- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is happy with Jack Wilshere betting Tottenham fans over who will finish higher this season.
Wilshere had to field plenty of remarks from Tottenham fans during their win over Aston Villa on Monday night and Wilshere responded by pledging £3,000 to charity if Spurs finish above their local rivals this season.
The England international had one condition - that Spurs fans donate to charity if Arsenal are the top north London club.
"Jack made a contest," Wenger said. "The good thing about that is that a charity will get some money.
"He said that the supporters of Tottenham will have to pay £1 each, so because they have many I hope the charity will get a lot of money and Wilshere will not have to pay anything.
"[The challenge shows] that we are ready for a challenge and the charity will get some money."
- Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny feels he has a long way to go to feel established at the club.
While Szczesny has been impressing fans and media alike, he believes there is still plenty of work left for him to do.
“I still need to prove myself at this Club,” the goalkeeper said. “I still need to work hard every day and prove myself as a No 1 at this Club.
“I am going to keep working hard and doing my best. I am satisfied but you can always be much better.
“I can improve on every single aspect of my game. There is no finished article in football. I am only 21 so I try to improve every aspect.
“People still say I am over confident but I am a big critic of myself,” he added. “If I watch a game the day after I played it, I look at the mistakes I have made and I try to learn from them.
“I speak to the coaches and we analyse every little mistake and it’s all to make me improve. There is a lot of room for improvement, I believe. I listen to the coaches’ advice and hopefully I will learn.
“I am just focusing on doing my job properly and if my manager and team-mates appreciate it then I am happy.”
- Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is happy to have silenced the wind-up merchants in theBorussia Dortmund squad.
Arsenal's Polish goalkeeper became the butt of a stream of jokes after his side's 8-2 trouncing atManchester United in August.
Szczesny, 21, said: "The Polish players in the Dortmund team took the mickey out of me about some of the games at the start of the season.
"The 8-2 defeat was one of them.
"But they haven't been giving me much stick lately because we have picked up some good form.
"I'm confident we can beat them this time so my banter will be better than theirs after the game.
"I feel the improvement in the back four. We work together on the training ground and it seems to be working during the games. We are much more confident, we concede fewer goals and I hope we can keep it going."
- Arsenal are ready to discuss Mario Gotze's availability from Borussia Dortmund this week.
Gotze will cost the Gunners £30million if they are to pry him away in January.
The 19-year-old scored the winner at Bayern Munich on Saturday and continues to attract attention all over the continent.
Arsene Wenger, though, insisted: "We have a big squad and we are not after anybody. Gotze is a very good player. I can understand there is a lot of interest in him around Europe.
"On our side, I do not think this is the best time to talk about it. We play against Dortmund tomorrow and we must concentrate on the game, not transfers."
Should Arsenal meet the asking price, it would shatter the club's record transfer which currently stands at £15m, the price paid to Zenit St Petersburg for Andrey Arshavin in 2009.
Arsenal sent two scouts to watch Goetze against Bayern Munich, and chief executive Ivan Gazidis, together with key negotiator Richard Law, will discuss the club’s interest in Goetze with Dortmund officials this week.
- Borussia Dortmund star Mario Gotze insists transfer talk linking him with Arsenal won't unsettle him tonight.
Gotze says he is committed to Dortmund and also fancies their chances of victory.
“I’ve heard the rumours but I never let that affect me,” he said. “I’m only focused on Dortmund, now more than ever. Arsenal have improved, but we’ve also recovered our best levels.
“We want to win and we need to play an offensive game.”
- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger wants a change to loan transfer laws.
Emmanuel Adebayor struck twice as Tottenham beat Aston Villa on Monday night to move into third place in the top flight, but current
Premier League rules dictate that he will not be able to put a dent in Manchester City's own title challenge. Wenger thinks that is wrong.
"If the loan is a loan he should be capable to play against everybody," he said. That is the only thing I believe. And it’s the same with Bendtner.
"Look before, remember, you had the choice. There was one period where you had the choice and I never, never refused the choice. I always said yes, you can play against us. Even though, one time, Francis Jeffers I think was on loan and scored against us.
"I allowed Jermaine Pennant to play against us with Leeds and I always allowed the players to play. I would allow Bendtner to play too."
- Real Madrid midfielder Esteban Granero is being linked with Arsenal.
Granero will be allowed to leave Real Madrid in January after a showdown meeting with bossJose Mourinho.
Real said: "If we receive a good offer it will be studied."
That leaves the way open for the Gunners to land the £6million-rated former Spanish Under-21 star.
Granero, 24, has largely been a fringe player since Mourinho took charge, appearing just 17 times last season.
But Arsenal boss Wenger has long been a fan and believes the midfielder can help take some of the creative burden off Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey.
- Arsenal are keeping tabs on Udinese star Gabriel Torje.
The Romania international only moved to Udine in the summer as a direct replacement for Alexis Sanchez after his transfer to Barcelona.
Torje has 15 caps for his country and signed a five-year deal with Udinese following his move from FC Dinamo.
Arsene Wenger is eager to sign reinforcements in January and, according to sources in Italy, Torje has now emerged as a target.
- Stevenage have snapped up Arsenal midfielder Chuks Aneke.
Aneke has joined League One side Stevenage FC on loan until January 22, 2012.
The 18-year-old England youth international will team up with fellow young Gunner Luke Freeman, who joined the ‘Boro last week and made his debut for the side on Saturday, playing 85 minutes of their 0-0 draw at Leyton Orient.
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