Fourth spot down to the wire, says Arteta

LONDON • Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had only one thing on his mind as he prepared his team to welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League today - to finish in the top four this season even if it is going to be a "roller-coaster" ride.

The Gunners are in sixth place on 42 points, four behind Manchester United (46) in fourth but, crucially, they have three games in hand on the Red Devils.

Arteta's men will be seeking a second win over Wolves in less than a month after their 1-0 victory at Molineux on Feb 10.

"It's going to be a bit of a roller-coaster, there is always going to be (pressure) till the end," he said when asked about his team's chances of securing a Champions League spot for next term.

"There are moments when a team opens a gap and then (others) catch up - that race is going to be right till the end. But our focus has to be today. Train well today and be ready tomorrow to play a difficult match.

"I do (miss the Champions League) a lot because... it's one of the best you can have. I am really happy here and my aim is to build a winning team that can transmit what we want football-wise and as an organisation."

Arsenal have not played in Europe's elite club competition since 2016-17 and based on their form, they have a good chance to end that unwanted run.

The Gunners have conceded just nine goals at the Emirates this campaign, with only Liverpool (seven) boasting a better record at home.

Their tally of 26 home points is also just behind the Reds (30) and leaders Manchester City (31).

Midfielder Emile Smith Rowe, 21, has been one of the standout performers this season with nine goals and two assists in 21 league games.

"The numbers should be looking something like this and that's not a coincidence. He's working hard every day because he knows he has the capacity to do this," added Arteta of his side's top scorer.

Seventh-placed Wolves are two points behind Arsenal having played a game more but, like their opponents today, will move into fifth with a win.

Not many would have predicted Bruno Lage's men to be challenging for a Champions League spot but they have been impressive this campaign.

They won five of their last six league games since the turn of the year, including victories against United and Tottenham, with the loss to Arsenal their only blemish.

When asked if Wolves are top-four contenders, Arteta said: "They look like it. If you look at the last two games (2-1 win over Leicester and 2-0 against Spurs) and how they played against us, they're gonna be up there."

Wolves forward Pedro Neto has praised Lage for his good work since he replaced Nuno Espirito Santo in June last year.

The Portuguese told the club website: "The coach has brought a lot of ideas and if we do what he wants, we have the players to do well. The mentality and the quality are both there so are the ideas.

"We have to put those ideas and quality on matches, so I was not surprised at how well the team was doing."

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