Europa League now a priority as Gunners misfire again

Arsene Wenger has conceded winning the Europa League has become important to Arsenal after defeat at Brighton left their topfour hopes in tatters.

The Gunners lost 2-1 at the Amex Stadium for their fourth successive defeat in all competitions, a run which saw them lose the Carabao Cup final and leaves them 13 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham in the Premier League.

Wenger has been insistent in recent weeks that he wants to seal a Champions League return through league position rather than winning the Europa League.

That now looks unlikely as first-half goals from Lewis Dunk and Glenn Murray were enough to beat an uninspiring Arsenal – who scored a consolation through Pierre-emerick Aubameyang – and give Chris Hughton’s Seagulls an even better chance of securing top-flight survival.

Arsenal travel to AC Milan in the last 16 of the Europa League on Thursday and it is now a priority for Wenger.

He said: “We need two teams to collapse [in the Premier League]. I can’t see that at the moment, because two teams to drop so many points is very difficult to imagine. But we have to give our best for as long as we can. Of course the Europa League becomes important.”