Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld has been highly complimentary of Arsenal ace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the wake of the North London derby.
Spurs host their bitter rivals on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League and know that a win at Wembley will lift them into the top four.
Meanwhile, the Gunners can close the gap to Mauricio Pochettino’s fifth-placed side if they manage to earn three points.
Alderweireld has been blown away by the quality of Arsenal centre-forward Aubameyang as the defender prepares to line up directly against him.
The Spurs centre-back has declared himself fit for the derby clash after returning from a long-term injury and Pochettino has a big decision to make on his team selection.
Alderweireld is regarded as the best defender in the Premier League by a selection of fans and he could be pivotal against a lightning Arsenal attack.
Aubameyang recently netted on his debut in English football and the rapid striker left German outfit Borussia Dortmund in January after scoring 141 goals in 213 appearances for them.
“He’s very quick, he’s a good finisher, he has it all,” Alderweireld said, as quoted by Sky Sports. “He is in a good moment now as well so it’s going to be very difficult to beat him but I think we will be ready for it.
“You have to work your mind. One against one, on the same line, he will beat you, so you have to be very clever, you have to read the situation and try to beat him with your head.”
OPINION
There is no doubt that Aubameyang’s arrival in the Premier League is an exciting one and he has the potential to rip up the division. The attacker has express pace that could be lethal on a big Wembley pitch, while he can feed off ammunition from playmakers Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. However, Spurs do possess one of the better defences in the league and are very well drilled. Alderweireld’s inclusion is still up for debate given his recent return and it’s crucial he is fully back for the upcoming Champions League games. Centre-backs Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez can still provide a very stern test for strikers on their day.