Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny has asserted the Gunners are full of confidence heading into the North London Derby following their 3-0 win at Oxford United in the FA Cup third round on Monday night.
Mikel Arteta’s men were caged in the first half by the League One side but the floodgates opened after the hour mark starting with Elneny and Anglo-Ghanian forward Eddie Nketiah with a brace within six minutes.
Next up for Arsenal is a Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur, a game that will determine if the Gunners can maintain their five-point lead at the top or extend it.
“We knew it was very important for us to win because we have a derby in the next game, and we go there with the confidence to win away from home and we’re into the next round,” Elneny said on the club website.
“We know it’s a special game for all of us in the derby, and we go there full of confidence and we’ll go for three points.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game today because for [Oxford] it is one game of the season and it is something big for them. That’s why they gave everything in the game, and we had to manage this and come here to win to go through to the next round.”
Elneny further express his frustration on Arsenal’s lack of opportunities in the first half.
He added: “I think we were frustrated because we knew we were playing good but we just missed out on scoring a goal.
“We dominated the game and everything but we just couldn’t score. We corrected some things and then in the second half, we did it and won the game.
“Of course, I’m happy to score and help my team to win the game. For me it’s special because this club means a lot to me and to score for this club is something really, really good.”
Arsenal’s next opponent in the FA Cup will be Manchester City in the fourth round on January 28.
