Wenger: Yes, I can lose it if we lose

As opposition managers can testify, there is no telling what can happen when Wenger loses his cool — and Premier League passions will certainly be reignited when he takes his team to White Hart Lane for the north London derby this lunchtime.

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Head to head: Jol (left) and Wenger confront each other at Highbury 18 months ago

Martin Jol is among a number of managers who have been toeto- toe on the touchline with the usually mild-mannered and much-admired Arsenal chief, but Wenger concedes he finds it difficult to keep his emotions in check.

Wenger, who has not been beaten by Tottenham in the past 15 derbies, said: "I am never in good health after losing.

"When you are 3-0 up with five minutes to go then you can relax, but in England you can relax less in the final part of the game than anybody else. Teams never give up.

"Your emotions are linked with your health. I read somewhere that I take defeat in a difficult way, but how else can you take it?

"You should not be in this job unless it hurts to lose a match. If it does not hurt you then you will not survive in this job.

"The players are the same. There are periods when you can hide things quite well and periods when you can hide less.

"I've forgotten about specific defeats, but I always feel terrible because every defeat at a club is a crisis. I want to achieve as much as I can."

Arsenal are settled snugly behind Liverpool at the top of the table but they have not won the Premier League title since the "Invincibles" swept all before them in 2004 — and Wenger is under pressure, much of it self-imposed, to reclaim the crown.

Also under pressure is Jol, who insists that the gap between his side and Arsenal is not great. Failure to defeat their rivals at White Hart Lane in eight attempts suggests otherwise.

There were suggestions before the start of the season that Spurs could force their way into the top four, but early form has been disappointing.

Yet, Jol is convinced he can do a similar job to Wenger, if given the chance. "With the same continuity, I will do the same. That is what I have said all along," he insisted.

"It depends on a few little things, a bigger stadium, turnover, wages. But we are doing fine with the tools we have got.

"The year before we were fourth in the League for six or seven months and we were above Arsenal, so I think we are pretty close.

"Last year, they didn't have the best of seasons and we ended up with 60 points, I don't think it is a big gap. It's more of a gap to United and Chelsea, but not with Arsenal.

"You have to beat big teams to do well otherwise we will always be in the top five or six. But that's not enough. We want to do better."

Unfortunately, gatecrashing the top four may already be beyond Spurs. Victory over Arsenal could convince Spurs chiefs that Jol can still be the man to achieve their objectives.

But defeat to their arch rivals may see the board decide Jol has had all the continuity he is going to get.