Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere believes his side showed they can compete with the top teams in Europe when they beat AC Milan last week.
The Gunners knocked seven-time European champions Milan out of the Europa League Round of 16, winning 5-1 on aggregate after a 3-1 victory at the Emirates.
Going into the two legs against Milan, Arsenal had been on a poor run of form, losing their last four matches before the first leg.
But Wilshere believes the much-needed win in the Europa League proved Arsenal can still battle against the best. NaijaBet.com
“We needed it,” Wilshere told BT Sport, as reported by the Express.
“We set the level last week in Milan. It was about getting the job done tonight and being professional.
“When we looked at the draw before, AC Milan was probably not one of the teams we fancied but we showed we can play against the top teams in Europe.” NaijaBet.com
The Gunners will now face CSKA Moscow in the quarter-finals, with the Europa League representing their last chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season.
Arsenal are currently sixth in the Premier League, 13 points adrift of Tottenham Hotspur, who occupy the fourth spot with a game in hand.
Jack Wilshere’s season so far
After a sporadic start this season, playing just four of the first 15 Premier League games with no starts, Wilshere has found himself once again at the heart of the Arsenal midfield.
The Englishman has started 10 of the past 15 games, with three further appearances from the bench, scoring once and making one assist in those games. NaijaBet.com
Over the season as a whole, Wilshere has created 10 chances and two assists, achieving a pass completion rate of 86%. Still a fiery character despite his injury problems, the Englishman has won 61% of his total duels in midfield. However, with just three months remaining on his current contract, Wilshere’s future at Arsenal is in doubt with no sign of talks progressing just yet.
