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Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard met the media as we continued the build-up to our friendly with Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong.

A first north London derby abroad kicks off on Thursday (12.30pm kick off UK) in the third and final game of our Asia Tour, and so our captain and manager held a pre-match press conference after our open training session in the Kai Tak Stadium.

They were asked about how Viktor Gyokeres is settling in, the atmosphere in Hong Kong, and preparations for the new season. Here’s a full transcript:

On a first north London derby abroad:

MA: Well, a great idea. I think to bring football tradition, a rivalry, but at the same time to do it in a completely different country, I think it's brilliant. I think it's an opportunity for everybody to feel that and for us as well, because for our preparation, increases the competition level again and it brings a different challenge to the game and then we’re going to be so lucky to play in this incredible stadium with 50,000 people that I'm sure they're going to be super loud and passionate.

On Martin’s experience playing at a young age

MO: To be fair, I think the whole squad is really good in this way, to help young players and as you say, with those two [Max Dowman and Marli Salmon] there, they're so young and so much quality. I think, myself, I just try to share my experience, guide them in the right direction, help them to keep the right mindset, because you can see that the quality is obviously there.

So, it’s just trying to help them to have the right mindset and to help them feel good in the team and to let them shine and do their thing. They've been amazing on this tour and you can all see the quality. It'll be exciting to see them in the future.

On Viktor Gyokeres’ fitness:

MA: Yes, I understand, he's only done today's session, yesterday very little. We're going to assess tonight how he is. If the medical staff are happy as well with his condition to participate in tomorrow's match, it's a possibility. We're going to discuss that tonight.

On the rest of the squad’s availability:

With the rest, everybody's going to be okay, apart from Big Gabi, who's still out, and probably Riccy [Riccardo Calafiori], it’s going to be a bit too early for him tomorrow.

On what excites Martin about playing with Gyokeres:

I think you've all seen what he's done in his career so far. Especially the last season at Sporting, the numbers speak for themselves. He's a very complete player. He's physical, strong, fast, good finisher, and intelligent as well. I think he's a very complete striker and you can also see the hunger, the energy he brings. I'm really excited to have him with the team. He's only trained a few times, but you can already see the quality, the energy, and the willingness. I'm excited to have a pitch with him.

On the size of the squad:

MA: Well, I said that I was extremely happy with the way that we have approached the window and how aggressive we've been. There's still a long period with the window open. So far, we are very happy with what we have achieved. Make sure that at the end of the window, we continue to be super happy.

On helping Viktor settle in:

MO: Yeah, obviously, with the language and everything, it's been easier for me to help him. We can speak our own language. Scandinavians, they always bond well together. So, in that way, it's been really natural. But to be fair, it's like with any player. Every new player, we try to help them in the best possible way. That's what I felt when I came here. I felt at home straight away. I felt how good the culture and environment was to get into. Everyone just wants to help you and get the best out of you. Then it's important also how you do things off the pitch. That's what we all do. So we're just here to help. So far, he's having a good time, I think.

On Viktor wearing number 14:

MA: I think I use the word conviction. That's the first thing that I noticed when I spoke to him. Someone very determined, someone that was really already attached to the club, the way he was talking about the club, the history, in this case Thierry [Henry], and what the shirt represented. I felt it, so when you feel it, go for it.

On what a shirt number means:

MO: Well, I think it's different to every player. I think some players would say it's really important, and others, they don't care. But I think some players, they have a special feeling about a certain number, and it might be important, but I don't think it's the most important thing. But for some players, it might give them an extra good feeling to play with a certain number. But for me, it doesn't matter too much.

On visiting Hong Kong in 2012:

MA: Well, there are similarities, obviously. The city has changed a lot. I came here one more time. So very impressive. The most impressive thing, again, is our supporters, how passionate they are, the way they ask things. They are so emotional. They spend so much time outside the hotel. I think the way they received the team was incredible yesterday, and it made us feel that all this trip is worth it because I think people deserve to enjoy the team as well.

On Thomas Frank saying we’re one of the best teams in the world:

MA: Well, that's great to hear that from someone like Frank, especially, which I respect immensely and what to expect, I think tomorrow, we're going to start to see the direction that he's going to take with the team, implementing his vision, his philosophy and we just need to be focused on what we want to do, what we want to achieve, and I'm sure it's going to be a great game.

On Viktor handling the pressure:

MA: I think it already has, you know, because when the news broke, and then you realise the magnitude of the club that you're going to be representing and how viral everything goes so fast in these days, I think his immediate reaction was, wow, and then he sees, you know, the way we were received again yesterday, the training session that we just had with 20,000 people, the stadium that was sold out in two hours, and 50,000 people being in that incredible stadium tomorrow. So,I think you're going to have a very good first impression, that's for sure.

