[narrator] The North London Derby is looming on the horizon.
In just eight days, Arsenal will play Tottenham.
It's one of the most intense football matches in the world.
And for the players it's a test like no other.
But before they can focus on that, they have to deal with Burnley.
[intriguing music]
[broadcaster] Fresh from their first win of this fledgling Premier League season,
Arsenal make the 460 mile round-trip to Lancashire.
[music continues]
[broadcaster] The narrative around Arsenal at the moment,
they're only ever one game away from it being calamitous again.
[journalist] Yes.
[narrator] Mikel Arteta remains under pressure.
So far in the league, Arsenal have played four games
and only scored one goal.
[whistle]
[cheers]
[commentator] And we are underway.
[suspenseful music]
[commentator] Good turn by Saka. He's running at the Burnley defence here.
He's got an option in Pépé, he's been unceremoniously tripped.
[suspenseful music continues]
[whistle]
[shouts]
A wonderful left-footed strike from Odegaard.
30 minutes gone here at Turf Moor
and Aresenal lead one-nil.
[cheers]
That's the Norweigian's first goal since returning to Arsenal.
And that's full time. Odegaard's classy free kick
is enough to claim all 3 points.
Arsenal are on the up, that's two wins on the bounce
and they're building momentum.
[applause]
[cheers]
[crowd chants]
[narrator] But within minutes of the final whistle,
there's only one thing on the fans' minds.
Can't go into a North London Derby expecting to lose, can ya?
Tottenham next week, that'll be a massive test.
I don't feel optimistic.
Equally I don't feel pessimistic, but you know.
That's what it's like supporting Arsenal.
[narrator] But the victory instils some belief,
as they head back towards North London.
[hip-hop music]
When you love what you do, that is called passion.
We have to believe, we have to have energy.
[shouts]
Show these people how much you care.
[cheers]
Let's go for it.
[crowd chanting]
[clippers buzzing]
[intriguing music]
[producer] Do many people know the story?
[Pierre-Emerick] Nobody knows about the story.
This is the first time I'm telling to people
why I'm always doing a star
while I'm playing against Tottenham.
Back in 2016,
I lost my grandfather.
We played against Tottenham on that day.
So that's why I'm doing a star always against them
because that day I remember I scored twice for him
and I was really happy and that's why since then,
I always do something for him. And so he is my star.
[in French] Are you getting stars?
-Do they look good? -Very.
-Do you like them? -Yeah.
And do you like them?
[Pierre-Emerick] Oh yeah!
[producer] What do you think it will feel like to score on Sunday?
[sighs]
Ah...
It will be for sure something great.
Hopefully it happens.
And... but I know... I know how it is when I score.
I've scored in a few derbies here, at home.
So I know what's the feeling and I'm just waiting for it.
[upbeat music]
Good morning, guys.
We're going to do one simple exercise that after, I'm gonna explain you why.
You're going to see first an image, okay?
What you have to have is... I'm gonna give you 45 seconds.
You have to try to memorise what is there.
Guys, it's not a competition.
It's so simple, you get it wrong, don't worry.
Pepe looks worried, eh?
[laughter]
Nico, you worried? It's not an exam, guys.
It has to be the position and the number,
memorise please.
Okay, how many you got more or less right...
here?
And how many you got right from this section? Kieran.
I tried to memorise the left side.
But did you get all right here?
Ben?
[narrator] Mikel Arteta needs his team to click.
[Arteta] You didn't get to this side.
[narrator] And that means the players need to know where each other are
on the pitch instinctively.
[Arteta] All good on the left? And here?
Didn't have time.
[Arteta] Okay, would you say that the majority of you,
you could get the right section almost 100%
and you would struggle to get 30, 40, 50% of this one?
Why do you think that we are able to memorise this?
Sort of what we train every day.
[Arteta] So, the fact that you train it, what it does to your brain?
It's because we are all educated right now and looking at this,
and we process our information based on that.
In a football match you have less than a second to make decisions.
So the message here today is, how important it is for everybody
to understand what is happening on the pitch.
Because then your decision-making is much simpler.
