Arsenal manager Unai Emery believes the opportunity to inch close to within a point of Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League will be a "big motivation" for his players ahead of Saturday`s north London derby.
Midfielders Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan marked their sparkling return to form as Arsenal eased past Bournemouth 5-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
The win, coupled with Tottenham`s loss at Chelsea, means fourth-placed Arsenal head to Wembley this weekend four points adrift of their local rivals.
"It is a big motivation," Emery told reporters.
"We need to take the opportunity like today, these three points. They are still ahead of us in the table, and it`s difficult to win there, but it`s a good test."
Mkhitaryan and Ozil both put themselves in contention to start the derby with a goal apiece against Bournemouth, but Emery refused to be drawn on whether the pair had done enough to feature in his tactical plans for the weekend.
"I`m going to watch the match back, and Tottenham`s, and after that I will decide our gameplan for Saturday with every player," he added.