On playing a high-profile game in pre-season:

MO: No, I love it, and I think we all do. I think we're all excited, you know, to play in front of so many supporters, and as Mikel said here, we really felt that love and the connection here. It's been a while since we've played this type of game, so I think that's what we all want. For me it's a good thing that we get a proper test and something that means a little bit more, you know, with the derby. So, I think we're all just really excited and eager to play.

On the atmosphere:

MO: I think the support and the reception we've had here has been amazing. Yesterday, we arrived at the hotel and it was people everywhere and shirts everywhere and we really felt that love, you know, when we came. Today, in the stadium, around 20,000 people to come and watch us train and the game tomorrow is sold out. So we really feel that, and it's really special and it's amazing to travel so far and still feel that, you know, so it's something we really appreciate and it means a lot to us, you know, to make people happy and make people enjoy football. So, that's really good.

On the goals for the season:

MA: Well, do better than the previous one, and we all know what that means. So, again, I think everything starts with the preparation, in terms of how we build the squad, in terms of how ready the team is going to be to start to compete from day one and everything that we've seen so far, the feeling that I get straight away is very, very positive.

Our final game of our pre-season tour comes against Tottenham Hotspur as we look to round off our trip to Asia with three wins from three.

In what will be the first north London derby abroad, we will face our rivals at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong on Thursday, July 31.

With a big clash coming up, here is the lowdown on where our next pre-season opponents find themselves ahead of our game, which you can stream on Arsenal.com and the official app.

HAVE Tottenham BEEN ACTIVE IN THE TRANSFER WINDOW?

As Spurs settle into life under new head coach Thomas Frank, our north London rivals have been busy in the transfer market this summer.

Two loanees from last season, Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel, made their loan moves permanent from Lens and Bayern Munich, respectively.

Tottenham's biggest summer signing has come in the shape of Mohammed Kudus, who has joined them from fellow Premier League outfit West Ham United.

Frank has also bolstered his defensive ranks with the signings of Luka Vuskovic from Hadjuk Split and Kota Takai from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale. Teenage striker Mason Melia has also agreed a move from Irish side St Pat's Athletic, which will go through in January 2026.

Sergio Reguilon and Fraser Forster were among the 13 players released on June 30. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, who spent last season on loan at Olympique de Marseille, has made his move to the Ligue 1 side permanent.

WHO HAVE Tottenham SELECTED FOR THEIR TOUR?

New boss Frank announced a mixture of youth and experience for Tottenham's pre-season tour of Hong Kong and South Korea. First team players Destiny Udogie, new signing Kota Takai, and Manor Solomon did not travel as they continue to receive treatment for injuries.

The same can be said for Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski and Bryan Gil, who are continuing longer rehabilitation programmes.

Goalkeepers: Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Brandon Austin, Luca Gunter

Defenders: Kevin Danso, Ben Davies, Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Djed Spence, Micky van de Ven, Jun'ai Byfield, Luka Vuskovic

Midfielders: Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray, James Maddison, Pape Matar Sarr, George Abbott, Yang Min-Hyeok

Forwards: Brennan Johnson, Mohammed Kudus, Will Lankshear, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, Heung-Min Son, Mathys Tel, Jamie Donley

HOW HAVE Tottenham FARED IN PRE-SEASON SO FAR?

Heading into our clash, Tottenham have played three pre-season matches so far and are currently unbeaten in all three. Their preparations for the new season kicked off with a 2-0 victory over League One outfit Reading, thanks to goals from Will Lankshear and new signing Luka Vuskovic.

That was followed up with two further matches against League One opponents Wycombe Wanderers and Luton Town. The first match took place behind closed doors as Spurs played out a 2-2 draw against Wycombe. Pape Matar Sarr netted both goals in the contest. Spurs then took on Luton at Kenilworth Road, a match that finished 0-0.

After playing us, Tottenham head to South Korea for a game against Newcastle United. They round off their pre-season with a trip to Germany to face Bayern Munich on August 7, nine days before their first game of the Premier League season at home to Burnley.

Nothing stirs a Gooner’s emotions more than a game against Tottenham Hotspur, with victories over our arch-rivals going down as some of our supporters’ most memorable moments following the club.

There have been plenty to choose from down the years, and to get you excited ahead of the first north London derby abroad, we have selected five of the best from the last four decades.

