Unai Emery says Arsenal are using Champions League spot as motivation ahead of Burnley game
Saturday 22 December 2018 11:21, UK
Unai Emery says Arsenal's desire to reach the top four is acting as a motivation to help them to bounce back from successive defeats.
Arsenal have not qualified for the Champions League for two seasons now, and following a shock defeat at Southampton last weekend trail fourth-placed Chelsea by three points.
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Emery told Sky Sports ahead of Arsenal's game with Burnley, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 11.30am on Saturday, that reaching the top four is firmly in the mind of his team, with the Europa League also a potential route to qualification.
He said: "Our results are good but we need more, tactically we need to continue working and improving, but we need time - today the difficulty for us is other teams are getting results and three points every week.
"I trust in our works and our players, and if we continue improving in our way, and with another victory against Burnley, we can be near the best teams in the Premier League and also our mind is to go to the Champions League.
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"There's two ways, we know it's very difficult but if we continue to improve and with a big mentality, I think we can and we are going to try to do it."
Burnley find themselves in the bottom three after failing to replicate their wonderful start to the season from 2017/18 - but Emery paid tribute to the job Sean Dyche has done at Turf Moor.
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He said: "It's amazing, small team, small town and they are in the Premier League doing a big thing and playing in the Europa League, they didn't qualify but it's very competitive team, with a very clear personality. They implement this game plan very well.
"Last week against Tottenham they lost in the last minute after the match in a very difficult game for Tottenham, and Saturday will be difficult. We need to impose our ideas, but they are very organised and their coach has experience in the Premier League against teams like us."
