Jack Wilshere: 'We want to finish above Spurs'
Jack Wilshere is eager to continue Arsenal's long tradition of finishing above its north London neighbour Tottenham.
The midfielder admitted he and the rest of the Arsenal squad were motivated by Tottenham's loss to Southampton before their match against Manchester City on Sunday.
Tottenham's loss, combined with Arsenal's draw with City, leaves the Gunners just two points back of Spurs ahead of the final matchday of the season. It's a margin Arsenal hopes to close in order to extend its 20-year streak of finishing over its bitter rival.
"We all knew the Spurs result (before the City game) and of course that motivates us," Wilshere told the Evening Standard.
"We want to finish above them and show we are the best team in north London. We expect to win our home games so hopefully Newcastle can do us a favour."
The Englishman added that the team's spirits were boosted by the news that Southampton pulled off a 2-1 victory over Tottenham at White Hart Lane.
"I saw about 10 minutes of the first half and when I turned it off it was 1-1. Obviously, then you are checking your phone in the dressing room. When we saw it finished 2-1, it gave us a real lift," Wilshere said.
It's not the first time the 24-year-old has celebrated Tottenham's plight after leading an anti-Spurs chant during Arsenal's FA Cup victory parade.
Related - VIDEO: Jack Wilshere leads anti-Tottenham chants during Arsenal's victory parade
His actions, while adored by Arsenal fans, led the Football Association to charge him with misconduct and forced him to pay a £40,000 fine. Wilshere later apologised for the incident.
Arsenal will host Championship-bound Aston Villa during the final match of the season.