Sit back and enjoy these successes over Spurs:

November 24, 1996

Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham

In just his sixth game in charge, Arsene Wenger quickly discovered the passion and fever around derby day. Spurs arrived having won six of their last seven, while we were on a run of one victory in six, but we turned the form book upside down. Ian Wright handed us a 28th-minute lead from the penalty spot but Andy Sinton equalised with a bobbling long-range effort just before the hour mark.

A disappointing draw looked on the cards until the 88th minute when Tony Adams slammed us back into the lead, and better was to come when Dennis Bergkamp brilliantly controlled a Wright cross, escaped the attentions of Stephen Carr and set himself perfectly to fire past Ian Walker to secure a first win over our rivals in nearly five years, and score one of the fixture’s greatest goals.

November 16, 2002

Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham

However, perhaps the best-ever goal scored in the north London derby arrived six years later when Thierry Henry single-handedly sliced his way through the Spurs side to produce a moment worth immortalising in bronze outside Emirates Stadium years later.

Just 13 minutes in, there seemed little danger when the Frenchman picked the ball up midway inside his own half, but he surged past Matthew Etherington and Carr to reach the edge of the Tottenham area, and fired into the net before performing a famous knee slide in front of the travelling support. Further strikes from Freddie Ljungberg and Sylvain Wiltord sealed a comfortable win, but Henry’s brilliance was the abiding memory.

February 26, 2012

Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham

Goals are never in short supply in north London derbies, and this particular encounter was packed full of them. It looked as though our neighbours were on course to record successive wins at our home for the first time in 86 years when Louis Saha and ex-Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor netted, but we would come roaring back when Bacary Sagna headed in a Mikel Arteta cross before a superb strike from Robin van Persie levelled matters before half-time.

Our momentum carried on into the second half when Tomas Rosicky edged us ahead six minutes after the restart, and then Theo Walcott would stamp his authority on the game by racing through to score twice in three minutes to stun our opponents and complete a fine victory.

November 17, 2012

Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham

Incredibly, the same unusual scoreline was recorded at the same venue just nine months later as we again managed to recover from falling behind to net five times. Things weren’t going to plan when Adebayor haunted us again, but his 17th-minute dismissal proved pivotal as a Per Mertesacker header, Lukas Podolski’s scuffed shot and an Olivier Giroud finish handed us a healthy lead before half-time.

A goal from the scintillating Santi Cazorla seemed to have secured the points on the hour, but Gareth Bale restored Tottenham’s toe-hold shortly afterwards. However the final word was left to Walcott again who restored our three-goal cushion in stoppage-time to ensure history repeated itself.

October 1, 2022

Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham

Spurs headed to Emirates Stadium looking to leapfrog us into top spot in the Premier League, but a fine display from Arteta’s team ensured we instead strengthened our lead. Thomas Partey’s wonderful strike from distance set us on our way, but a Harry Kane penalty meant the sides went in all-square at the break.

However a poacher’s effort from Gabriel Jesus restored our lead four minutes into the second half, and Emerson Royal’s red card saw things turn in our favour even more. Needing one more goal to clinch the points, Granit Xhaka drove in a third to secure a third straight home victory in this fixture for the first time since 2013.

After two wins from two games, we depart Singapore and head for Hong Kong, where we'll be taking on Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, July 31.

In what will be our first-ever north London derby on foreign soil, excitement in the region is building as we look to complete our tour of Asia with a perfect record.

Our newest signing, Viktor Gyokeres, joined training for the first time ahead of the match, and as we gear up for one more matchup in the region, here's all you need to know about the fixture!

When is our match against Tottenham?

Our third match of pre-season gives fans in the region a final opportunity to see us in action against our north London rivals.

The match gets underway at 7:30pm local time on Thursday, July 31, live at the Kai Tak Stadium. That means the contest will start at 12.30pm UK time.

This is the first match we'll be playing in Hong Kong since a 2-2 draw against Kitchee FC in July 2012.

How To watch ARSENAL v Tottenham

Our match against Tottenham will be shown live on Arsenal.com and the official app, and can be streamed for just £4.99.

This early bird pass will be available for this match until 9am BST on Thursday, July 31, when the price will rise to £6.99.

When you buy a pass to the game, you'll have the option of watching the action live, as well as repeat showings every three hours afterwards - for example, 3.30pm, 6.30pm and then 9.30pm in the UK.

Please note that this game will not be available to stream in Hong Kong. Supporters need to update the Arsenal app to version 8.1.7 on iOS or 11.11.10 on Android before kick-off to watch the match.

For the best value, purchase a Pre-Season Pass, which gives you access to our games against Tottenham Hotspur, Athletic Club and Villarreal. That costs just £14.99.

