appointed captains from respective clubs, let’s analyse the matches that happened this opening English Premier League weekend.
Ahead of his side’s crunch clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger spoke of the ‘special’ North London Derbies that the arch-rivals have shared, according to a statement on the club website.
The long-serving Frenchman, who completed two decades with the Gunners in 2016, has witnessed many derbies from the dugout, probably the most by any individual.
The 67-year-old takes charge of his 50th on Sunday but, with Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium move at the end of the 2016-17 season, Sunday's clash will be the final derby at White Hart Lane.
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“Geographically, I know walking out that our fans are there on the right, that’s a reference point,” Wenger said.
“Then you know the pitch is a bit smaller like Highbury and that you expect huge commitment, frenetic pace, very high vocal games. Of course, it makes the day special. I personally won’t miss White Hart Lane but what I like is the atmosphere.”
“What makes English football special is the fact that the fans live the game. For me, there’s two kinds of supporters, the supporters you get in some foreign countries who sing the same song during the whole game, or some different songs but not linked with the game.”
“In England, the fans live the game every ball. When there’s a corner the sound goes up. When there’s a foul the sound goes up and that makes English football special and completely apart from everywhere else,” Wenger added.
(All quotes are from www.arsenal.com)
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