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Why Emery picked Mkhitaryan for the NLD

Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s stamina and intensity made him the perfect selection for the north London derby, according to Unai Emery.

Our head coach picked Mkhitaryan ahead of Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for Saturday’s game against Tottenham - and the decision was hotly debated by our fans ahead of kick-off.

But Emery’s call was vindicated by Mkhitaryan’s relentless running, plus the pass that led to us winning a late penalty at Wembley.

What happened next was deeply frustrating, but you couldn’t fault the contribution of our Armenia international.

“He can do it, because physically he has a big [capacity],” said Emery.