Almunia: I can handle being captain

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Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
14 Apr	7:45 PM	P	Tottenham Hotspur (A)	1	2	Lost

Manuel Almunia has played down the role of being Arsenal's captain for the remainder of the season.

The goalkeeper has skippered the side in the absence of first choice team captain Cesc Fabregas, and with the midfielder out for the rest of the season, Almunia is expected to lead the Gunners out in their remaining games.

But the Spaniard believes his role in the team is always the same, and that there are other players in the side who share the leadership responsibilities.

Talking to Arsenal TV Online, he said: "I've had this role all season. Despite Cesc being the captain all season, my role in the team is not going to change.

"Also, Robin is back soon and he is a big player, and his role is going to be massive as well."

The stand-in captain also made it clear that there is no room for error against Spurs on Wednesday, against an improved Tottenham team and an intimidating derby atmosphere.

He said: "[The game against Tottenham] is crucial. We have five games left and if we drop any points we're out of the race.

"They're playing well, they're a strong side. The Barcelona stadium is massive, but it's not the same pressure.

"But we have played there many times and we know them very well."

Almunia added that Arsenal could have the advantage of a few days' extra rest, especially after Tottenham had to play extra time in their FA Cup defeat to Portsmouth.

He said: "It's good to have some days to rest because we've had a couple of weeks playing some really hard teams.

"These days off are good for resting players with injuries, and we expect on Wednesday everyone will be fresh and fit to win the match."

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