Arteta says Arsenal must "win every game then pray" to reach Champions League; Watch Arsenal vs Leicester live on Sky Sports Premier League or Main Event from 8pm on Tuesday; Kick-off 8.15pm
Sunday 5 July 2020 20:53, UK
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal must discuss the "next step" with Alexandre Lacazette and see if the striker wants to sign a new contract at the club.
Lacazette, whose deal expires in 2022, came off the bench to score in Saturday's 2-0 win at Wolves, which lifted Arsenal up to seventh in the Premier League table.
The Frenchman has started just two of Arsenal's last eight Premier League games, with Eddie Nketiah favoured in the centre-forward role on the other six occasions.
While Arsenal remain in talks with captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arteta says Lacazette's future also needs to be resolved following a week where Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka signed new deals at the club.
"We have to have a chat about the next step with him and get his ideas and his feelings. As I said, I am really happy with him," Arteta said ahead of Tuesday's match against Leicester, live on Sky Sports.
"He's a player that I've always liked, even when I wasn't here, because of what he brings to the team: his qualities, his ability, his work rate. So let's see.
"Now we are in a crucial moment. It's no time to talk about a lot of contract situations. We still have time and we will do it in the right moment."
After three league wins in a row Arsenal have set their sights on an unlikely late push for Champions League football next season.
Currently seventh, Arsenal are eight points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with five games to go, and six behind Manchester United in fifth, which would be enough for a Champions League spot if Manchester City's European ban is upheld - with a decision expected within the next fortnight.
For Arsenal, Arteta says there can be no more dropped points going into a tricky run of fixtures, with Tottenham and Liverpool on the way after Tuesday's match with Leicester.
"I think we have to win every game and then wait and pray. It's not about winning one game. I think we need to go game-by-game," he added.
"A few weeks ago, we were really far from even thinking about Europe and now we are a little bit closer at the moment. So let's go game-by-game and see where it takes us.
"Now we are on a good run, we've got some momentum and we're getting to the crucial point of the season where we're going to face the top teams in the next two weeks and we're just trying to get prepared as well as we can.
"We know how important these games are going to be for the future of the season, so we are very focused and committed to trying to do as well as we can."
