Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez says this weekend's North London derby against Tottenham will "have everything," and knows that Gunners fans are demanding a win over their fierce rivals.
Sanchez is in stellar form going into Sunday's match and is expected to be deployed as a central striker again despite the return of Olivier Giroud, with the Chile forward having been devastatingly effective in that role this season.
Sanchez scored Arsenal's equaliser in the 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane last season, and is expecting another memorable game at the Emirates on Sunday.
"It's going to have everything," Sanchez told the Arsenal website. "It'll be a high-intensity match with plenty of hustle and bustle. I've played them a few times now and the first time I didn't know what to expect. They told me I had to start strong, and I remember I got taken out early on but then told myself that wouldn't happen again."
Arsenal are currently level on points with Manchester City and Liverpool atop the standings, with Spurs three points behind. But Tottenham have developed into genuine title contenders under Mauricio Pochettino, and Arsenal only made sure to finish above them on the last day of the season in May.
And Sanchez said fans have been reminding him of the importance of a victory.
"It's a game that they want to see us win at all costs. They're a massive rival. My teammates and I will leave everything on the pitch," Sanchez said, adding that it felt extra good to finish above Spurs last season. "The fans absolutely loved it and that made us happy. When we win, the fans are happy, so we're always trying to give them something to celebrate."
Asked if he has any friends among the Tottenham players, Sanchez responded with a smile: "No. It's better that way for us."
Sanchez scored twice in the 4-1 Premier League win at Sunderland last weekend and has eight goals and five assists in all competitions so far. And he praised his teammates for the way they responded at Sunderland after conceding an equaliser in the second half.
"They're playing with a real winning mentality and look like they want to win the league," Sanchez said. "We're taking it game by game but we have a lot of ambition. We hope to keep converting that into goals and I want to keep chipping in."