A fixture that has entertained and enthralled down the years, today's contest at the Emirates may prove no different as both sides continue in their quest to secure Champions League football.

Cucurella will be hoping it’s the Blues who own the majority of the exciting moments this weekend and believes we’re in a good place to take on the Gunners.

And as we prepare for the 211th London derby between the two clubs, the Spanish defender - who has been in fine form this campaign - emphasised the importance of sticking to the team’s strategy and maintaining our confidence in north London.

‘I think we need to stick to our plan,’ Cucurella opened. ‘We have the talent, we are in a good moment with confidence and for us and the fans it’s a special game. We will try to do everything to try and win these three points and have another win in the bag.’

Thursday night’s victory over Copenhagen means the Blues have recorded four successive wins in all competitions, and that has led to renewed confidence within the squad. Cucurella has stressed that although every derby carries added significance, the mindset must remain consistent.

He explained: ‘The most important thing is to try and take each game as the most important game because it doesn’t matter which team or game you’re playing, you are playing for three points. It’s about staying focused and going into the next game and seeing where we finish this season.’

Having found the net five times in total across all competitions this term, the Spain international has relished becoming an important source of goals. And Cucurella is enjoying his new-found goalscoring touch and hopes to continue making an impact at the other end of the pitch.

‘I always try to give the best for my team and put everything on the pitch to try to win,’ he said. ‘It’s very special to score. One of the things I’ve always thought that I could improve on is the last third – getting more goals and more assists. And this season I've had this opportunity, scoring a few goals.

‘I’m very happy because I feel very good but the most important thing is that it’s able to help the team with the goals I score and that they are important. Now I’m a bit of a goalscorer, so hopefully I can score more goals and I’m very happy.’

The full-back has partly attributed his current form to an enforced spell on the sidelines last season. Reflecting on the challenges of dealing with injuries, he highlighted how vital his mental resilience has been in his recovery, taking key lessons from his time out to help him in this campaign.

‘I think football is more than 50 per cent based on confidence,’ Marc added. ‘And when you are injured, you don’t feel good and it can be difficult because you are in a part of the team where you can feel alone.

‘You don’t know if when you come back you will feel well or have more problems, so it can be difficult. The most important thing is the brain and how you are focused on your recovery.

‘In my case, I had a long injury last season, but I learned a lot of things and I’m very proud that I worked on those things. It’s about using your personality to bounce back from those difficult moments.’