Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta insists he is glad Tottenham fans will be able to attend Sunday's north London derby and dismissed the notion that such situations are unfair on away teams. 

The Gunners go to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend knowing the hosts will be cheered on by a 2,000-strong crowd, with the British government this week allowing supporters to return to stadiums in limited numbers in certain areas of the country. 

Fans have not been permitted at Premier League games since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, although no away support will be present and many grounds in certain locations will remain closed because of regional infection rates. 

It has been widely debated whether the area-by-area approach is fair, with some suggesting fans should be allowed into all stadiums or none, and this coming weekend will be the first Premier League matchday since restrictions were eased. 

It will undoubtedly be seen as a boost for Spurs heading into the game as they look to extend their six-match unbeaten run against the Gunners at home in the league, while Jose Mourinho is hoping to become the first Tottenham boss since 1955-56 to win his first two derbies. 

The impact of the fans returning is not lost on Arteta, who said: "You get heckled at every ball, every single fan is living that ball, pushing [willing] it towards their team, you feel that energy. 

"And you cannot deny as a player, when you are touched and you feel your fans and you are playing at that intensity and when the game has such a meaning, it's a massive lift. A derby without the fans isn't the same." 

But Arteta stopped short of suggesting it was unfair to not have any Arsenal fans in attendance, adding: "Yeah, but we've been waiting for this moment for a long time, we're not going to complain.

"Honestly, I want to play in a stadium with an atmosphere, with some fans, at the moment it'll be them with their supporters and next week it'll be us. We want to bring more fans when it's safe." 

Arsenal head into the game 14th in the Premier League table, the lowest they have been prior to a north London derby since August 1993 when they were 21st after just one game. 

Similarly, Spurs are top and on the longest unbeaten run (nine) in the division, and although Arteta thinks it is too early to consider them title challengers, he accepts the eight-point gap between the two is there for a reason. 

"I think it's very early in the season to say who is a title contender or not, what you can say is they are in the position they are because they've done things the right way," he continued. "It's what it is – if the table is like that it's because they deserve it more than us and are doing things better than us. 

"Across 90 minutes, I don't know, but in certain moments in certain games they have, and that way they got the results. 

"We have to accept that. What we want is to go there and try and win it and make that gap three points smaller. They are in a great moment, full of confidence. 

"You can see how much belief they have in what they do. When they have moments of difficulty they stick to their plan and have the belief they will get the result at some stage, and at the moment it's happening for them. 

"They are doing really well and this is why they are where they are."