‘The testosterone levels go up… it is special’

It is apt that just a few days on from a pulsating win against Tottenham, we mark the 21st anniversary of Arsene Wenger’s first north London derby.

That game, on November 24, 1996, saw late goals from Tony Adams and Dennis Bergkamp seal a 3-1 victory over our fierce rivals, and the boss can still recall it vividly.

“What I can remember especially is that when you go into a week with a derby, people become nervous and tense,” Wenger told Arsenal Player. “Their testosterone levels go up and you feel that it’s a special game always. 

 

“It was pouring with rain and I was sitting in the stands for the first half to try to observe Tottenham and my team, and if you look at it again today you can see that we already had exceptional quality because the goals were absolutely amazing. 

“You already see names in this game who became legends and the three goalscorers, Ian Wright, Tony Adams and Dennis Bergkamp are three legends in the history of the club. 

“When you see Tony Adams’ goal or Dennis Bergkamp’s goal, you already see the talent, the intelligence, the sense of shrewdness in their mind - especially the Bergkamp goal was absolutely exceptional. You see that the quality was absolutely top.”