Arsenal take on their North London rivals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Women's Super League on Saturday (kick-off 3.30pm); Tottenham head coach Rehanne Skinner hoping her players "thrive" on the big occasion
Friday 26 March 2021 17:58, UK
Arsenal Women head coach Joe Montemurro says Lotte Wubben-Moy "personifies what it means to be Arsenal", adding that the 22-year-old centre-back has barely stopped smiling ahead of Saturday afternoon's North London derby against Tottenham.
The Women's Super League clubs meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in a repeat of the fixture which broke the league's attendance record with a crowd of more than 38,000 watching Montemurro's team take a 2-0 victory in November 2019.
There will be no fans in attendance this time around, but that has not dampened either side's excitement for the game.
Wubben-Moy, who returned to the club from the USA in September last year, having previously graduated through the academy system, is an avid Gunners supporter and scored in their 2-0 win over Manchester United last week.
"I wouldn't be surprised if she goes there tonight, sleeps there overnight, and is the first one in," said Montemurro. "She's had this massive smile on her face all week.
"Coupled with the fact she scored last week and is showing her true capabilities, the exciting thing is what's to come.
"We think there's a player who personifies what it means to be Arsenal. England should also be excited about what's to come."
Tottenham boss Rehanne Skinner ought to know all about the importance of the North London derby, having spent three years as assistant coach at Arsenal.
She is hoping her players are able to "thrive" under the pressure of playing in a larger stadium.
"It's a really big occasion," Skinner said. "It's a fantastic stadium, the best in the world in my opinion. It's revolutionised a lot of thought processes around our sport.
"For the players to have the opportunity to play there in the North London derby is really exciting. It's definitely something that people thrive in."
Tottenham are currently eighth in the WSL, 15 points behind their rivals in fourth, and play four of the top five teams to end the season.
Skinner, who took the job in November with Spurs languishing in 11th, is keen to close the gap to the top four and says their tough run of fixtures will be a "real test" of how far they have come.
"We're quite a young club in the grand scheme of things," Skinner said. "The intent is to close that gap over a period of time but we also have to be realistic that Arsenal have been established for a long time.
"These are the games you want to play in. It's a real test of where we're at. That might cause some upsets elsewhere but we're just looking to enjoy every game and develop the things we've been doing."
