Thomas Frank insists Thursday’s north London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal in Hong Kong is ‘no friendly’.
It will be the first clash between the bitter rivals to be played outside the UK and the new Spurs boss said: ‘I think it’s a great challenge besides being our biggest rivals.
‘It’s also right now one of the best teams I must say, unfortunately, in the world. We need to be honest. In that way it’s going to be a big test, but it’s more than a test as against Arsenal it’s not only a friendly.’
The match will be played in front of 50,000 fans at the Kai Tak Sports Park, adding an extra level of occasion to what is already a high-pressure fixture.
Spurs centre back Micky van de Ven added: ‘I go into the game the same as if we play the game in London. Of course the stadium will be full and there will be a lot of fans from our side, so I hope we can make them happy.’
Spurs were mocked last season for their lack of focus on set-pieces under Ange Postecoglou, but have responded by hiring Arsenal’s former dead-ball guru Andreas Georgson, who also worked with Frank at Brentford.
‘I hope we can change that this year and make it a strong point for us on the offensive and defensive side,’ added Van de Ven.
Frank also touched on the uncertain future of club captain Son Heung-min, who is being linked with a move to the MLS.
‘Right now, Sonny is here and I’m very happy for that,’ he said. ‘He has trained well. He played the last two friendlies. He is in the squad, he will train today.’