So, anything we do attacking or defending, if we know,
and visually, without even thinking, we're understanding what happens,
if one player moves here, what's the next one to do,
how the units work and interact with each other...
This is the reason why we do it.
[upbeat music]
[narrator] As Arsenal head into the North London Derby,
they are languishing in 13th place and below Tottenham.
[music continues]
[hubbub]
Okay guys, to the front please.
[narrator] The club are building a team for the future,
but the manager needs them to deliver right now.
[camera clicks]
Big smiles, look like you're happy.
[narrator] The manager puts his faith in these young players
because he knows just how talented some of them are.
Take Emile Smith-Rowe.
[upbeat music]
This is him at 15.
When it comes to the close control of a football, he's a natural.
[cheers]
Emile, that was much better.
You've gotta give yourself at least a yard to the line,
in case you wanna go that side.
You're too close.
[narrator] For Emile Smith-Rowe,
the North London Derby has an added level.
Since a kid I've always supported Arsenal.
Unfortunately my dad was a Spurs fan,
so it was a bit toxic in the house and stuff.
He is proud, he's definitely proud of me but...
Every time I play Spurs,
there's always a bit of banter flying around and stuff, so yeah.
[woman] What were your first impressions of Emile?
Emile, very shy, he wouldn't make eye contact with you.
Um, he felt...
Um, I would say a little bit uncomfortable and insecure.
But you can see that he has a huge heart and everything is there, you know.
[narrator] Emile's talent was obvious.
[applause]
But the club sent him on loan to develop his character.
When we sent him on loan, I said I'm only going to ask you...
I'm not going to watch your games,
I only want to hear what people say about you when you are there,
and how they're going to describe you, not as a player, as a person.
Because as a player I don't have any doubts that you can play for us,
but can you cope with being in that dressing room?
Can you cope with the pressure outside?
I don't know, so you better go there
and impose yourself and he really did.
[upbeat music]
[cheers]
[narrator] Now he's 21 and he's become Arsenal's No. 10.
[Emile] Yeah, it means so much.
Growing up I've always wanted to wear the iconic No. 10.
[Granit Xhaka] My suspending is finished, bro.
My suspending is finished.
Straight back in?
[Granit] You're the future, man. You're the future.
I felt it from the first day, you're the future here.
It's not about the future, bro, it's about now.
Imagine number 10, and to be captain in the future. Wow.
[cheers]
[hubbub]
[narrator] The other Arsenal prodigy that Mikel is putting his faith in
is 20-year-old Bukayo Saka.
His parents moved from Nigeria to London.
Bukayo was enrolled in the Arsenal academy at just eight years old.
[music continues]
It soon became clear that he too was extraordinarily gifted.
Maybe like one in a 100,
or something like this, of kids
make it all the way through the Academy into the first teams.
When I first came into the first team changing room,
that's when I really thought, you know, "okay, I'm here."
Like, this is what life is like as a first team player.
[narrator] Bukayo captured the nation's imagination by playing for England.
But now, the press are asking
why he hasn't scored in the league for 19 games.
[man] Mikel, what about B?
-[Arteta] B? -Yeah, you spoke to him, is he okay?
[Arteta] I think it's confidence.
I think physically now we have reassured him
that he was one of the best.
[cheers]
From where you were, here, where you gonna go?
There's only one way.
And in England, I'm sorry,
they are specialists at doing something, bringing somebody here
and then killing him all the way to the ground.
[upbeat music]
[Arteta] Our job, starting from the club,
is as much as possible to protect them.
And at the same time to educate them because they have a responsibility.
And they can continue to develop as a person
and professionally, within the environment that we have at the club.
Gym work?
[Albert Stuivenberg] Gym work, lower body.
[sighs]
[narrator] Every second of Emile's previous games have been analysed
and he regularly gets feedback.
[Stuivenberg] What's happening here?
-I tried to get the ball. -Yeah? Okay.
And he put his foot there.
Speak a little bit louder, I don't hear you.
I tried to get the ball and he just pushed me out of the way.
Yeah, but those are the duels, eh?
This is for me, you need to be able to win these, yeah?
