Former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed that during his time in North London, there was one Premier League club he 'disliked' more than Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal will host Spurs on Sunday at 16:30 GMT, looking to maintain their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
Tottenham have struggled at the Emirates Stadium over the years and have failed to win there since November 2010.
But Thomas Frank will take encouragement from his team's early-season form on the road, with four wins and a draw from their first five away league games.
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Despite those results, Arsenal will be a formidable opponent, with the Gunners boasting the meanest defence in England.
Fabregas, who spent eight years at Arsenal before leaving for Barcelona, is one player with experience of this fixture.
After three seasons in Spain, he returned to the Premier League with London rivals Chelsea, a move that infuriated Arsenal supporters.
However, during an episode of the Rest is Football podcast last year, Fabregas revealed that he actually disliked Chelsea more than Spurs while playing for Arsenal.
He said: “You know, when I was at Arsenal, Chelsea and me, Chelsea and Arsenal, you know how it is.
"It was always a frustrating time playing against Chelsea because they were really strong, they were superb with Mourinho, Drogba, Lampard, Terry etc.
“I always disliked them so much, even more for this reason. I always said this.
"For this reason, it was so frustrating playing against them.”
When Arsenal sold Fabregas to Barcelona in 2011, they included a buy-back clause giving them first refusal on any future transfer.
However, then-manager Arsene Wenger opted against signing him, preferring Mesut Ozil in the creative midfield role.
Fabregas instead joined Chelsea for £27 million, where he went on to win two Premier League titles.
Although his success at Chelsea undoubtedly left Arsenal fans feeling aggrieved, they may take some comfort from his recent comments about Spurs.
While working as a pundit during the 2018 World Cup, he suggested that Harry Kane should move on from the club.
He said: “Harry Kane is probably the best striker in the Premier League.
“I think he’s now ready to go to a big club.”
The English striker eventually joined Bayern Munich in 2023, and Spurs are yet to win a North London derby since losing their all-time record goal scorer.
For Arsenal, it is the start of a pivotal week, with Spurs followed by Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
Topics: Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League, Football, Football News
James Taylor