Wenger desperate for Arsenal to finish in top three

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, has admitted that he wants his team to finish in the top three, to avoid the Champions League playoff.

The Gunners are currently third in the Premier League, ahead of Sunday’s trip to Sunderland.

With a 20th consecutive appearance in the Champions League almost assured, Wenger is keen to enter straight into the group stages, than be drawn in a playoff at the start of next season.

“Top four is not Champions League. Top three, yes. That’s why it is important,” he said.

“We want to play against the top teams and we want to be in the Champions League.

“What has changed over the years is that the impact of the finances in the Champions League is not as big any more. For a period in the past the money was vital for us.

“But the sporting impact, the planning of the next season, of course it changes completely. Especially when you have a big summer tournament like the Euros which is now like a World Cup because it starts on June 10 and finishes on the 10th of July.

“When you have to play Champions League qualifiers the European Championship is still going on. You can play teams in the qualifiers who are in the middle of their championship because they have started already in June.

“But for us we don’t know where we finish. We are not guaranteed top four and we have to fight for that. Man United is behind us and they will fight for it as well. We have difficult games and so do they.”

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