This is part of our practice, when you are defending,
when we are situations, small-sided games,
man to man, all those moments,
also in the specific work that you need to be able to win those balls, Emile.
Much more because you're quicker, yeah?
It's all about using your body and being much more brave,
to play balls in behind, to make runs, to make something happen
because you're a creative player.
I want to see you more in those situations, yeah?
[intriguing music]
[Carlos Cuesta] People think that,
because you live the dream,
your life is easy.
But you face a lot of problems that nobody faces.
The only thing you need is to play,
to enjoy, to be yourself.
You have too many things.
I don't know, eh?
Maybe I'm wrong.
-Do you agree? -[Bukayo] I agree with you.
Cause when I was playing my best,
I was relaxed, you know.
Confident, I wasn't thinking too much, just played my game and enjoyed it.
There is a story behind everybody, you know, and many times we,
or society in general, criticise or judge
without knowing that this person is doing their best.
And what do you want to be?
Right now, today, the day before the Derby.
What do you think that you need to win?
Yeah, I think we can.
I think the way we're going...
Obviously it was a bad start, everyone started to speak on it,
but the season is not defined in three matches, you know.
It's so long.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking, so I said it's okay.
The two games we're supposed to win, we win,
and I feel like the team spirit is a lot better now, the confidence.
And if we can win tomorrow, I think we'll just go up now.
-You have said the word for me. -Let's see.
[suspenseful music]
[podcast] We play Spurs on Sunday
and as much as you want to win the game,
you just absolutely don't want to lose it.
This is the only period in my life where Arsenal and Spurs are kind of level.
It's bragging rights.
When you win it, it's amazing, but when you lose it?
It's the worst!
[woman] When we have a game that is so important,
the tension usually gets to the players,
which is so scary.
The North London Derby is the biggest game of the season.
Imagine scoring in the North London Derby, bro.
Best thing ever, bro.
[journalist] Big week ahead, isn't it, with the North London Derby?
Absolutely. Now we have to put a run together
and we know how much we need the result.
[producer] What is it like playing in a North London Derby at home?
[sighs]
[tense music]
[screams]
[narrator] North London Derbies are always intense.
Often feisty.
And occasionally, there's a moment of genius.
[shouts]
[commentator] Thierry Henry...
He's still going.
Thierry Henry!
Oh my word, that is brillant!
It's truly brillant!
Thierry Henry steals the show in North London.
[crowd cheering]
[narrator] One of the issues for any Arsenal team is being compared
with the legends of the past.
[Thierry Henry] I think for me, it's unfair.
It's unfair to compare eras and to expect people to play the same way.
And I think Arsenal is evolving.
But along the way do not lose what made you.
People are talking about restoring the Arsenal DNA.
The Arsenal DNA is to win, or to compete to win.
I'm talking about the attitude and the mentality
and how you should walk and run
and breathe and think and sleep and eat top four.
And also, Arsenal does represent the most for me,
not only the stuff that we managed to win as a team,
but what it does represent in the community.
Always have been the club of the people, the street.
You know, Arsenal was one of the first clubs to really have black players.
So it did represent the mass. The mass of the UK and of how London is.
And I hope people at the club know that and who they're playing for.
But where I can relate and identify myself with this team
is with Bukayo Saka and Smith-Rowe
because I can see on their forehead that it's written Arsenal Football Club.
Did you see that one?
[Henry] I can see how they play, how they walk, how they run,
how they battle.
Even when they miss something, when they score, when they don't score,
I can see it's written, it's Arsenal Football Club.
["No Competition" by D-Block Europe]
♪ No competition, I only see me ♪
♪ Lady from Paris and she tell me, "Oui" ♪
♪ Go take a pill And boost your self-esteem ♪
♪ I got what you need, need ♪
♪ Told my connect "I'll be back in a week" ♪
♪ Whip like Gordon Ram' The crack is on fleek ♪
♪ I buy her Louis, Louis to her feet Or we can go CC ♪
♪ None of my cats don't touch my ice No words, I don't bite, bite ♪
♪ You can get it if you act right When I see ID, we do the bike ride ♪
♪ Tables turn, bridges burn ♪
[narrator] The players choose the music in the dressing room.
