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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Sol Campbell discusses the North London Derby rivalry, with Arsenal hosting Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday
Sol Campbell believes that the famous north London derby "edge" will be centre stage on Sunday – and any title-race talk is just a sideshow.
The Gunners’ record has been so good in their half of the north of the capital, but the stakes are higher than ever, with anything other than a win not good enough for Mikel Arteta.
A Premier League title chase is on the line, which transcends any rival squabbles. For Campbell, it is these games which elevate the sport to another level.
The Gunners icon, speaking on behalf of Paddy Power, exclusively told Football London: “I think for me, there's always that edge, and I think it's always going to be there. That's the key, I think, that keeps certain aspects of football alive. You are alive; there are so many things connected with the game.
“Some families have fans on both sides in one family. Others just want to watch a great game. Players want to have bragging rights in north London.
“Everybody wants to go and sing songs in the pubs and things like that. So these kind of games, these derbies, I mean, up and down the country, there's derbies everywhere. Honestly, I think it just keeps football going to another level.
“I think it keeps people, you know, raging, happy, sad, ecstatic. It gives everything in 90 minutes. So I think these games are definitely the soul of the Premier League, these derbies up and down the country.”
Campbell has become synonymous with the derby having made the switch from Tottenham to Arsenal back in 2001 in one of the most dramatic moves ever.
It was a decision that saw anger directed at him from the Tottenham half, while he became forever loved for what he achieved under Arsene Wenger.
In the years since his retirement, Campbell has certainly learned to embrace the light-hearted, humorous side of his story, and early in 2025, released what would become a viral advert with Google.
Campbell revealed that despite a focus that would delight any Arsenal fan who watched it, the idea came from an unlikely source.
“Google came to me and said, ‘Do you want to do this situation?’ It's a little bit different, and the guy who actually came up with the idea is a Tottenham fan!
He added: “They did a really good job to help me through the whole filming. It's definitely one of the biggest adverts Google has ever done.”
There will be no time for jokes once the whistle is blown at 4:30pm on Sunday, however, and Campbell believes that for the Gunners this is a ‘special moment’ and coming back off the dropping of points before the break, momentum must be retained.
He added: “This is a special moment when you've got a great squad, you've got a great mentality. The manager has acquired and forged this top team from great products of the youth system to buy really cleverly in the market, and they know there's no time to switch off anymore.
“They've got to keep this momentum going because momentum can just go like a flash if you do not respect it, and I think everyone's on it, on and off the field. I think they're looking after themselves because they know how important it is.”
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