Mauricio Pochettino excited by "special" North London derby

Mauricio Pochettino has revealed his excitement as Tottenham Hotspur prepare to meet North London rivals Arsenal in the third round of the League Cup on Wednesday night.

After arriving at White Hart Lane before the start of last season, Pochettino enjoyed success against the Gunners as his side claimed a draw and a victory in their two Premier League meetings.

As he gets ready to take charge of Spurs in his third North London derby, the Argentine admits that the game will always be unique.

"For me, it was always important to play against your rivals in the derby matches. I always enjoyed playing this type of game. It's always a special feeling," the Spurs boss told the club's website.

"Derbies are special. It's a different game. Our supporters have that expectation to win. It's impossible to guess what will happen but one thing is for sure, we need to play at 100%.

"We are ready and our motivation is big to play this game on Wednesday."

Spurs have won just one of the last five meetings with Arsenal.