• Premier League

Szczesny desperate to finish above Spurs

ESPNsoccernet staff
March 3, 2012
Wojciech Szczesny says fourth place is Arsenal's minimum expectation © Getty Images
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Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny thinks that finishing fourth and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League is the minimum expectation for the club.

The Gunners were knocked out of the FA Cup by Sunderland and must overhaul a 4-0 scoreline against AC Milan next week in Europe's top club competition if they are to progress to the quarter-finals. But with the Premier League the only realistic target left, Szczesny insists that anything less than fourth place would be a failure.

"I deeply believed that this team could fight for the title and trophies," Szczesny told The Sun. "We have to finish the season fighting for other objectives.

"Currently we are in fourth place and that is the minimum for us because this club has to be in the Champions League every year."

Arsenal are currently fourth, but fifth-placed Chelsea are only behind them on goal difference, while both Newcastle and Liverpool remain in contention. Instead of looking backwards though, Szczesny has now set his sights on overtaking Spurs, who are seven points ahead in third.

"It is obvious that it is my ambition to finish the season in front of them [Tottenham]... because I hate them," Szczesny joked. "After the Tottenham game we reduced the gap to them a little bit.

"We have to find a different kind of motivation now. At the beginning of the season, all teams fight for the title. Now we are not in the fight, we have to finish the season as well as we can."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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