Purchase your pass now

Please note, the Pre-Season Pass will be unavailable for viewers in Spain, Italy, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Who do we face next?

Following our clash against Spurs, we will be heading back to north London where we'll face Villarreal and Athletic Club on August 6 and August 9, respectively. You can purchase a PPV pass for these two fixtures on a special August deal for just £8.99. This offer ends on Wednesday, August 6 at 9am, BST.

Wednesday, August 6

Arsenal v Villarreal (Emirates Stadium)

Saturday, August 9

Arsenal v Athletic Club (Emirates Stadium)

*all times BST

Hosting the first-ever north London derby outside of the United Kingdom is the ultimate honour, according to Hong Kong Supporters Club member Adam Ng and the die-hard Gooner is confident they will create an atmosphere befitting of the occasion.

We take on Tottenham Hotspur at the Kai Tak Sports Park, Hong Kong, on Thursday, marking the first abroad NLD and the first match to take place outside of London since our FA Cup semi-final win at Old Trafford in 2001.

Hong Kong is home to one of our oldest international supporters clubs anywhere around the world, founded almost 30 years ago and now boasts over 600 members. Adam knows the meaning of being a true Gunner, having starting following the side in 1994, with even his name being inspired by a true Arsenal great.

He recalls: "I remember that year, 1994/95, was probably one of our worst years. We ranked 12th in that year, so I don't know why I became a supporter of Arsenal, but it just happened. What made me fall in love with Arsenal was Tony Adams. It's actually why I have my name. I named myself as Adam, it's because of him.

"At that time, you know, for Chinese people, we don't need an English name. So, when I was in the first year of secondary school, the teacher asked me to ask me to pick an English name. So I picked Adams. But my teachers told me, ‘oh, no-one use Adams with S as a name. You just take away the S.' So I said ok, then I use Adam. So that's the story."

The Cosmo Pub in Hong Kong has been the base for the supporters club, with many special memories of watching us in action down the years, including victories over Tottenham.

From clinching the league title in 2004 at White Hart Lane to the FA Cup victory in 2014, Adam's memories of beating Spurs are well documented and with the match now taking place on home soil, excitement is in overdrive.

"It's exciting to have the first-ever north London derby outside of London," he said. "It's very meaningful, and a privilege, and I believe many supporters would share the same feeling. They will all understand the importance, or the meaning, of a derby to us. We are excited, it's a very rare chance to have a full line-up like this during the summer game.

"In the past few seasons, we are so close to our goal. We see how strong we are, how good we are and we see the complete team, especially after we have some new signings.

"I'm proud of our club's history. We have many legendary managers and I truly believe we are the ones who transformed the Premier League, since Arsene Wenger's arrival. We are the pioneers."

Adam's first memories of watching us in his homeland came with us winning the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens, a tournament held to showcase future stars, in 2001. We last visited the region in 2012, playing Kitchee FC in the final match of our Asia tour.

Fast forward 13 years and we are rounding off this tour with a match against Tottenham, and Adam revealed there are plenty of exciting plans for our few days in Hong Kong.

"There has been a lot of interest and new members because Arsenal are in town. We cannot wait for the legends party and the open training session. Personally, I'm most excited to see Declan [Rice] and Myles [Lewis-Skelly].

"For the game itself, we are excited to not only welcome our own supporter club members but also supporter clubs from Japan and 10 other countries. We also have fans coming from 40 different cities in China.

"We are hoping to give the players a big Hong Kong welcome, we have a tifo planned for the match and hopefully make the atmosphere just like the Emirates!"

Tickets have now sold out for our 2025/26 pre-season friendly against Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong.

We are heading to Asia for our summer tour, and after facing AC Milan and Newcastle United in Singapore, we head to Hong Kong for the first-ever north London derby played overseas.

Our game against Spurs will take place on Thursday, 31 July at the recently opened 55,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium, kicking off at 7.30pm local time.

It will be our first visit to the country since 2012.

Tickets are now available for our 2025/26 pre-season friendly against Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong.

We are heading to Asia for our summer tour, and after facing AC Milan and Newcastle United in Singapore, we head to Hong Kong for the first-ever north London derby played overseas.

Our game against Spurs will take place on Thursday, 31 July at the recently opened 55,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium, kicking off at 7.30pm local time.

It will be our first visit to the country since 2012, and you can be there to see Mikel Arteta and our squad begin their preparations for the new season.

