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Former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has jokingly claimed that he may not be allowed into Tottenham Hotspur's Stadium for the north London derby on Sunday (January 15). The Gunners make the short trip to their rivals' fortress as they look to continue their pursuit of the Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta's side are top of the league, with 14 wins, two draws, and one defeat in 17 games. They take on a Tottenham side that sit fifth, with 10 wins, three draws, and five losses in 18 matches.
The north London derby has always been one full of hostility between the two rivals. Wilshere knows all about the feud between the sides. He appeared in the fixture on 11 occasions, winning four and losing as many of those games.
The now-retired former Gunners midfielder has joked that he may not be allowed into the Tottenham Hotspur stadium due to his allegiances with their London rivals. He told Hayters TV:
“Let’s take every game as it comes and most importantly let’s beat Tottenham on Sunday. I go to a lot of the home games. I won't be going to White Hart Lane, or whatever it's called now. What's it called now? I won't be going to the stadium. I don't think they'll let me in."
Wilshere endured an injury-ridden career at the Emirates Stadium but became a fan favorite during his time at the club. He made 197 appearances, scoring 14 goals and providing 30 assists. He announced his retirement from football, aged 30 in July 2022. The Englishman is now the U18s manager.
Former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott predicts the Gunners to win the derby, talks up their title chances
Arsenal's hunt for a first league title since 2004 continues, and their next task is to dispatch rivals Tottenham on Sunday. Walcott is predicting Arteta's men to beat Spurs away from home.
He was asked by talkSPORT whether he thought his former side could win the title. Walcott responded by alluding to the form of stand-in frontman Eddie Nketiah. The English forward has scored seven goals in 23 games across competitions:
"Yes. I do. I really do actually. Look at Eddie Nketiah right now, he’s having his opportunity and he’s taken it with both hands. There’s something about Arsenal right now, just the whole atmosphere there. I’m positive about it, I really am."
Walcott then touched on the north London derby with Spurs, and he was in a confident mood over Arteta's side's chances:
"It’s at Tottenham isn’t it? I’m very confident to be honest, I feel like Tottenham play quite a negative style. But to some extent Arsenal will have a lot of the ball which could play a bit into Tottenham’s hands, they tend to like that."
Spurs have endured a topsy-turvy time recently, and trail Sunday's opponents by 11 points heading into their clash.
