Mikel Arteta says there is still a ‘pretty big’ margin to the top sides despite Arsenal’s improvement in the race to secure Champions League football.
Arsenal have moved up to fourth after a run of four consecutive Premier League victories and the Gunners are well-placed to secure a top four finish and a return to Europe’s elite.
The north Londoners have failed to qualify for the Champions League since the 2016/17 season and a top four finish would accelerate Arteta’s rebuild at the Emirates.
However, the Spaniard insists there remains a ‘pretty big’ margin between Arsenal and the Premier League’s best teams and says his side must strive for even greater consistency.
“To be with the top teams you have to win consistently and do it in a convincing way,” he said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Leicester this weekend.
“I need even more than that amount of victories (four in a row) because there are teams in this league who do that for 10, 11, 12 or 18 times so still the margin is pretty big.
“The only matter for me is how we train tomorrow and how we play on Sunday. The rest, this is football and its so unpredictable: nobody knows what can happen. Our only focus is on performing and winning matches.
“The team is with the right mindset to transmit that and we can play in front of a really exciting crowd on Sunday that is going to drive the team, is going to push it and hopefully, we can give them the performance and result that they deserve.”
