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Arsenal legend Thierry Henry says anytime you can get one over on Tottenham is a reason to celebrate – though he wishes the Gunners had bigger fish to fry.

The Frenchman, now with New York Red Bulls, was speaking to SkySports about the criticism Arsene Wenger and his players received for their jubilant celebration of beating Newcastle on the final day of the Premier League season.

The result kept Arsenal in fourth place, qualifying yet again for the Champions League, and left Spurs to ponder the also-rans' marathon of the Europa League, having held a seven-point edge in the 'north London title race' at one point.

(Image: Stu Forster)

Henry reportedly said: "I know we can have a go about the pictures of them celebrating finishing fourth, but you have to understand that, for any Arsenal player, when you really feel the shirt and really play for the club, putting Tottenham out of the top four [matters] - and I really do hope that's what they were celebrating.

"If you are an Arsenal man through and through – that is like winning something.

"But, and I said it when we did it to [Tottenham] in 2006, for me that's the only thing we could celebrate."

Henry accepts that, local rivalry aside, it was another season of relative failure at the Emirates.

He added: "Yes, they finished in the top four. But there is only one champion: Manchester United. I'm a competitor, so there is only one thing I can remember from 2013 - and that is that United won the league.

"For me, as a fan and as a player at Arsenal, we should be in the top four as normal - but [instead] it saved our season."

(Image: Getty Images)

Henry went on to acknowledge that 'normal' as far as Arsenal are concerned, means Arsene Wenger. And the former Gunners star is struggling to imagine the club with a different boss at the helm.

Henry said: "For me it's very difficult for me to see Arsenal play, one day, without Arsene on the bench. Whatever, after, people can say 'oh yeah they won, they didn't win' but for me there I will see Arsenal play without Arsene on the bench, it's going to be weird.

"I'd just love to have him there all the time. We all know that's not going to happen, one day he's going to have to go. But it will be hard..."