Overmars: Bale reminds me of Henry

Former Arsenal winger Marc Overmars has compared Tottenham star Gareth Bale with his former team-mate Thierry Henry.

Former Arsenal winger Marc Overmars has compared Tottenham star Gareth Bale with his former team-mate Thierry Henry.

As Spurs and Arsenal gear up for Sunday’s north London derby, Dutchman Overmars said Bale’s incredible form reminded him of Henry, the magical Frenchman who inspired Arsenal to glory often in his heyday between 1999 until 2007.

“He’s an unbelievable talent,” Overmars told Goal.com. “I’d compare him with Thierry Henry.

“He’s got such speed that even after 30 yards, he can still run faster. It makes a lot of difference when you have that kind of power.

“He’s an athlete who can play good football and has great technique, so he can play anywhere in the world.”

Overmars cautioned his former team against being too focused on the Welshman in Sunday’s match.

“He’s in good form, but it’s not just Bale who plays. You’ve got 10 more players,” he said.

“The match against Spurs will be crucial.

“When Arsenal play Spurs, they should have only one thing in mind: they have to win.

“They can’t afford to draw and they can’t afford to lose. For the players, the pressure is high to perform. It will be a match of life and death.

“When I signed here, I knew that Arsenal-Spurs or Spurs-Arsenal was the game you have to win, so I was aware of its power. I also remember the matches, and it was always very difficult.

“But now the situation is different. When you look at the table, Arsenal don’t have any choice. If Spurs draw it’s not a big issue for them. But Arsenal have to win.

“And when you have to win, you perform at your best, so I think they are the favourites.”