IT’S WIN OR BUST, ADMITS ARSENE

ARSENE WENGER says Arsenal must win every one of their seven remaining matches if they are to finish in the top four.

The gunners ended a run of four straight away defeats and now trail fourth-placed Manchester City by seven points — but they also have a game in hand.

And Wenger, who used a three-man defence for the first time in 20 years, said: ‘For us, the clarity is there, we have to win every game to have a chance of getting in the top four. Without victory here the top four would have gone.

‘Mathematically it is still possible, even if it is difficult, but we will give it a go.’

Of his formation change, Wenger added: ‘It is the first time in 20 years — it shows even at my age you can change. Sometimes when your team lacks confidence, something new helps them believe and focus.

‘The fact we conceded three at West Brom and three at Crystal Palace, I feel it was needed. I felt we were recently a bit vulnerable defensively. I wanted a bit more reassurance to the team.

‘But there was still a nervousness there, because when you don’t win the confidence goes quickly and comes back slowly.’

Meanwhile, midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain did not hold back in his assessment of recent performances.

‘What we’ve done previously has not been good enough, we need to take responsibility for that,’ said the midfielder. ‘We had to go back to the basics and it didn’t matter how we won. That’s by making sure the commitment levels were right.

‘It’s a massive honour to play for Arsenal and you have to give it 100 per cent — week in, week out. Maybe that had been slipping.

‘These three points were massive. We used a new system and it was a proper defensive performance. We recovered (from recent results) as well as we could. The commitment was everything.’

Arsenal’s scorers were Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, two players whose futures have been the subject of much speculation in recent months.

But Wenger said: ‘ Yes, they proved their importance, but they still have a one-year contract (after this season). I don’t think there is an urgency with that in any way. You perform on the football pitch because you love to play football.’

Boro are six points adrift of safety and without a win in 15 Premier League games, but caretaker boss Steve Agnew said: ‘ This group doesn’t know how to give in, they will never, ever stop.’