UK Edition
Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, has challenged his side to win all of their remaining seven Premier League games to secure a top four finish and claim a coveted Champions League qualification spot.
The north Londoners are currently seventh in the league ahead of Wednesday night’s home game with Leicester City but Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City has given them a new lease of life.
Arsenal are currently seven points behind fourth placed Manchester City with a game in hand and nine points adrift of Liverpool in third but have three games in hand.
“It looks like we will have to win our remaining games,” said Wenger. “That has to be the target. To achieve that, we have to win the next one.
“I think the next thing we have to achieve is to transfer the energy level we showed on Sunday to the Premier League. We started well at Middlesbrough, so let’s continue that against Leicester.
“It’s open – but what it demands from us is consistency in the results now until the end of the season. It’s still possible, but that means we’ll maybe have to have a perfect run-in.
“Sunday will give us a lift for sure. But then we have to show we can keep that level of energy and that level of desire, of hunger in every single game until the end of the season.”
Wenger meanwhile refused again to confirm whether he will be at the club next season but did offer a possible clue as to his future by confirming he has made transfer plans for the summer.
“Yes, of course,” he said when asked if he was looking at new players. “I work until the last day of the season for the present and the future and the transfer targets are the future of the club and of course, it’s very important.”