Arsenal skipper Thomas Vermaelen admitted a win over North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur would give a big boost to the Gunners' confidence while goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny hopes three points will provide the sort of lift the club received after last season's 5-2 win.

The North London Derby is one of the biggest and fiercest derbies in the European game, and both teams will be extremely determined to get one over their rivals.

Arsenal have struggled to find their rhythm off late, which has in turn led to some poor results. Szczesny, however, is confident a win will give his team the impetus needed to go on a winning run, similar to the one experienced after the 5-2 win in February.

"It's a massive game, and it doesn't really matter what form you are in when it comes around," he told the official matchday program.

"Both teams have had some disappointing results recently, but it's all about commitment in this one and I'm confident we can go out there and get the job done.

"Hopefully it can have the same effect for us that it did in February, when it really kick-started our season. It comes a little bit earlier this year, so after a frustrating couple of weeks we hope a similar thing can happen -- and over a longer period."

Vermaelen, meanwhile, knows the importance of three points, but also the need to get a positive result over their biggest rivals. "This isn't a normal game -- it's a special one," he said. "Practically, we need to get three points on the board, but I think it would give both the fans and the team a massive boost if we won.

"Last season we came back from 2-0 down, working really hard for a memorable turnaround. We want to create the same impetus this time and it's a big opportunity to do so.

"If you look at the league table, we're not too far behind third and fourth places. Nothing is lost yet -- a win against Spurs would be a big step."

The defender is no stranger to big derbies, having been in a few of them during his time with Ajax, before experiencing the North London rivalry, which he believes is on another level to the one in Holland.

"Ajax always had a big rivalry with Feyenoord, which was quite similar, but I think it's even more pronounced here," he added.

"The level is higher, and it just feels like a step up. This is more intense and you can feel that in the atmosphere in the stadium whenever we play Spurs. Without fail, it's unbelievable."