Andre Villas-Boas: 'I understand derby importance'

Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas has admitted that his side's North London derby with Arsenal has frequently been the topic of conversation.

Spurs travel to the Emirates Stadium to face their local rivals on Saturday with just a point separating the two teams in the Premier League table and Villas-Boas has insisted that he knows how much the match means to everyone involved at White Hart Lane.

Villas-Boas told Sky Sports News: "People have been speaking about it quite often, between the staff and the chairman.

"You understand the importance of it. This is a game where passion is extremely high. It is a game which represents three points, but in the league it represents more than that in the history of North London derbies."

Tottenham will be hoping to halt a run of consecutive league defeats after losing to Wigan Athletic and Manchester City.