Son Heung-min admits Arsenal are one of the best teams in the world but believes Tottenham will bounce back from Newcastle in Sunday’s north London derby.
Spurs head into the match after an untimely two-week break following a painful 4-0 defeat at St James’ Park.
Arsenal were also scorching a fortnight ago but have responded to their exit from the Champions League with impressive back-to-back wins to return to the Premier League summit.
The match kicks off a tough final month of the campaign for Tottenham, with games against Arsenal’s title challengers Liverpool and Manchester City as well as London rivals Chelsea.
But Spurs captain Son insisted: “I think it will be a good test for our team.
“Obviously we are very young and we are still a bit inexperienced because we are building a young team with new experiences.
“Some players are in their first season in the Premier League.
“So look, we can test ourselves against one of the biggest teams in Europe and the Premier League but also in the world.
“I think it’s very important the way we play. Stick to our game, stick to our game. I think it’s a very, very good test.
Like I said, it’s against one of the best teams in the world so it’s great (for us). You always want to compete well and you always want to face the best teams in the world.
Tottenham will be hoping to raise their level in the coming weeks after taking points from Arsenal and Manchester City during the first half of the season.
Ange Postecoglou’s first campaign in charge of Spurs has seen plenty of highs and occasional lows, with a 4-0 defeat at Newcastle the worst showing of his reign.
It has increased scrutiny on the visit of Arsenal with Tottenham desperate to avoid back-to-back back-to-back defeats, especially with a top-four finish now seemingly unlikely.
Son admitted: “It was an unacceptable result and an unacceptable performance from me.
“As a group, we’ve been talking a lot about the game and performance and everyone knows how to step up. They’ve all been playing in the Premier League or for a professional team for a long time. .
“So, they’re working really hard to bounce back. It’s going to be a really good game to bounce back and obviously the motivation will be higher than other games.
“I think we just have to work hard until the game and execute our style of play. Then there’s no doubt we can bounce back.
“Obviously it’s a game that everyone is looking forward to. It’s a big derby and we know what it means to the team, the club and the fans.
Credit : www.independent.co.uk