Alexis Sanchez insists it will give him “great joy” to knock Tottenham out of the Champions League.
Former Arsenal striker Sanchez, 33, is on a mission to help Marseille qualify for the knock-out stages at the expense of Tottenham in their showdown at the Stade Velodrome.
Sanchez, who is enjoying a renaissance with the French giants, said: “I have great affection for Arsenal from my time there. I have some great memories with everyone at the club, especially the fans. “Beating Spurs every time was a great joy. It was very special and those are memories that I hold dear to my heart. Every single player has motivation to play and win. We all want to bring the victory back.
“In the dressing room, there is a lot of passion. Playing in front of the fans with their atmosphere is super important and that will drive us on.”
Sanchez is one of four Marseille stars with Arsenal connections with ex-Gunners Matteo Guendouzi and Sead Kolasinac in the squad and Nuno Tavares also on loan.
Former Manchester United star Sanchez left Arsenal under a cloud to go to Old Trafford but had a good record in North London derbies, losing just once from seven games against Tottenham and scoring twice.
Sanchez has scored six goals in 14 games for Marseille who are having a mixed season but he says the atmosphere in the ground will give them a huge chance. Tottenham will be out if they lose but any other result sees them go through.
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He added: “We want to progress, and we are working to do so. I’m here to be victorious for the team, playing for the fans, that pushes us on.
“The football reminds me more of the English game due to the physicality but in certain matches maybe we lacked a certain mentality or luck but we are on a good run.
“I’ve been here three months, I’m really happy here. You see people out on the streets, the fans, everyone is so passionate and that’s why I’m here.”
