Emery clings to Champions League hopes

WOLVERHAMPTON: Unai Emery refused to give up on Arsenal’s Champions League hopes after seeing his side embarrassed by Wolves in a 3-1 defeat at Molineux on Wednesday.

Ruben Neves, Matt Doherty and the outstanding Diogo Jota scored the goals that condemned Emery’s side to a third defeat in four Premier League games, severely denting their hopes of a top-four finish with just three games to go.

The Arsenal manager admitted his team were outplayed by Wolves, who scored three goals in the first half to give the visitors a mountain to climb.

Despite the defeat the Spaniard said his side will keep striving for Champions League football, which they can achieve either through a top-four finish in the Premier League or by winning the Europa League.

Defeat in the Midlands left Emery’s men a point behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

“I usually am very critical with myself and I am angry with myself that we didn’t do the gameplan we wanted — not with the players,” said Emery when asked if he was angry with his team.

“First it is with me and after that my style and idea is to look in front and find a solution, not who is the player who is worst.

“First I am thinking about the solution and the solution for me is to take the possibility on Sunday at Leicester and get our best performance and the best possibility to take the three points.”

“It was a good performance against a tough team,” said Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

“I’m very proud of the way we work, the way the players engage themselves and commit themselves to an idea because we give everything that we have each game, it’s a commitment to try to do everything you can to perform well,” he added. “That’s what makes me proud, the belief of us in ourselves.”