Gareth Bale is adamant Spurs should be regarded as favourites against Arsenal due to a recent power shift in North London.
Wales ace feels Spurs deserve to be favourites ahead of derby
Gareth Bale is adamant Tottenham should be regarded as favourites for Sunday's derby with Arsenal due to the recent power shift he claims has occurred in North London.
The Gunners have enjoyed supremacy over Tottenham for the best part of the last two decades but Spurs are currently enjoying arguably their best season for over half a century and seem certain to finish above their bitter rivals come the end of the current campaign.
Harry Redknapp's men have lost just four league matches all season to move within seven points of the top of the table and are playing some of the best football in the country at the moment, thanks in no small part to the performances of Wales winger Bale.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are struggling to fight for a position in the top four and stand on the brink of elimination from the UEFA Champions League after a 4-0 hammering at AC Milan, where Tottenham won 1-0 last season at the same stage of the competition.
Spurs have not completed a derby double over Arsenal in the league for 19 years but Bale is confident that could all change at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
"Over the years Arsenal have been the favourites and they've been above us in the league but now the tide has turned in our favour," Bale told
Spurs TV Online.
"We are playing some great stuff and I think we deserve to be where we are in the league and we deserve the favourites' tag."
Turning point
Bale thinks last season's 3-2 win at the Emirates Stadium - Tottenham's first away at their rivals in 17 years - is evidence of how the tide has turned in Spurs' favour.
Redknapp's team went in 2-0 down at half-time but the Spurs boss masterminded a remarkable comeback to end Arsenal's title hopes with a 3-2 win.
"Other teams before us, if they had gone 2-0 down they would have crumbled but the boys showed that they have character and spirit that day," added Bale.
"That showed what we can do as a team. Even if we are 2-0 down we know we can come back and win, even in the biggest games.
"We threw everything at them and they couldn't handle it.
"We have to do the same again on Sunday. We have to put all our attackers in the game and concentrate on their weaknesses."