["No Competition" continues playing]
[hubbub]
[indistinct conversations]
[narrator] Usually, Mikel will give a talk around an hour before the game,
and then again just before kick-off.
["No Competition" continues playing]
[Arteta] All in? Everybody in?
You are fully prepared, guys, I am so convinced.
I see it, I feel it.
I saw it in training, I see it in the way you are, in your faces.
I just want to talk about one thing today in the game the way I see it.
You are prepared physically, you are really prepared tactically,
you are prepared technically,
the understanding between you guys is top.
I'm going to explain you something really important in today's game.
Guys, we have to play with a big heart.
At the same time, we have to play with a big brain.
And these have to work together.
This is your passion, how much you want to put into the game
from the bottom of your heart,
how much you want to fire yourself and commit yourself in that game.
They want to provoke you in the game,
Hojbjerg, Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Dier,
you are always in control.
When you have to make decisions,
when you have to play through the gears,
you cannot play 100,000 miles an hour the whole game.
And if we do those two things,
the most powerful thing in this game happens, which is this.
These people today, the way they see these two things doing it,
they're going to fully support you and they're going to give you this, guys.
I'm telling you because I have experienced it.
The moment you connect these three things today in the game,
you're going to have a feeling in that pitch like you are hard,
like you cannot stop it, you are invincible,
nobody can touch you.
This is the game today, the rest you know it.
Okay? Let's go, guys.
[tense music]
[narrator] Tottenham were top of the league a few weeks ago,
but after a couple of defeats, they arrive with a point to prove.
[suspenseful music]
[cheers and applause]
[commentator] I'll give you the full team news, Gigi.
Xhaka is back after suspension and their only change.
So, they line up with Ramsdale in goal,
Tomiyasu, Gabriel, White and Tierney, the defence.
Xhaka and Partey, then, will sit in the midfield,
with Smith-Rowe, Odegaard and Saka behind Aubameyang.
As for Tottenham Hotspur, they make three changes...
[suspenseful music continues]
[hubbub]
["Nirvana" by Skepta]
[hubbub]
[Steve Round] Come on, boys, eh? Let's start going!
[crowd] ♪ We love you Arsenal, we do ♪
♪ We love you Arsenal, we do We love you Arsenal, we do ♪
♪ Oh Arsenal we love you ♪
♪ We love you Arsenal, we do ♪
Is everybody in?
Come here, Stuart.
This guy, for the last 30 years,
has captured emotions.
People, emotions and teams.
I want you to hear from him what he feels about you
because he sees you every day, and about our club.
This is tough.
This is my club.
I fucking love this football club.
And I fucking love all of you.
In 30 years, I've photographed some unbelievable players,
some world-class players, some great teams.
And I look at you lot, this is a great team.
This is a great team. I've been a fan all my life.
This is what we have to do, we have to go out and win.
This is me, I'm a fan.
This lot outside, they would do anything to fucking win today.
Look at them.
You go out, the first fucking tackle,
listen to the crowd, they will fucking be on you straight away.
Win every tackle.
When you score, you look in their faces,
look at the emotion, look how much they love you.
And show them how much you love them, okay?
[Arteta] Guys, we are so privileged to be here!
[cheers]
[tense music]
[suspenseful music]
[cheers and applause]
[crowd cheers]
[whistle]
[commentator] Very good challenge by Ben White.
And that's the type of challenge that can set the tone.
Arsenal at the minute are the sharper of the two sides.
Here is Odegaard running forward,
Aubameyang ahead of him, finds Saka,
right corner of the penalty area.
Saka plays it back!
Smith-Rowe arriving.
[cheers]
And Smith-Rowe gives Arsenal the lead.
Well played by Arsenal.
[chanting]
1-0 to the Arsenal is the shouts inside the Emirates.
[chanting]
[commentator] The linkup between Smith-Rowe and Saka is just excellent.
[commentator 2] And Smith-Rowe, the goalscorer,
powering his way towards the penalty area.
Smith-Rowe back to Aubameyang.
