Arsenal winger Theo Walcott is looking forward to facing Tottenham fullback Gareth Bale tonight.

The pair were together at Southampton and Walcott told the Telegraph: "I've worked with Harry Redknapp and he's a brilliant person to be around.

"I'm sure he'll get everyone's confidence up. I get messages from Gareth all the time and I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully, deep down, he isn't looking forward to it. I've never played against him. It will be a big challenge - he's one of the best left-backs and he could play left wing as well.

"A lot of people are surprised about Tottenham's start, the amount of money they've spent and the players they've got. Obviously there has got to be something going on in the background, they have so many world-class players.

"I've been lucky to come into an Arsenal team that's doing well. It's difficult when a team's struggling to find your top level, but they will find their form, I'm sure."