Tickets can be purchased online now

We will also be holding an open training session during our stay in the country, which will take place on Thursday, July 31 at 6pm at the same stadium. Tickets for that event are also available to purchase now.

Our under-18s drew 4-4 with Tottenham in a thrilling North London Derby on Tuesday afternoon.

First-half goals from Max Dowman, Sam Onyekachukwu, Ife Ibrahim and Louis Zecevic-John put us 4-3 up at half-time, but a late equaliser for the visitors denied us the win.

Highlights are available at the top of this page.

Our under-18s played out a thrilling 4-4 draw with Tottenham in the North London Derby on Saturday afternoon.

The game was pulsating right from the start, with both sides on the scoresheet inside the opening ten minutes, Max Dowman cancelling out Ellis Lehane.

Sam Onyekachukwu and Ife Ibrahim fired us into a 3-1 lead before George Feeney and Jun’ai Byfield hit back for Spurs, but we took the lead into half-time thanks to Louis Zecevic-John.

A tense second half went right down the wire, but Jamel Beggs’ deflected equaliser rescued a point for Spurs with the last kick of the game.

What Happened

It was a frantic start to the derby, as we were almost gifted a first-minute lead by a poor back pass. But from the clearance, Spurs broke the other way and took the lead through Lehane.

We wasted no time in responding however, as Max Dowman fired us level six minutes later, firing his effort in off the post from the edge of the box.

With the momentum behind us, it didn’t take long to complete the turnaround. Sam Onyekachukwu turned and picked out the bottom corner to make it 2-1 after just 16 minutes.

We almost doubled our lead midway through the half when Will Sweet’s audacious chip caused a scramble and had to be cleared off the line.

Moments later though we had our third as Ife Ibrahim evaded his marker and curled a wonderful effort into the far corner.

Spurs struck back towards the end of the half, with goals from George Feeney and Jun’ai Byfield levelling the game just before half-time.

We struck the final blow of the half however, Louis Zecevic-John finding the bottom corner after an excellent solo run.

The game continued to be end-to-end after the break, with Luca Williams-Barnett striking the crossbar for Spurs and Dan Casey doing the same for us.

Our North London rivals kept the pressure on throughout the second half, striking the woodwork on two further occasions.

Six minutes from time Jack Porter made an outstanding save to push a driven shot onto the crossbar and keep our lead intact.

But after more than 100 minutes of football, Jamel Beggs’ shot took a deflection and found the back of the net, ensuring the points were shared.

What It Means

A point in the North London Derby extends our unbeaten run to eight matches, leaving us three points behind U18 Premier League South leaders Aston Villa with two games to go.

But with one of those two matches against the Villains, we’re still very much in the title race.

What’s Next

Our under-18s make the short trip across London to face Fulham at Motspur Park on Saturday, May 3. Kick-off is scheduled for 11am (UK time).

Line-Ups

Arsenal XI: Porter, Clarke, Ogunnaike, Onyekachukwu, Sweet, Ibrahim, Harriman-Annous (Ismail, 90+7’), Copley, Zecevic-John (O’Neill, 87’), Dowman, Casey (Julienne, 68’)

Subs (not used): Ranson, Ismail, Marciniak

Tottenham XI: Archer, Bangura, Byrne, Byfield, Upson, Feeney (Beggs, 51’), Adewole, Moncur (Elliot-Parris, 45’), Lehane (Hardy, 45’), Williams-Barnett, Thompson

Our under-18s host Tottenham Hotspur in a north London Derby on Tuesday, April 29. Kick-off at the Sobha Realty Training Centre is scheduled for 11am (UK time).

With three games to go, our under-18s are firmly in the U18 Premier League South title race, sitting just one point behind leaders Chelsea.

Last time out, our young Gunners extended their winning run to seven straight matches, with Max Dowman scoring all four goals in a 4-0 win over Reading.

The Opposition

Tottenham bring a good run of form into Tuesday’s derby, winning four of their last five matches, including a 6-4 win over us in the reverse fixture. Our rivals thrashed Leicester City 7-0 on Saturday, their tenth win in 20 league games this season.

Spurs sit five points behind us with a game in hand, so could still have a part to play in the U18 Premier League South title race if they win at the Sobha Realty Training Centre.

The dangerman this season for the Lilywhites has been Luca Williams-Barnett; the forward has 20 goals in 19 appearances for Tottenham’s under-18s, including two against us in March.

How to Follow

Stay up to date with live commentary on our academy’s X page. A full match report will be available on Arsenal.com shortly after the final whistle.

Post-match, don’t miss exclusive interviews with Adam Birchall and one of our young Gunners, alongside highlights of all the key action.