'It's not Harry's game,' says Wenger
Updated on 29 October 2008
Arsene Wenger says the appointment of Harry Redknapp as the new Spurs boss will have little impact on tonight's 143rd North London derby.
The Arsenal boss is only interested in getting the three points as his side look to catch Premier League leaders Liverpool.
He said: "If there is one game that is special for Tottenham - no matter who is on the bench - it is Tottenham versus Arsenal. I don't think it [Redknapp's appointment] will change a lot.
"I would not like to speak about Tottenham, what's important is how well Arsenal will play and not who sits on the bench a Tottenham."
Tonight's clash at the Emirates will be the 160th competitive meeting between the two sides, with Tottenham currently bottom of the table.
Wenger said: "We have put a run together and that has strengthened our belief and we want to go from strength to strength.
"This game is a big one for us. We want to continue our run, and because we want the three points to be strong in the league.
"We have shown we are strong in recent games against Fenerbahce and West Ham and we want to keep that going."
Wenger revealed that midfielder Denilson would be available again after recovering from inflammation of the back. Defender Kolo Toure will also be available.
The Arsenal manager stressed the club would be relying heavily on the strength of its squad during a hectic run of games.
He said: "It is a period where rotation is important and so is the quality of our bench - we saw that against West Ham. It shows why the squad mentality is vital.
"The derby game always means a lot - I believe it means a lot to the fans and the players and the staff. Perhaps sometimes someone from abroad can ignore the importance of that but in every country you have that."
