Thomas Frank is relishing the prospect of his first North London derby in charge of Tottenham, and is expecting a "madhouse" meeting with rivals Arsenal on Sunday. 

Frank's team make the short trip to Emirates Stadium this weekend to an Arsenal side who are four points clear at the Premier League summit after a strong start to 2025-26. 

Tottenham are eight points behind the league leaders in what has been an indifferent start to life under Frank, though they have performed well away from home this term.

Indeed, Spurs are the only side still unbeaten away from home in the Premier League this season (W4 D1).

They have the joint-most points (13), the joint-most goals (12) and the fewest goals conceded (three) of any side on the road, and are hoping to knock Arsenal out of their stride. 

Frank, however, has not enjoyed recent meetings with the Gunners. Since winning his first-ever Premier League game in charge against Arsenal in August 2021, the Dane has since gone without a triumph in seven against Arsenal (D2 L5).

And while Frank, whose team are fifth in the standings, conceded Spurs are a long way off their rivals, he believes that they can disrupt Arsenal in front of their own supporters. 

"The interesting thing is that probably both Mikel and I would like a little bit more of a controlled game, but it will probably end up absolutely madhouse," Frank said. 

"I expect a difficult [match], but a game that can go anywhere."

It's been a fixture dominated by the Gunners, with Arsenal losing just one of their last 32 Premier League home games against Spurs, going down 3-2 in November 2010.

Spurs have lost seven of their last nine Premier League games against Arsenal (W1 D1), as many defeats as they'd suffered in their previous 25 North London derbies (W9 D9).

Arsenal have also won five of their last six Premier League games against Tottenham (D1), including the last three in a row.

It's their longest winning run against Spurs since a five-game stretch between January 1987 and January 1989, though Frank is hoping he is the man who can turn the tide. 

"Arsenal are at the top of the table, by quite a distance," Frank added. "They've been good for a few years, but we need to do everything we can to turn that around."

Tottenham come into the game off the back of a 2-2 draw against Manchester United last time out, with Matthijs de Ligt netting a dramatic equaliser in the 96th minute. 

That game saw Mathys Tel and Richarlison score two goals in seven second-half minutes late on to cancel out Bryan Mbeumo's 32nd-minute opener in the capital. 

It was an encounter reminiscent of Ange Postecoglou's reign at the club, with Frank not afraid to revert to that heavy metal approach against Arsenal this time around. 

"Definitely embrace controlled chaos, or chaos we like to create if that makes sense, because chaos can be good," Frank added. 

"Chaos can be transitions, high-pressure and set-piece second phases and all those areas are, of course, areas we would like to exploit if we can.

"By the way, we will never go for a 0-0. It maybe will end 0-0, but we will always try to win. Always, always, always."