Arsene Wenger Concerned For Top-Four Chances After Sunderland Draw

 

Arsene Wenger is worried about Arsenal's quest for a 20th successive Champions League campaign after seeing his side fail to win at struggling Sunderland. The Gunners remained in fourth place in the Premier League, level on points with Manchester City in third and five ahead of Manchester United in fifth, although Louis van Gaal's side have a game in hand.

Asked if he was anxious about clinching a top-four finish, Wenger replied: “Yes, of course. We care about that and we worry about it as well because it's a fight. There are two leagues at the moment: the teams who are taking it a little bit easier - you see some games and you think you would like to play them now, the teams who are safe and are not going for Europe, and then you have the teams who are going for something at the front and the teams who are fighting not to go down, and they are different games. It is frustrating because we play to win the title and the fact that we do not win it is of course frustrating, like it is for many other teams”.

Wenger also offered his support to striker Olivier Giroud, who is now without a Premier League goal in 14 games after another frustrating afternoon at the Stadium of Light. He said “In the second half he got stronger, but the team go less forward to him. At the moment we have to support him, strikers live on confidence and the confidence we show in him as well”.