Associate
Arsenal skipper Thierry Henry has ratcheted up the tension ahead of tomorrow's crunch north London derby by warning Tottenham to expect a "war".
The Gunners go into the game four points behind their bitter rivals in the battle for the all-important fourth place in the Premiership, knowing anything less than a win will almost certainly hand Champions League qualification to Martin Jol's side.
And Henry has insisted that despite the distraction of Arsenal's crucial Champions League semi final second leg against Villarreal next Wednesday, he and his team-mates are fully aware of the importance of tomorrow's game.
"It will be war at Highbury," he told the French newspaper L'Equipe. "An Arsenal v Tottenham match is a London derby, it's traditionally one of the more important games of the season.
"This time, the match will be even more important. Fourth place and qualification for next season's Champions League are at stake. We must win."
Henry's comments are likely to increase speculation that the 28-year-old will leave Arsenal in the summer if Arsene Wenger's side fail to qualify for Europe's premier competition next season.
The Frenchman has so far failed to sign an extension to his current contract, which expires at the end of next season, stating that he will review his position at the end of the current campaign.
Barcelona are known to be interested in securing his signature and the lure of playing alongside Ronaldinho, Eto'o et al at the Nou Camp would almost certainly prove too strong were the Gunners to miss out on the Champions League.
Spurs will be desperate to help make Henry's mind up by securing their first north London derby victory in 14 attempts tomorrow lunchtime, with stand-in skipper Robbie Keane urging his side to take confidence from a vibrant performance against Manchester United on Easter Monday, despite the fact that they lost the game 2-0.
"It certainly was a strong performance and we have to take a little bit of heart from it to take into Saturday's game," Keane told the club's official website. "Sometimes you need a bit of luck."
The Gunners go into the game four points behind their bitter rivals in the battle for the all-important fourth place in the Premiership, knowing anything less than a win will almost certainly hand Champions League qualification to Martin Jol's side.
And Henry has insisted that despite the distraction of Arsenal's crucial Champions League semi final second leg against Villarreal next Wednesday, he and his team-mates are fully aware of the importance of tomorrow's game.
"It will be war at Highbury," he told the French newspaper L'Equipe. "An Arsenal v Tottenham match is a London derby, it's traditionally one of the more important games of the season.
"This time, the match will be even more important. Fourth place and qualification for next season's Champions League are at stake. We must win."
Henry's comments are likely to increase speculation that the 28-year-old will leave Arsenal in the summer if Arsene Wenger's side fail to qualify for Europe's premier competition next season.
The Frenchman has so far failed to sign an extension to his current contract, which expires at the end of next season, stating that he will review his position at the end of the current campaign.
Barcelona are known to be interested in securing his signature and the lure of playing alongside Ronaldinho, Eto'o et al at the Nou Camp would almost certainly prove too strong were the Gunners to miss out on the Champions League.
Spurs will be desperate to help make Henry's mind up by securing their first north London derby victory in 14 attempts tomorrow lunchtime, with stand-in skipper Robbie Keane urging his side to take confidence from a vibrant performance against Manchester United on Easter Monday, despite the fact that they lost the game 2-0.
"It certainly was a strong performance and we have to take a little bit of heart from it to take into Saturday's game," Keane told the club's official website. "Sometimes you need a bit of luck."
