Sunderland Echo

Wenger targets big finish for Gunners

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failed.

“I don’t want to judge that,” he said when asked specifical­ly about West Ham’s performanc­e.

“We can only influence our own behaviour and take care of ourselves, not judge too much the others. Normally in an ideal world you want to rely on your own results.

“You have to put yourself in a position where you depend on your own results only. Unfortunat­ely for us it’s not the case now but the only thing we can have a chance is to influence our own results and keep going.”

City finished fourth last season despite amassing just 66 points – Arsenal can gain nine more than that with two final victories and still end up in the Europa League.

“It will be frustratin­g,” Wenger conceded. “I still think we just have to give our best to get to 75 points and if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. At least we have done our job well to the end.

“I would say we would be a victim of a lack of consistenc­y that we have shown through the season. Overall, that is in a very short spell where we have paid for it.

“We are a victim of nobody. If we make 75 points, we can only be beaten by one point. That point can happen in the season one side or the other. You will always have regrets because you could have one point more but you forget as well the games you won in the last season where you could the season after not win.”

Wenger, who remains under pressure to leave this summer as supporters continue to protest against him signing a new deal, also has an FA Cup final date with Chelsea on the horizon.

It will be his third FA Cup final in four years and he says he would take the Europa League seriously if Arsenal finish outside the top four .

Arsene Wenger inists his side must go for six points this week - starting against Sunderland tonight.

The Gunners face the Black Cats and then end the season at home to Everton on Sunday, but Champions League football looks likely to evade them for once.

Liverpool will seal a place in Europe’s senior competitio­n if they beat Middlesbro­ugh on Sunday - having romped home 4-0 at West Ham on Sunday.

Wenger, whose side could yet overhaul Manchester City - refused to criticise the Hammers for their feeble performanc­e.

Arsenal recorded a 4-1 win at Stoke but were always reliant on one of their rivals dropping points before the end of the season.

Instead, City edged past last season’s champions Leicester before Liverpool, with a seemingly tricky trip to the London Stadium, coasted past West Ham.

That left Arsenal requiring snookers to crash the top four. Home wins in their remaining two games against Sunderland tonight and Everton on Sunday would still not guarantee the Gunners a place in the Champions League, but Wenger says he is only interested in what his side did.

“I don’t look at the other fixtures. Some teams turn up, some go on holiday,” he said.

While that could be implied as taking as swipe at Slaven Bilic and his West Ham players, Wenger went on to say that Arsenal would have only themselves to blame if they

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Arsene Wenger

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