And Arsenal have got a second goal.
Aubameyang!
[cheers]
And the ball is passed away by Xhaka to Odegaard,
to Smith-Rowe, and Smith-Rowe to Saka
and he can exploit the gap left by Reguilón.
And Saka now running forward, it's three against two,
Saka tries to pass the ball back, he'll do it alone.
It comes back to Saka and he scores!
[cheers]
And Arsenal are running away with this one.
Saka has scored his first league goal in 20 games!
[crowd cheering and chanting]
[Jordan Reece] Well done, boys. We go again, we go again.
[Steve Round] Keep it going, fellas, keep it going.
Come on, guys, eh? We start again, we start again.
My first message,
we have to play a whole second half and now we have to raise the level.
And when we are there for the taking, we have to kill them.
When you have the game like this, you have to go and kill the game.
That's the message I want to send you right from the beginning.
When we can, as much as possible, guys,
in the right moment with the intensity and the rhythm that you all show,
to go and to get back and to manage the fucking ball the way you did it,
we have to carry on doing it, because they will take chances,
they will start to commit more players forward.
B, you did really well coming inside, you won a lot of second balls.
This is key to do it, we have to try to maintain the rhythm.
[suspenseful music]
[commentator] Saka controls the ball, tries to get away from Skipp.
Smith-Rowe, Smith-Rowe, Saka's also there.
Smith-Rowe with his back to goal,
to Odegaard, Arsenal's threatening again, crosses to Aubameyang...
[cheers]
[commentator] Ball forward, Harry Kane in here, Harry Kane, goal,
it's just offside, but it stayed down as well.
Slides in, feeds the ball to Reguilón,
plays it in low... Son, and Son scores!
[crowd chanting]
Oh, it's hit the bar, saved by Ramsdale.
[whistle]
[commentator] Nearly there... There we go, the final whistle goes.
Mikel Arteta punches the air here at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal thoroughly deserve this victory,
they were brilliant in the first half.
[joyful music]
[journalist] Emile, just over 50 games into your Arsenal career,
you've had some pretty good days, is this the best yet?
100%, you know. It's probably the best day of my life so far.
Winning another North London Derby at home and, you know,
scoring in front of my family up there,
it's the best feeling ever.
-What colour is North London? -Red, man.
Come on, G. Come on.
Come on, man. Red, it's red!
[cheers]
[fan] That was as good as it gets,
knee slide galore, trust me.
If you like knee slides, this game, this was value for money, like hey!
It is days like this that make supporting this club so amazing,
I can't believe it.
[in Spanish] Vamos!
-Come on! -Come on, guys!
["Rockin All Over The World" by Status Quo playing]
[players singing]
♪ Here we go ♪
♪ Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe ♪
♪ Here we go ♪
♪ Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe ♪
[cheers]
C'mon Arsenal!
[Pierre-Emerick] This is for you my man.
We're gonna sign this and this is for you, so enjoy it.
[Stuart] Everybody in for a picture.
[music continues]
[hubbub]
[cheers]
["Rockin All Over The World" playing]
[narrator] North London is red tonight.
Arsenal win the 204th North London Derby.
It's the kind of victory that can kick-start a season.
And as the season continues,
it's clear Arsenal are beginning to reconnect with their fans.
[crowd] One, two, three, four!
♪ I like it, I like it, I like it, I like it ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Here we go ♪
♪ Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe ♪
One, two, three, four!
♪ I like it, I like it, I like it, I like it ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Here we go ♪
♪ Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe ♪
[Arteta] I really believe that we're going
to Anfield and we're going to beat them.
[commentator] There's a bit of argy-bargy going down on the touchline
and Arteta and Klopp have come squaring up face-to-face.
And Diogo Jota goes around Ramsdale and scores for Liverpool.
[Ramsdale] That's fucking embarrassing.
[Arteta] I can make changes,
don't think that we're gonna play all the time the same team, guys.
[fan] Aubameyang on the bench.
-Rightly so, I think. -Yeah, definitely.
[commentator] Hit the crossbar from here a while ago.
Hits the back of the net here!
[cheers]
[suspenseful music]