Emery gives up Spurs chase
ARSENAL boss Unai Emery has admitted his side will not catch Tottenham this season and that they are the outsiders in a three-way battle for the fourth Champions League spot in the Premier League. Arsenal are 10 points behind Tottenham with 13 games to go. Emery’s team sit sixth — a point behind Manchester United and three behind Chelsea — but the Spaniard concedes it will be difficult to guarantee Champions League football next season. Emery said: ‘There are teams now better than us. They have an advantage (in points) to us. Chelsea and Manchester United, very big teams, they are closer than us.’ As for catching Spurs, he added: ‘It is so far. We are going to play Tottenham in one month but now we need to think first about the next games, the next teams.’ Emery revealed Matteo Guendouzi sacrificed the chance to play for his country to focus on Arsenal. The £7million summer signing from Lorient was set to join France’s Under 19 squad for the European Championship last summer, but chose to stay at Arsenal for in pre-season. Emery said: ‘He wanted to stay and work with us. He earned the possibility to take minutes in the first XI.’