Guns facing chilly clash

ARSENAL can be assured of a chilly welcome in northern Sweden on Thursday night for one of European football’s great David v Goliath clashes.

The North Londoners will take on Ostersund FK at a time of year when temperatures in this part of Scandinavia hover around minus 15C.

The match will not only pit Arsene Wenger against an Englishman last seen on these shores managing Leeds Met University, it will also see the mega-bucks Premier League outfit come up against a side who can only dream of their riches.

But Ostersund boss Graham Potter (above) says that for 90 minutes at the Jamtkraft Arena, money will be irrelevant.

“We occupy a very different world,” he said. “Both teams broke their transfer record in January — but ours didn’t cost £56million, he was £150,000.

“To understand how amazing this match is, you have to understand where we’ve come from.

“The money in the Premier League has escalated over the past few years. It’s nothing that we have to worry about at our end.

“We’re just seeing how we can be competitive and how we can develop our club in what is quite a mad world sometimes.

“We just carry on with what we’re doing.

“Arsenal will be in unfamiliar surroundings. Our stadium is tight, it’s small and it’s made of wood, really.

“It will be cold too — very cold. You have to be wrapped up in the dug-out over here. Footwear is important because the cold comes up from the ground — it can be a test.”

Wenger (above) knows a thing or two about frosty receptions, with Arsenal fans adopting a notoriously icy attitude to the Frenchman over recent seasons.

That’s not a problem that Potter has to deal with.

The former Saints, Stoke and West Brom full-back has become something of a cult figure in Swedish football since arriving at Ostersunds in 2011.

Their run to the knockout stages of the Europa League has only served to reinforce his status as one of Swedish football’s most colourful characters.

“To have a match like this isn’t just incredible for us, it’s something that has captured the imagination of the whole country,” he added.

“And to come up against someone like Arsene Wenger, who I’ve looked up to since he arrived in English football, will be a pinch-yourself moment.

“He’s one of the greats of the game, it’s going to be a fantastic experience.“