ARSENAL manager Mikel Arteta has declared that it should not be regarded as failure if his side fail to secure a fourth-place finish in the Premier League.
The Gunners are in pole position to claim the final UEFA Champions League spot in the league as they are currently fourth, one point ahead of fifth-placed Manchester United, who have played three games more.
One of Arsenal’s games in hand will be played on Wednesday night against title-chasing Liverpool, and Arteta says his side will be driven by their top four ambition.
“We don’t see it as pressure to get top four, we see it as motivation,” Arteta said during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“There are better teams in the country because that’s what the league table shows. We haven’t done anything yet.
“I cannot think like that, I think about today and tomorrow.”
The former Arsenal and Everton midfielder however admitted that beating in-form Liverpool is a daunting task.
“We are facing arguably the best team in England and have to be at our best to beat them,” the Spaniard noted.
“You face a team that dominates every single aspect of the game, so when that happens, you have to be at your very best.”
Liverpool thrashed Arsenal 4-0 in their first Premier League meeting at Anfield back in November but Arteta is confident they will be up against a different Gunners side.
He said: “It’s five months later, we’ll have to play our best to beat them.
“We are playing better, we have better understanding of what we want.”
While Liverpool are in top form, relentlessly chasing down Manchester City in the title race, Arsenal have also been on an excellent run, winning their last five Premier League fixtures.
