Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal preview: Spurs fans believe, says Harry Kane - the Lane atmosphere can be key

If it was a surprise when Harry Kane headed Tottenham Hotspur’s winner against Arsenal last year, it would be no shock should the same thing happen this weekend. White Hart Lane has been transformed into a place where there is a special bond between players, manager and supporters.

That was in evidence last Sunday, when Spurs beat Swansea City 2-1 despite trailing for most of the game, and Kane spoke afterwards about how that unique feeling drove them on.

“I feel that we just have that belief throughout the whole stadium,” said Kane, describing how the atmosphere helped Spurs. “The fans, everyone, was just waiting for it and urging the ball to go in. We had to bring the game to Swansea. It is tough sometimes when you have to be patient and you can’t always force it.”

It was only 16 months ago that Emmanuel Adebayor said Spurs were afraid to play at White Hart Lane but that has completely changed now.

“The fans have been amazing,” Kane said. “The atmosphere was unbelievable against Swansea. You saw when the Arsenal scoreline came up, and everyone had a big roar. It is very important. You feel that energy around the stadium. We are doing all we can to give the fans back what they want to see.”

After the rare setback of a 1-0 defeat at West Ham on Wednesday night, Mauricio Pochettino is likely to make changes today to keep his Spurs team fresh. Kane said the whole squad pulling together was key to their success. “We’ve got a great squad,” he said. “Everyone is in it together. We’ve got great depth. We’ve got players that have got ability. They’re a great bunch of lads.

“Obviously, sometimes you can be annoyed if you are on the bench and not playing but everyone’s ready and waiting to take their chance to try to prove that they should be starting.”

The mood is good and Spurs can continue to look up. “At the start of the season, it was just to try to get into the top four but now that we’re close [to the very top], it’s just taking each game as it comes and seeing what happens,” Kane said. “We don’t fear anyone.”

The England striker has struggled in front of goal recently and Pochettino suggested the problem was not so much the burden of responsibility, but the mask he is wearing to protect a broken nose.

“Harry had two or three clear chances to score [at West Ham] but was unlucky,” said the Argentine. “Sometimes a period arrives when it is difficult to score. He is not a machine.

“Then he’s playing with a mask. Sometimes it can disturb you, especially when you are a creative player. Maybe it’s easier for [Nemanja] Matic or different players that play behind, but you need to be sharp when you are offensive and creative.

“He is still learning to deal with being a leader and top scorer and one of the key players of Tottenham and the national team. It is not an easy job, but we are happy in the way he has developed his leadership.”