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| Photo capture=BBC |
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| Photo capture=더선 |
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| 토트넘 SNS |
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Fans are making a fuss outside the UK for the first time ever 'North London Derby'.
England's BBC reported on the 31st (Korea time) that Arsenal and Tottenham will play their first North London derby outside the United Kingdom in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong this summer. Tottenham and Arsenal announced the schedule of such a friendly match on the same day.
The two teams will clash at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium on July 31. Kai Tak Stadium, which opened this month, is Hong Kong's new sports and entertainment holy site.
Tottenham and Arsenal are the most bitter rivals in the English Premier League (EPL). The derby relationship between the two teams began in 1913 when Arsenal moved from Ulrich to North London.
After World War I, the promotion scandal broke out in the process of reorganizing the first division, and the two teams became 'Whethers. The rivalry between the two teams heated up, with Sol Campbell, who played for Tottenham, being involved in Judas controversy in the process of moving to Arsenal.
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| Kaitak Stadium, Hong Kong. AFP Yonhap News |
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| Reuters Yonhap News |
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Fans of both teams expect a hundred times more tension each season. But this time, the pros and cons are mixed. Disappointed fans said 'This is disgraceful. Pathetic', 'Do you travel such a long way to play against your neighbors', 'The game is officially over', 'Does the friendly match make sense?' On the other hand, supporters cheered 'Our team is finally coming to Hong Kong' and 'I'll be there'
The first outside of the UK 'North London Derby' is part of the Hong Kong Football Festival 2025. Liverpool of the EPL and AC Milan of Italy's Serie A were also invited. The two teams will face off on July 26.
Arsenal last toured Hong Kong in 2012, and Tottenham visited Japan and South Korea in turn last year. Tottenham said on the same day that it was "delighted to announce the match against Arsenal in Hong Kong as part of its summer pre-season tour" and that it would "interact with fans, celebrate and support local culture, and provide a football clinic for youth during its stay in Hong Kong."
An open training session will be held on July 29, the day before the game. Ryan Norris, Tottenham's CRO, rarely has a bigger event in English football than "North London Derby". Not only is playing this game in Hong Kong a big event for a passionate fan base across Asia, but it is also an opportunity for the team to make ideal preparations ahead of the new season." And emphasized that "in accordance with the tradition of the tour, if we visit, the club will be involved in a lot more than the game itself."
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| AFP Yonhap News |
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| AP Yonhap News |
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Arsenal are unbeaten (5 wins and 1 draw) in six consecutive games against Tottenham. He has also won two games this season. The last time Tottenham beat Arsenal was in May 2022.
Son Heung-min is famous for being the man of the North London derby. He has four goals in his last four games against Arsenal. Sonhmin has played a total of 21 'North London derby' so far. He played 19 games in the EPL and two in the League Cup.
He scored seven goals in the league, one in the league cup, a total of eight goals. It ranks fourth in the all-time 'North London Derby's scoring rankings. Ahead of Son Heung-min are Harry Kane (14 goals), Emmanuel Adebayor (10 goals) and Robert Pire (9 goals).
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
